The Unpopular History of the United States by Uncle Sam Himself/Chapter 22

by Harris Dickson

XXII

WHAT OF THE REGULARS?

At the outset there was considerable discussion as to what should be done with the regular army, whether it were not wise to abolish it altogether, and assign the trained officers to such duties with volunteer regiments as their talents fitted them to discharge. But as the volunteers themselves began to get a smattering of kindergarten tactics, when they learned to distinguish which end of a musket should properly be held to the shoulder, they concluded that they could get along without West Point dudes to chaperon their martial activities.

As a curious bit of history: In 1861 a certain U. S. Grant volunteered the service of his military education, but no notice was ever taken of it. His letter was not thought of sufficient importance to be preserved.

Five weeks later, placed at the head of a regiment by Governor Yates of Illinois, he began the career which led to supreme command of the Union army and to the Presidency.

At this time there were 741 graduates of the Military Academy. 168 Southern officers resigned and went to their home states, while 92 ex-graduates, who had gone out of the service in 1861, also joined the Confederacy, providing the Southern army with 260 trained officers.

Five hundred and fifty-six West Pointers remained with the Union, while 102 ex-graduates reëntered service, thus giving the Federal Government 658 educated soldiers to direct its campaigns.

Singularly enough the operations immediately prior to the first battle of Bull Run presented the same difficulties as those which destroyed the ill-starred Montgomery at his assault upon Quebec — the Union commander's plans were disarranged by the impending dissolution of his army because of short-term enlistments. On June 16th, Gen. Patterson, commanding the Army of the Shenandoah, advanced within ten miles of Winchester, Va., then occupied by the Confederates. From that point he wrote: "I have to report that the term of service of a very large portion of this force will expire in a few days. From the undercurrent of feeling I am confident that many will be inclined to lay down their arms on the day their time expires. Active operations towards Winchester cannot be thought of until they are replaced by three-year men."

A few days later, having transferred his forces to Charlestown, near Harpers Ferry, Patterson telegraphed the Adjutant General: "With the existing feeling and determination of the three-months men to return home, it would be ruinous to advance or even to stay here."

The three-months volunteers expressed determination not to serve one hour after their time expired. General Patterson began a movement to the front, and was assailed with earnest remonstrances against being detained beyond their terms of service. Even if he should capture Winchester he would be without men, and compelled to retreat. He appealed to the regiments to stand by their country for a week or ten days. History was repeating itself, as Col. Biddle subsequently testified. General Patterson had seen precisely the same thing happen to General Scott at Puebla, Mexico. After making fruitless appeals to his men, one-half to two-thirds of them refused to remain. Three days afterwards, July 21, 1861, on the morning of the battle of Bull Run, while the Secretary of War and the commanding General vainly implored them, a regiment of infantry and a battery of artillery whose time had expired began their homeward march to the sound of the enemy's guns. That same day the Federal army was totally defeated.

Standing like a guide post above the rout, discipline and organization again proved their value. The battalion of regulars which covered the retreat was last to leave the field, checked the enemy's pursuit, and retired in perfect order. According to official reports, all of the Federal troops, except 800, were volunteers and militia. Some of the volunteers had been mustered into the service less than a month. The time of service of all the regiments of militia was about to expire. Any educated officers, knowing these conditions, must have seen the inevitable defeat which occurred at Bull Run.

There was no such thing as discipline. General Heintzleman, after passionate failures to rally his broken regiments, expressed himself as to their conduct: "The want of discipline in these regiments was so great that most of the men would run from fifty to several hundred yards to the rear and continue to fire, — fortunately for the braver ones — very high in the air."

The Confederate forces were estimated at 29,949, and the Federals at 28,568.

Military men now say, quite impartially, that a well trained army, half the size of either, could probably have beaten them both combined.