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Citizen Soldiers

Citizen Soldiers image
Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
April
Year
1898
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Ihat the soldiers of the Continental army - yesterday farmers and artisans - could fight history rells, but in the transition stage the idea of subordination that niarks the differeuce between an army and an armed rnob was difficult to grapp by men iu whoin the idea of personal independence was so strong. The captain was do better thau tho jrivate in tho village from which both aailed, and it was not strange tbat the private, when ordered by bis superior offlcer to fetch a bucket of water from ;he spring, should retort : "Get it yourself. I got it yesterday. It's your turn ioday. " This was not insubordination n the view of the rank and file, but merely the assertiou of a proper spirit of manliness. It happened not infrequently during he civil war that the private was a richer man than the offlcer, as in the case of Elias Howe, the inventor of the sewing machine, who on several occasions presented a fine horse to some ïnaor or colonel too poor to purchase such a mouMt himself. Tbere was another soldier of this etainp, Koch by name, who was well mown iu Philadelphia. He left a fortune of over $1,000,000. It feil to bis ot; one night to be stationed sentinel over a baggage wagon. The weather was cold and wet. This set the sentinel musing. After remaining on post for ïalf an hour he called lustily : "Corporal of tbeguard!" The corporal carne and inquired what was wanting. Koch wished to be relieved for a few minutes, having something to say to the officer in command of the sost. His wish was gratified, and in a :ew minutes he stood in the presence of General Macpherson. "General," said he, "what is the value of tbat wagon over which I am sentinel?" "How should I know? Was that all you wanted?" responded the general impatiently. "Something approximate, " insisted ;he soldier. "Oh, well, $1,000 perhaps. " "Very well, General Macpberson, " responded the private. "I will write a oheck for that amount, and then I will ;o to bed."

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News