Indian
fighter before the war. He introduced himself as "Corps officer of the
day" and my superior officer for this tour of picket duty. The peculiar
thing about his presence was his treatment of me. He evidently saw that
he had a greenhorn on hand, for the first question he fired at me was,
"How many times have you served as picket officer of the day?" I
candidly replied that this was my first experience. "Your knowledge of
the duties of officer of the day is somewhat limited?" I admitted the
fact. "That is all right," said he with a pleasant smile. "You are just
the man I want. You shall remain with me all day, and I will teach you
all there is about it." I shall never forget that day's experience with
this splendid old officer. I rode with him over the whole corps line in
the morning, and after that he made his head-quarters at the Lacey House
with me. Our division front, said he, is where an attack is most to be
looked for, and then he went over it carefully with me, pointing out the
most probable points of attack and how they should be met; what to do at
this point and that, and so on, in a most intelligent and entertaining
manner gave me the practical idea of a picket defence, out of his long
and ample experience as a regular army officer. It was just what I
needed and was of the greatest value to me. It was practical experience
under a superb instructor. If all the regular army officers I came in
contact with had been as kind and considerate as this superb Indian
fighter, I should have been equally grateful. Unfortunately, this was
not the case. My experience in this respect may have been exceptional,
but the instance above narrated is the one solitary case in which my
duties brought me in contact with regular army officers that I did not
receive a rebuff, frequently most brutal and insulting. Doubtless the
lack of knowledge of army customs and routine on the part of us
volunteer officers was calculated to try their patience, for they
occupied all the higher executive staff positions, and routine business
of all kinds had to pass their scrutiny.

But what were they given West Point education and training at the public
expense for if not to impart it to those who should be called to fill
volunteer positions in times of the country's need? And how should a
volunteer, called into the service of his country without a particle of
military education, be expected to understand the interminable routine
of army red tape?