which any of the military elements cited enter as
a factor. Nothing so surprises a man of mediocre caliber--one who has
been mistakenly or wrongfully steered into a military career without
there being the slightest evidence of his fitness for it--one who has
been stuffed full of the theory of war and of battle conditions, as
to--suddenly butt up against the real article--a genuine wild-cat battle
with all of its quickly varying conditions and phases. And by such a
battle I do not mean one afar off; at some observation or listening post
within sound of the guns--or in some bomb proof or sheltered dug
out--where he can talk over the telephone; or look upon it as he would a
moving picture--but directly on, or right in rear of an infantry
battle-line under direct rifle, shrapnel, canister, or machine-gun
fire--a bullet-swept field--such as many of us Civil War men saw on the
battle-field of Fredericksburg, Va., Dec. 13-14, 1862. One hundred and
fifty yards from the "Sunken Road"--at the foot of "Maryes Heights".
With no cover except the shell-mangled, disemboweled bodies which we
rolled up in front of us and used for breast works, behind which we
sought the only shelter we had for 30 long winter hours in the half
frozen mud--the plane of fire just grazing our heads on that
bullet-swept terrain--and the bodies being whipped, frazzled and torn to
pieces in front of our noses by terrific rifle and shrapnel fire as we
vainly endeavored to relieve our weary frames by turning over from right
to left or on our backs and stomachs.

That was a battle-field where the soldier not only had to use his
courage, his wits and common sense, but all of his resources. He will
doubtless discover in a few minutes that this situation and this crisis
was not included in what he has studied and booked up as theoretical
battle knowledge and does not apply or fit in to any battle scheme that
has been--without consulting him--staged on his front--and particularly
to such a frightful and perilous situation. Right here will come in his
aptitude and true merit as a soldier--and his real practical test out.
It applies to any other military problem where the element of common
sense must enter as a determining factor. It enters into all walks of
business where business sense is so absolutely necessary. It entered
into this problem of the pursuit of deserters. All of our varied
campaign and battle service, and experience and knowledge gained during
that gre