military experience.

General officers were too often, from apparent necessity, taken
from those who had more influence than military skill. Some of
these, however, by patient toil, coupled with zeal and brains,
performed valuable service to their country and won honorable names
as soldiers. But the most of them made only moderate officers and
fair reputations. War develops and inspires men, and if it continues
long, great soldiers are evolved from its fierce conflicts.

Accidental _good_ fortune in war sometimes renders weak and unworthy
men conspicuous. Accidental _bad_ fortune in war often overtakes
able, worthy, honest, honorable men of the first promise and destroys
them.(23) Very few succeed in a long war through pure military
genius alone, if there is such a thing. Many, in the heat of battle-
field experiences and in campaigns are inspired with the _common
sense_ that makes them, through success, really great soldiers.
The indispensable quality of personal bravery, commonly supposed
sufficient to make a man a valuable officer, is often of the smallest
importance. A merely brave, rash man in the ranks may be of some
value as an inspiring example to his immediate comrades, but he is
hardly equal for that purpose to the intelligent soldier who obeys
orders, and, though never reckless, yet, through a proper amount
of individual pride, does his whole duty without braggadocio.

A mere dashing officer is more and more a failure, and unfitted to
command, in proportion as he is high in rank. Rash personal conduct
which might be tolerated in a lieutenant would in a lieutenant-
general be conclusive of his unfitness to hold any general command.
Of course, there are rare emergencies when an officer, let his rank
be what it may, should lead in an assault or forlorn hope, or rush
in to stay a panic among his own troops.

This, like all other actions of a good officer, must also be an
inspiration of duty. The coward in war has no place,(24) and when
found in an army (which is rare) should be promptly mustered out.
There was no such thing in the late war as a regiment of cowards.
Inefficient or timid officers may have given their commands a bad
name, and caused them to lose confidence in success, and hence to
become unsteady or panicky. The average American is not deficient
in true courage.

Careful drill and discipline make good soldiers.

The American people were now awake to the realities of a war in
which