nd
men alike unite in praise of this cartridge belt. The particular
private whom I was inspecting said he now carried 100 as easily as he
formerly carried 50. This belt rests loosely on the hips, without any
straps over the shoulders. It is eminently businesslike in appearance.
The hat is the gray felt of South Africa, Australia, and every other
part of the world where comfort and cost are consulted. No boots are
blacked on expeditions of this kind. The men who form in line for
guard duty have their tunics well brushed, but that may be due to
extraneous assistance.

For fighting purposes, then, the United States private has nothing to
keep clean excepting his rifle and bayonet. He carries no contrivances
for polishing buttons, boots, or the dozen of bits of accouterment
deemed essential to a good soldier in Europe. In Spain, for instance,
the private, though he may have nothing in his haversack, will,
nevertheless, carry a clumsy outfit of tools for making his uniform
look imposing.

Now, as to discipline in the American army I cannot speak at present,
for the war is yet too young. It may, however, be worth noting that in
this particular regiment, while most complete liberty was allowed the
men all the twelve days of the rail journey from San Francisco to
Tampa, not a single case of drunkenness or any other breach of
discipline was reported. Among the 105 men on this boat there has not
in the past seven days been a single case of sickness of any kind or
any occasion for punishing. The firing discipline during the three
times we have been under fire has been excellent; the obedience of
soldiers to their officers has been as prompt and intelligent as
anything I have seen in Europe; and as to coolness under fire and
accuracy of aim, what I have seen is most satisfactory. The men
evidently regard their officers as soldiers of equal courage and
superior technical knowledge. To the Yankee private "West Pointer"
means what to the soldier of Prussia is conveyed by noble rank. In my
intimate intercourse with officers and men aboard this ship I cannot
recall an instance of an officer addressing a private otherwise than
is usual when a gentleman issues an order. I have never heard an
officer or noncommissioned officer curse a man. During the engagement
of Cabanas the orders were issued as quietly as at any other time, and
the men went about their work as steadily as bluejackets on a
man-o'-war.

All this I note, because this