nteer system in
the Revolutionary War had worn General Washington sick with
discouragement and fear lest all that he had built up be {81} broken
down through lack of discipline. He knew also that in the Civil War
the volunteer system proved inadequate on both sides and that it was
not until the war had gone on for two years that either the North or
the South had what could properly be called an army.

To aid him in the training of these troops he had the assistance of a
number of officers who had seen service in the Regular Army, and
together they mapped out a course of drills and maneuvers that worked
the men from a valueless mob into a regiment trained for battle. The
human material that they had to work with was the best; for these men
had been selected from many applicants. The lack of discipline and the
ignorance of military etiquette led to many amusing incidents. Colonel
Roosevelt in his history of the Rough Riders tells of an orderly
announcing dinner to Colonel Wood and the three majors by remarking
genially:

"If you fellers don't come soon, everything'll get cold."

The foreign attaches said: "Your sentinels do not know much about the
Manual of Arms, but {82} they are the only ones through whose lines we
could not pass. They were polite; but, as one of them said, 'Gents,
I'm sorry, but if you don't stop I shall kill you.'"

The difficulties to be surmounted were enormous; and any officers less
democratic and understanding might have made a mess of it. Both
Roosevelt and Wood understood the frontiersmen too well to misjudge
any breaches of etiquette or to humiliate the extremely sensitive
natures of men long used to life in the open.

Upon Colonel Wood fell practically all the details of organization.
There were materials and supplies of many kinds to be secured from the
War Department; there were men to be drilled in the bare rudiments of
military life; non-commissioned officers and officers to be schooled,
and a thousand and one other details. At first the men were drilled on
foot, but soon horses were purchased and mounted drill commenced, much
to the delight of many of the cowpunchers who by years of training had
become averse to walking a hundred yards if they could throw their
legs over a horse. There was no end to the {83} excitement when the
horses arrived. Most of them were half-broken, but there were some
that had never seen, much less felt, a saddle. The horses were broken
to the delight of ev