Our militia have, at times, performed wonders; but they have likewise often been the cause of defeat and disgrace.
We ought not unnecessarily to employ militia in actual service. To do so is to be careless of our population; and our population is our wealth. Great-Britain cannot support her subjects; she may well, therefore, sacrifice them in unnecessary wars. Her territory is comparatively small; whilst ours is almost unlimited. None of our citizens should be sent into the field of battle without the confidence and conduct, which discipline gives. Our militia, as I have said before, are the most valuable and productive part of our population; and they are sent into the field under the most unfavourable circumstances. Many of them have never slept a night from under their maternal roof. They have heard their fathers speak of other times, and their youthful hearts pant for the service of their country; but when the novelties of the camp, the music and the parade of military life cease to inspire them, they lose, for a time, much of their enterprise [73] and spirit. This very circumstance disposes them to disease; and this very circumstance tends to render disease fatal. They are entirely unaccustomed to the habits and employments of a camp; and their health is greatly exposed, by means of the number of troops collected, by being encamped in insalubrious situations, and by modes of living, to which they are entirely unaccustomed. In a time of peace, new recruits may be located in small numbers, in healthy situations, and the habits of the raw soldier be gradually changed.
But a militia force is not efficient. Discipline is, generally speaking, absolutely necessary to success. It produces in battle a sense of general, and in some measure of individual security. The soldier in an engagement knows, that he must take his chance, and he is willing to take it; but it is because he has a confidence in the general security of the army, that he stands his ground: for let him know that there will be a rout of his party, and he will at once become sensible of the extraordinary risque which he must run, and will endeavour to save himself by flight. In proportion to the discipline of an army will be the general and individual confidence of the troops. Besides, there is a great difference between individual and general courage. Individual courage is less common than is supposed. A party of men may fight pretty well in company, when, as individuals, they would, under similar circumstances, act a cowardly part; it is a sense of mutual support, which checks their fears, and furnishes them with confidence.
Where there is discipline,—where every individual feels that he is supported by all the rest,—this gives him confidence; and confidence is force.
Among militia the cowardice of a few will disorganize the whole; and when broken and hard pushed, [74] it is impossible for them to rally. But regular troops, when broken, can, in ordinary cases, readily form again; and, although their ranks may be thinned by the fire of the enemy, they are immediately filled, order is maintained, the army, though reduced, is still an army; and, although overpowered, they fight, not like a rabble, but like true soldiers. Their manouvres too, upon which the result of an engagement much depends, are performed promptly, and in order. Indeed, a soldier, in a well disciplined army, is a mere machine; he is a part of a perfect whole, has no will of his own, and moves only by the direction of his commanders. Had our force, at the attack upon the city of Washington, been of such a class, what a glorious defence would have been made![[69]] They would have planted themselves before it, and in the name of every thing dear, and sacred, and terrible, would have resisted its unprincipled invaders.
Our militia, as has been observed, sometimes perform wonders; but these are exceptions to a general rule; and exceptions are a poor ground for the establishment of a general principle. In a pell-mell contest, militia will fight with effect, because the mode of fighting is, on both sides, of the same kind. Here our militia would prevail over that of any other nation. And were our troops always well disciplined, they would always, excepting in cases of accident, overcome the regular troops opposed to them. These effects would arise from the people of this country possessing more animal vigour, and more moral force than any other people.
Our militia may soon be made good soldiers, because they are intelligent, and have already received some military instruction. I speak of them in comparison with the militia of other countries. Much discipline, and the scenes and avocations of the [75] camp should be familiar to soldiers, before they are brought into the field. By teaching them their first lessons, at the point of the bayonet, immense sacrifices are made, both of reputation and of blood.
The expence too of maintaining a militia force, is much greater than that of supporting a regular army. The former must be more numerous than the latter; and, of course, their wages and provisions must amount to more.
Our military establishment should, to say the least, be sufficiently large to enable us to move, whenever necessary, a well organized, well disciplined, and efficient force against our savage neighbours. Such a kind of force is the only proper one to meet the fatigues and dangers of Indian warfare. It is time for the nation to be heart-sick of inefficient military efforts, defeat and massacre. The Indians may be conquered; but the genius of a Jackson, thousands of Tennesseeans, much time, and a vast expence should not, in this country, be requisite to overthrow a few hundred Seminoles.[[70]] A well organized, and well appointed force of one thousand men could effect such an object in thirty days after leaving the proper place of rendezvous.—I say one thousand men, because a large force is more decidedly efficient than a small one. Militia, under ordinary circumstances, are put into the utmost confusion by the whoop, and yell, and onset, of Indians; and then a total butchery of them ensues. But let a regular force be employed, and order and firmness will resist the most furious, and unexpected attack; and the next moment they will march on to victory. Our celebrated fourth regiment at the battle of Tippecanoe proves this position.[[71]] But for them, this engagement would have resulted like those of Braddock and St. Clair.
The honour and the safety of the nation, demand [76] an ample and well organized military establishment. With the love of liberty, and every other circumstance in our favour, we have often, by only an equal force, been defeated; and this effect arose from our want of discipline. The nation must have such a force as can be depended upon:—such a force as will fear a departure from discipline more than the bayonet of the enemy. Such a force can be obtained only by offering to our best population, both officers and soldiers, such compensation and advantages as will, not only induce them to engage in the service of their country, but such as will be in themselves so fully adequate, as to render the service respectable. A considerable part of the expence of such an establishment, might be defrayed by employing the troops in making roads, and in other internal improvements. This business would keep them from idleness, inure them to labour, and render them acquainted with those implements, which are employed in pioneering, and in fortification.