Quote of the Day

I recently came across a quote from a Veteran of the Indian Wars. I think it fits appropriately into this week on the blog of observing the 150th Anniversary of Antietam.
The quote is original; I have not attempted to correct the grammar.

“It takes all kinds of men to make up an army. Officer, o’course, whose doins is writ up in books, but it takes a lot o’common fellows too, like me and Tuttle and Billy Blake and others-jist privates, men that don’t know nothing except what they’re told to do, that kills and gits killed, and that the world never hars about. Jist privates we was, jist rough, strong young fellows ready to march all day, tired, hungry, thirsty, to go here, go thar, without understandin’ why nothin’ except shoot and shoot to kill. And yet to ourselves we seemed important. Every private’s trouble meant jist as much to him as though he’d been a Major. Hundreds of graves are scattered…of men that’s never been missed, never been writ up, but they was good soldiers jist the same and without ’em thar would’ve been no country…”



2 Responses to Quote of the Day

  1. What an appropriate quote! Do you remember where you found it? I’d love to do some additional reading from this gentleman.

    1. It is from “Custer’s Best: The Story of Company M, 7th Cavalry at the Little Bighorn” by Colonel French MacLean.
      Colonel MacLean only included the quote at the opening of the text. It is from a trooper of the 7th Cavalry, however, they are not identified.

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