Delafield, Richard (1798-1873) to Charles James Faulkner
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03015 Author/Creator: Delafield, Richard (1798-1873) Place Written: West Point, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 23 March 1858 Pagination: 4 p. ; 17.5 x 11.2 cm. Order a Copy
Delafield, Superintendent of the United States Military Academy, writes to Faulkner, a United States Representative from Virginia. Recently received an address delivered by Faulkner to the House of Representatives "on the true policy of our Country in its application of Volunteers, the Militia, and the regular army." Requests another copy. Writes, "If we take enthusiastic inexperienced citizens, we must either have a very large proportion of experienced officers to lead and take care of them in the field; much time to instruct and discipline them, or the consequences, sickness, disease, delays, and immense number to compensate therefor- A body of inexperienced men marching across our Continent with army transportation and supplies would be just as helpless as the same inexperience in a factory... yet humanity alone forbids calling upon, and inducing the enthusiastic young men of the Country to enter upon a Service which by the facts you have presented clearly shows they must suffer greatly beyond the necessity of the Case, and that the only corrective, is to instruct them before they move into the field..."
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