Johnstown High School - Spectator Yearbook (Johnstown, PA)

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The Spectator 5 numerous suggestions rose above the rumpus. Soon we were disentangled and started across the campus like whipped pups. VVe seven wiser Sophs did not even become angry when we looked up and saw our cowpuncher Fresh laughing himself sick. Then he yelled something at us and drew down the blind, casting that end of the Dorm in pitchlike darkness. Military Men as Writers By J. Lewis Evans ,II ' ILITARY men are, as a whole, very rough and ready characters, this being the cause, in many cases, for their success in military life and in their military careers. Although they are of somewhat rough character, they are among the fm- est writers on political or social questions. I will give a brief account of five of the most important military myen who became well known in the literary world as writers on subjects that oc- cupied the minds of the people of their particular day. The five men I have chosen are Moltke and Frederick The Great of Germany, and Ulysses S. Grant, Robley D. Evans and Theodore Roosevelt of the United States. The first military man ,whom I will dwell on is Count Karl Von Moltke, of the great Franco-Prussian War. He was born at Parchim, Prussia, in 18oo, and died in 1891. He entered the Prussian army very young. Count Von Moltke wrote one of the finest accounts of the Franco-Prussian Vtfar ever published. It was printed in book form in 1870 and 1871. He spent about three hours each morning on this line history until it was lin- ished. He did not write memoirs, for he hated them, and he once said: If I have any memoirs, I hope they may be buried with my body. In the year 1888 Moltke wrote a book describ- ing very accurately the famous Russian-Turkish 'campaigns oi 1828-1829 in European Turkey. Not long afterwards he wrote Letters on the Affairsiin Turkey in the Years 1835-I83Q.i, In 1892 were published Letters, and The Italian War of 1866. Another military man who became well known for his writings was Frederick The Great. He was born ine Berlin,

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4 The Spqctatcr leveling at the bunch of us. By his narrowed eyes and square jaw it wasn't hard to surmise that he meant business. He began in his Western drawl: Now, gentlemen, hands high above your heads. That's right. The one that has my key in his pocket will please nod his head. Quick! That's right, sir. I'll take it if you don't care. Deftly he changed both pistols into his right hand and dived into my pocket with his left, withdrawing the key, which he threw on the couch. Now, see here, you. It's a pipe that the cards are in my hands, so don't start anything. You may leave this room, one by one. When the body of one has disappeared, it's the next fellow's turn. He backed over to the window. Without taking his eye oi? us, he drew the rope up, hooking it on a wooden pin in the sill. Then standing aside, he grinned. Covering Bantum with one gun, he half drawled, half hissed, Do you get me? Now git! , Well, fellows, Bantum took the first crack at the rope. He was shaking like a leaf when he crawled through and reached for the rope. He caught it, for his head shot below the sill. As Smith, at the motion of the cowpuncher's gun, walked towards the exit we distinctly heard the thud of Bantum's avoirdu- pois meeting the ground. When I rapidly calculated the dis- tance between the end of that rope and the gravel walk, I began to realize there is more than one point to some jokes. By that time Smith had landed and there was a duet of groans outside the window. We five within stood with pale faces and shaking knees, looking down the barrels of two colts. Bates was streak- ing across the room. Before I realized it, the chorus outside wasa trio and it was my turn. I could scarcely lift mly feet when I tried to walk, but got to the sill in some way and crawled over. The rope burned my hands like fire as I slid, while my body struck every projecting stone. My first aero- nautic journey was not at an end, however, when I discovered the end of the rope. The next second I hit, striking someone's foot and landing square on Bantum, who let out an Indian whoop. My three other companions joined us by jolts, las you might say. The 'air see1ned'fuIl'of Flying feet and 'hands while

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6 The Spectator Germany, in 1712, and died in 1786. F rederick's writings were mostly in French, because he hated the German language, and once said that it was the language for the peasants. Many of his writings, especially his Antimacliievel, had their origin in the rural tranquillity of Theinsburgh. Some of Frederick's writings appeared during his lifetime, but most of them appear- ed in Oeuvres Postumes in 1788-1789. The Academy of Ber- lin revised this edition and in 1846-1857 published it, with his private literature and correspondence, under 0euvres de Fred- erick le Grand in 31 Volumes. From 1745-1750 Frederick de- voted most of his time, with the greatest activity, to the domes- tic administration, to the improvement of the army, and at the same time 'to authorship. It was during this period of his life that he wrote, Memoirs pour servira L'Histoire de Branden- boroughf' his poem L'Art de la Guerref' and other works in prose and verse. 1 The earliest of our great military men .who became a suc- fcessful writer was Ulysses S. Grant. Grant's most famous writ- ings were his lVfemoirs.', His writings were like his character, they were the embodiment of directness. Wlien he sent his dis- patches in time of war, they Were written hastily and Without forethought, and often sent off without the change of a word. Such was the case with his terms with Lee, with his uncondi- tional surrender, his Letter to Buckingham and his cele- brated dispatch: I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes me all summer. just as memorable are his words which fol- lowed his acceptance, in 1868, of the nomination for the presi- dency, Let us have Peace. On his deathbed, when he was no longer able to speak, he wrote the following: I feel that we are on the eve of a new era, when there is to be great harmony between the Federals and Confederates. I can not stay to be a living witness to the correctness of this prophecy, but I feel it within me that it is to be so. The universally kind feeling expressed for me at a time when it was supposed that each day would prove my last, seems to me to be the beginning of the answer, 'Let us have Peacef Another great personage in military affairs who has be- come well known as a writer, is Robley Dunstan Evans, of the United States Navy. He was born in 1840. Admiral Evans