Our Camps of instruction are alive with soldiers. The alacrity with which our people have rallied to the call of the Governor, is beyond all precedent almost. We should not be surprised if we have fifteen full regiments in camp in a month from this date. Several of these regiments have organized and elected their officers. An error having occurred in our notice of the No. of some of them, we give a correct list with the officers elected:
11th “Bethel Regiment re-organized.” – C. Leventhorpe, Colonel; W. A. Owens, Lt. Colonel, and Wm. A Eliason, Major.
43rd Regiment. – Junius Daniel, Colonel; Thomas S. Kenan, Lt. Colonel, and W. J. Boggan, Major.
44th Regiment. – G. B. Singletary, Colonel; R. C. Cotton, Lt. Colonel, and E. Cromwell, Major.
45th Regiment. – Junius Daniel, Colonel; J. H. Morehead, Lt. Colonel, and A. J. Boyd, Major.
46th Regiment. – E. D. Hall, Colonel; Wm. A. Jenkins, Lt. Colonel, and R. G. Mitchell, Major.
47th Regiment. – S. H. Rogers, Colonel; G. H. Faribault, Lt. Colonel, and Jno. A. Graves, Major.
48th Regiment. – R. C. Hill, Col.; S. H. Walkup, Lt. Col., and B. R. Huske, Major.
The above selections in the main are very good, and exhibit the capacity of the company officers to select good officers. To have succeeded in all respects is what could not have been expected. The responsibility of a commander is one of great importance and risk. No man who has a doubt of his capacity, ought to accept. Indeed, positions of such risk should never be sought. Nor is it enough to have a good Colonel to a regiment. Every officer should be the very best than can be obtained at the time, but we differ entirely with those who would place our volunteers in the war under the regime of the armies of Europe or the old United States army. This war, if we understand it, is a war of the people to be fought by them and for them. Hence the importance of having officers who possess both the confidence and the affection of their men. A very erroneous idea prevails, that officers who are elected cannot and will not enforce discipline. This is a contrary fact. No officers in the army are more strict disciplinarians than Gen. Hill, Col. Pettigrew and Col. Pender, and yet non are my beloved by their commands. Others are equally, so no doubt, but those names occurred to us, and we mentioned them. All that is requisite is for officers to know something of human nature – be strict and firm, but not austere and tyrannical. Let them be good soldiers and good commanders, but not forget that they are nothing but men themselves.
– Published in The North Carolina Weekly Standard, Raleigh, North Carolina, Wednesday, April 16, 1862, p. 1
11th “Bethel Regiment re-organized.” – C. Leventhorpe, Colonel; W. A. Owens, Lt. Colonel, and Wm. A Eliason, Major.
43rd Regiment. – Junius Daniel, Colonel; Thomas S. Kenan, Lt. Colonel, and W. J. Boggan, Major.
44th Regiment. – G. B. Singletary, Colonel; R. C. Cotton, Lt. Colonel, and E. Cromwell, Major.
45th Regiment. – Junius Daniel, Colonel; J. H. Morehead, Lt. Colonel, and A. J. Boyd, Major.
46th Regiment. – E. D. Hall, Colonel; Wm. A. Jenkins, Lt. Colonel, and R. G. Mitchell, Major.
47th Regiment. – S. H. Rogers, Colonel; G. H. Faribault, Lt. Colonel, and Jno. A. Graves, Major.
48th Regiment. – R. C. Hill, Col.; S. H. Walkup, Lt. Col., and B. R. Huske, Major.
The above selections in the main are very good, and exhibit the capacity of the company officers to select good officers. To have succeeded in all respects is what could not have been expected. The responsibility of a commander is one of great importance and risk. No man who has a doubt of his capacity, ought to accept. Indeed, positions of such risk should never be sought. Nor is it enough to have a good Colonel to a regiment. Every officer should be the very best than can be obtained at the time, but we differ entirely with those who would place our volunteers in the war under the regime of the armies of Europe or the old United States army. This war, if we understand it, is a war of the people to be fought by them and for them. Hence the importance of having officers who possess both the confidence and the affection of their men. A very erroneous idea prevails, that officers who are elected cannot and will not enforce discipline. This is a contrary fact. No officers in the army are more strict disciplinarians than Gen. Hill, Col. Pettigrew and Col. Pender, and yet non are my beloved by their commands. Others are equally, so no doubt, but those names occurred to us, and we mentioned them. All that is requisite is for officers to know something of human nature – be strict and firm, but not austere and tyrannical. Let them be good soldiers and good commanders, but not forget that they are nothing but men themselves.
– Published in The North Carolina Weekly Standard, Raleigh, North Carolina, Wednesday, April 16, 1862, p. 1
