June 17, 1862 (Tuesday): "Keep Cool, Obey Orders, and Aim Low"

Confederate Soldiers, 1861 (Library of Congress)

HEADQUARTERS RIGHT WING, Army before Richmond, June 17, 1862. 

SOLDIERS: You have marched out to fight the battles of your country, and by those battles you must be rescued from the shame of slavery. Your foes have declared their purpose of bringing you to beggary; and avarice, their natural characteristic, incites them to redoubled efforts for the conquest of the South, in order that they may seize her sunny fields and happy homes. Already has the hatred of one of their great leaders attempted to make the negro your equal by declaring his freedom. They care not for the blood of babes nor carnage of innocent women which servile insurrection thus stirred up may bring upon their heads. Worse than this, the North has sent forth another infamous chief, encouraging the lust of his hirelings to the dishonor and violation of those Southern women who have so untiringly labored to clothe our soldiers in the field and nurse our sick and wounded. If ever men were called upon to defend the beloved daughters of their country, that now is our duty. Let such thoughts nerve you up to the most dreadful shock of battle; for were it certain death, death would be better than the fate that defeat would entail upon us all. But remember, though the fiery noise of battle is indeed most terrifying, and seems to threaten universal ruin, it is not so destructive as it seems, and few soldiers after all are slain. This the commanding general desires particularly to impress upon the fresh and inexperienced troops who now constitute a part of this command. Let officers and men, even under the most formidable fire, preserve a quiet demeanor and self-possessed temper. Keep cool, obey orders, and aim low. Remember while you are doing this, and driving the enemy before you, your comrades may be relied on to support you on either side, and are in turn relying upon you.
    Stand well to your duty, and when these clouds break away, as they surely will, the bright sunlight of peace falling upon our free, virtuous, and happy land will be a sufficient reward for the sacrifices which we are now called upon to make.


JAMES LONGSTREET,
Major-General, Commanding.

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 11, Part 3, Page 606.

Through time immemorial officers have attempted to bolster the spirit of their soldiers by making the connection between service and protection of their homes and families.  Here, Longstreet anticipates battles soon coming by appealing to the patriotism of his troops.  He also uses the actions of General Hunter in issuing a proclamation emancipating slaves in SC and Butler's "women order" in New Orleans to spur them on.  What is more interesting is the very practical advice for soldiers who had yet to see combat.  He speaks of the noise and shock of combat and points out, rightly, that although death in battle is possible it is not certain.