GENERAL GEORGE A. CUSTER.



vealed itself during the war, became plain now. Tt was only
a temporary make-shift, after all, and the close of the war
showed it. The same men who in campaign had been docile
soldiers, in perfect discipline, became once more the same self-
opinionated mob which had been beaten at Bull Run. The
men resumed their functions as citizens, began to think and to
grumble, disputing orders, disobeying them, and fast sinking
into a state of demoralization that would appear incredible when
compared with the experience of a few months back, were it not
recorded. During, the war, it seemed as if Ainerica had
become a militarv nation. Peace revealed the fact that it had
not done any such thing. Some million of citizens, nuder the
pressure of national pride and self-preservation, had cons ted
to play the part of soldiers while necessity existed. Now th
had done their work, were heartily sick of the unnatural life, and
wanted to return to a natural one.
   The disgust and anger of the volunteers who were retained
in the service was further increased by the disbandment of so
many of their comrades. Most of the eastern regiments were
mustered out, and the Army of the Potomac entirely broken
up, while the regiments retained in service were generally from
the West. This was in consequence of their being nearer to
the dangerous places in the southwest, and in no sense a dis-
crimination against them, but they would not listen to explana-
tions. They heard of their friends who had gone home, who
were now in business and prosperous, while they felt only too
keenly that they were wasting their own time, that opportuni-
ties were slipping away and could never be replaced, and that
by the time they got home all the avenues to employrnent
might be filled, and they turned out to starve. All this grUmn-
bling, and discontent increased dailv among the volunteers, while
among the regulars it was unknown.
   A calm retrospect of the facts, at this late day ten years
after the event, shows the cause to be very simple. The real
trouble was that the volunteer organization, coming as it did



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