Page:Harris Dickson--The unpopular history of the United States.djvu/143

Opening the Civil War able commanders to the militia and to the volunteers, holding up magnificent examples of skill, fortitude and courage.

After the Mexican War Congress immediately reduced the army from 30,890 men to 10,320. Here we have the same old policy of dismissing our trained soldiers the minute fighting time had passed. When we wanted them again, mighty bad and mighty quick, we didn't have any. Congress has always figured that a considerate enemy would always permit us an abundance of leisure to begin preparations after the actual fighting has commenced — plenty of time to apply for insurance after the house catches fire.

Therefore, at the close of 1860, with a population of 31,000,000 and 3,000,000 square miles of territory, we were practically destitute of military force. The regular army in fact numbered 16,367, scattered along our interminable frontiers, stationed at isolated western posts, and guarding the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida. Imagine [125]