A soldier without self-respect is worthless.

Consequently there were no regiments in which it was so important to observe the courtesies and proprieties of military life as in these.

I had to caution the officers to be more than usually particular in returning the salutations of the men; to be very careful in their dealings with those on picket or guard-duty; and on no account to omit the titles of the non-commissioned officers.

So, in dealing out punishments, we had carefully to avoid all that was brutal and arbitrary, all that savored of the overseer.

Any such dealing found them as obstinate and contemptuous as was Topsy when Miss Ophelia undertook to chastise her.