Officials' control over common soldiers remained as limited as over senior officers. [fact]
That a woman could be found in an army hospital, that a soldier fell in love with her and decided to marry her and that his colonel could not stop him from doing so attest to the fact that the authorities had as much difficulty in controlling "all the activities and stillnesses of the soldiers" as they had with keeping an eye on the behavior of the senior officials.
Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed…, loc. 1182