Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-01-30

who. I will no, bombastically say, are the bull.
walks OF our country, but simply connne myself
to the reality and style them, as they are, the
pioneers of emigration and civilization -cannot
be wondered nj, while those, under whose charge
they are daily exhibit to the public the selfsame
traits of indifference, If not contempt That
body Of men, engaged in an honorable occupa-
ton i'm their countrv's service. should he a butt
for the vindctive ISLANDERS and rariratures of n
penny -a-lineT' is not to he wondered at; but
that respectable public alton should far forget
itself as 10 issue TO the world, under its guise OF
respeC liability, statements and inuendoes which
IL knows To be false, is incOmprehe nsible, anu,
mast add, likewise the lowest kind OF me anhess
Judging from the illustration" Ihr uhI,tu
states soldier AT hOme''-One unacqnainttd WIN
the real nature If the service would take u ioi
granted that IL was the very QuintesSehce Oh I'A
uriouS ease; for, the writer Jocosely opSeires,
60 the most arduous employment OF the Ihlteu
States soldier, and the one most strehuousiy Pu,-
sued, is lying his belly on the ground he
has seem probably, lew lecIua. r a. aePu rs
az cumulatcd and then forwarded to their respfc-
tive regiments, and from this exhibition he de.
duces the erroneous conclusion that eating ana
rink ing and laying on their bellies are the only
employments of the United States soldier. But
what the facts of the case, Is there the least
shadow Of proof Of such an indolent existence as
army or any other position in life, except, per-
haps, his own which may account in great
measure for his cxuberant genius.
The fact is, ard it cannot be disputed. that
there is Hot position in life where more ardu us
toll Is performed or physical suffering endured
than in that same boasted position of luxurious
ease. As proof of my assertion need only to
refer, and that briefly, too, to what has been done
by soldiers in this reg ion Of country since their
occupation Of il in the Spring of 1855. In doing
this, however, would wish it to be distinctly
understood that have no other motive in maxim :
this statement than desire to disabuse the plb-
lie mind, and consequently destroy in a Z reat
measure the prejudice existing against us as a
class My object will be, not to cavil at matters
and things think to be wrong, let them be ever
so injurious to the interest Of the service the
welfare of myself aud comrades, hut to exhibit
the :" icell- fed dron'S, we often styled by
ignorant charlatans, to the public view Ia
natural.
II must be understood then that in the spring
of 1855, in consequence Of the atrccious conduct
of the Sioux Indians on the upper Missouri, six
companies Of the ID infantry, numbering some
i5O men. were sent out to quell and il necessary,
chastise them. After 800 miles of Miss our
river navi CATION, which took six weeks to per-
form, we had all assembled at the old Indian
trading post, Fort Pierre. From the time of OUT
arrival until the 18th Of September, when we
left for d scout on the plains, not an idle day
Was TO be had every man was employed either
at his legitimate duties, or with the pick and
shovel, the saw and axe, or the scythe and hay
| rake. These labors continued, without any in.
| PERMISSION, mp TO the time above stated, when
we left, by orders of Gen. Harvey, for scout
afler Indians on the plains, from we returned on
| the 9th Of October, having travelled over 3Ot
miles. No sooner had we returned than the labor
was resumed, and was continued up to the last
OF October when, DIS evidence Of our industry,
sixty houses-soldiers' barracks, officers quar-
| tiers and mess rOOms commissary and quarter
masters shorehouses, were up and occupied Al
this time, General Harvey, on account of the diff
hcnlty OF procuring wood for fuel and forage fol
animals, gave orders for four of the companies "a
leave the post, part to 90 up the river and part
down, and there select some spot near timber
and grass aud build cantonments for the winter
These companies moved per order on the Sd
Of Nov mber and proceeded TO their destination;
although, the roads were almost impossible from
mud and melted snow. There their labors were
resumed logs had to be cut. squared. and put
up into houses; provisions had to be hauled from
Fort Pierre, and had frequently to be carried on
mems backs for mile at Il stretch owing to the
diihculty of getting it over the partially frozen
river. During this arduous toll, there were no
comfortable quarters or smiling faces, which in
vlriaiiy aeets the poorest labOrer in a civil com
nnnIty, to repair To after the days toll over
nothlnS but canvas tent. the bare ground, and
the soldiers fast friend, his blanket was there
to resort to; and that We made the best of there
cannot he doubted, but il was not exactly In the
| manner describe Il by Harpers' Weekly"
BY the 2bh OF December, all were under sbei-
Ter once more, and labor partly ceased for the
winter.
Next spring. however, new orders were given
New posts had to be established and built and
Il movement of some 80 miles had to be Der.
formed This was done. Leaving two couipa-
MES to garrison Fort Pierre, the other four pro
ceedrd dOwnwards and took positions rpspec-
/
Randall; TWO COMPANIES and the band were as
signed to tie latter, and two to the former place
Al both of the above mentioned places the
uiily roll again cOIin9 ii, and has cont inued
at Fort Randall up Ia the present date at Look
out, however, after stoTrhouSes and quarters had
been erected, the place was aband Dn.d the build
,ngs pulled down the river to this place, where
they were again re- erected during the past sum
nI~r
The above are simply the facts Of the case
VIII say nothing Of individual suffering
fl..4KF do. hEl,
Jert under review; and even II they did, aud
was disposed 10 furnish Sketches. I question
whether y"u could find space To accomm odatt
them. shall Therefore be content TO leave OIL
case To the unbiased decision of discrimn N no
public, not doubting, Messrs Ifnrpers AMI theii
Pnny-a-lihers To the contrary nOfwithstan nd no
bnt they Will exempt from the stigma %
Lying on our bellies, living on the fat of til.
| land, > as droneS on society. / would suggest
however,, that If the humorous gentleman VIII,
presides over the pictorial department of Harper,
weekly would get his sea insured for yooC
| round sum, and cOndescend to visit us in OIL
earthly paradise here, il would save him tn,
| trouble and, possibly, expense of purcha,in.
drawings of foreign troops under trying circum
| stances, by taking drawings on the spot Of ou
| own cannot promise, however, they would b,
Gllte so picturesque as the foreign legion, no
having the sunny skies, the palmcovefed land
scape, the camel, the flowing robes and the SUI
mantle over the soldiers head These things h
would have to invent However, this, udyin!
| from his recent exhibition Of abilities, would b
no trouble tn him; 20 he had better come
In conclusion, joking aside, and in all kind
ness towards the aforesaid writer and engraver.
would like to ask whether il would not be NOR
cteditdble, both to themselves and their country
| II they would picture forth scenes Of our ARM
more In accordance with truth and less objection
able to the feelings Of l5 900 of their fellow men
| The army would then become what it ought 4
be-an assembly Of respectable and honorabl
men-instedd Of d refuge for the outca,ts of crea
ton, "a 1t too frequently is at the present time
VERY resPe ctfully, your ODE dent servant,
Thomas WEBB,
| lst Sergeant Co /, e ond Infantry