Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-01-21
0bllo. ..State(ssrllla'(rl,, I,
NEW MEXICO.
From An Dec. .ion.l corr..p ,ndent.l

1t is, sometimes difficult question to
answer, how an officer doing duty in one
of the small forts at the borders, is able
tolkill the time, unless'he is doing staff
duty. Adjutants and Quartermasters
are generally oyerworked, the former by
reports and the latter by weekly, month";
ly and quarterly accounts, the care for
the public animals, the procuring fuel and
those manifold duties which are insepa-
rable from military household. Your
correspondent has, ever, since he is in
the army, belonged to that department,
which everybody thinks, is only created
and used by officers for filling their purse
to the detriment of Uncle Sam. Such
is, however, not the case and the MAORI
ty of the Quartermasters or officers acting
In that capacity have to be hard working
men, if they would keep their papers
and accounts with the Government in
order; they are responsible for hundreds
of thousands of dollars and all the dis
agreeable business of the garrison is
generally thrown on their shoulders. The
line officers, on the other hand, do duty
as officers of the day two or three times
a week accordingto the number of officers
on hand, a duty which does not generally
differ from doing nothing with the exr
ception of the sabre and sash having to-
be his companion for the day. The
whisky bottle plays a conspicuous part
in most Of, these forts and can be seen
circulating at an early hour in the morn
ing long before breakfast; and after
guard amounting, officer and ex-oficer of
the day, commander and all can be gem
orally found inthe suffers room reserved
for that purpose. Playing cards is then
the order Of the day until about dinner
time, nap and perhaps horseback ride
fill the hours of the afternoon and.
the evening is usually spent
with playing cards, which turns into
gambling particularly if the paymasteri
has made visit shortly before. In most
Of the forts drilling is impossible, be-
cause the men are constantly on detach-
ed duty either for getting wood at dis
tance of many miles, escorting trains or
for guard duty, etc., and because the
garrison is often composed of detach-
ment of infantry and another of cavalry.
Reading matter is eagerly sought for,
but books are necessarily scarce arti-
Gle owing to the high freights; whereas
newspapers have the misfortune of re-.
maining on the way, in the Office of one
or another of the Irresponsible postmas
ters, and as a number of such stations
have to belpassed between the Missouri
and the Rio Grande, the chances of the
newspapers ever reaching their destina-
tion are rather slim except, indeed, they
be printed, in some foreign language.
] The latter circumstance is the only safe
guard for their arrival. The arrival Of
the mail bag invariably creates intense
excitement, everybody being anxious to
hear from home or hear the news of what
is going on in the States. 1t may, in
deed, be said. that we appear to be all
most as far away from civilization and
excluded from the rest of the world as if
we were in deserted island. The
communication with the East is often
disturbed and interrupted by heavy
storms and snow on the mountains in
winter, by the rising of the creeks in
spring and by the excessive heat in sum-
/ mer, which affects the poor animals. but
at any time by the hostility of the Indians,
who constantly prowl around the roads
to attack an unprotected stage or train.
The monotony of garrison life is then
suddenly interrupted at the arrival OF
A such tidings, but as L have told you in
i my last letter the efforts of the military
to7punish the savages are seldom crowned
with real success. Having mentioned
the suffers at the. beginning of the
present, I must add that they still con-
tinue to enjoy the privilege of robbine
the poor soldier in spite of the act o.
Congress passed last year to prevent
that nuisance. No other man being al
lowed to sell goods within great dis
4 tance they generally enjoy privileges
. and facilities as to transportations whicl
other business men do not have. / couli
! mention officers of high rank in thi,
district, who are and have been deriving
large pecuniary benefits by privileges
thus allowed to suffers and privileged
traders. The latter do not think of ia
king less than one to four hundred pc
cent. profit from the poor soldier ant
workmen, while the officers who car
much better afford to pay fancy prices
are not seldom entirely dispensed from
paying for their purchases, particularly
!; those in whose power it is to grant Ger
5 tain favors. In addition to the points
already mentioned, another practice pre-
walls which is apparently ruinous to tn
habits of a man, and particularly o
young officers. 1t is the custom of ever,
officer having as much whiskey to drinl
as he chooses without being charged 70
it by the sutler. This ridiculous Gus
tom gives. Of course, an additional in
ducement to man for getting into tn
J habit of drinking, and am sor
| ry to. say that but few of thos
who have served on the frontie
are entirely free from that passion. Th
discipline of the men cannot come up t
the required standard, when an enliste
man sees almost daily one or all of hi
superior officers in state of intoxica
}, tion, and an officer who is seen in such
state by his men cannot command tn
' necessary respect. 1t cannot. howevel
be hoped that a radical cure will soon b
made of this and similar DEFICIENCIES, fc
although the hand of Governmen
stretches far, the instruments which ou
;, Government employs are not always {
a description to insure success even
an alteration was seriously intended.
+, Desertion is another great evil in tn
army, and partially owing to the abov
reasons many men also complain of j
and harsh treatment on the part of th
! officers but on the other hand l am il
i clined to attribute this evil to the II
q cruiting system. A recruiting office
i makes it of course point of ambition