The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-08-09
SOLDIER LIFE in RUSSIA.
How the Warriors Spend their Time
CnMn.

| In New York from his brother, who is
volunteer soldier in the Ninth regiment
of Dragons of the Russian Danube
army. The letter gives interesting de-
tails about Russian camp and soldier
life, such as it is at present, since the mill
tary reform of 1874, and clearly shows
that the barbarous military system of
former days, with all its tyranny and
cruelty practiced on the soldier, has en-
tirely disappeared, giving way to q
rational discipline, mostly tempered by
mutual confidence between officers and
privates. The letter is dated from the
bivouac of the regiment near Slatina, q
small town on the railway between
Bucharest and Krajova:
"We are still here, as you see," says
the correspondent, "at Slatina, and do
not know how soon we are destined to
move onward, or else, to say the truth,
we know a great deal but it would be
useless to write to you about it, as L am
told that our letters are perused at the
post-office of the regiment, and the least
allusion to future military movements is
carefully suppressed. Therefore must
naturally content myself with giving you
such particulars of our daily life as are
sure not to be considered suspicious by
our military argueses. This life of ours
is, to say the least, rather dreary and
monotonous. Only think that during a
whole month 1 have not seen one single
newspaper and would have had altogether
nothing to read if one of our officers had
not lent me few books. Nearly every
moment of the day is taken up with
drill watches or some other military
exercise. now am able to understand
the longing every soldier, even if he be
not enthusiastically devoted to the cause
he has to fight for, feels for the moment
of action, despite the uncertainty and
danger the latter naturally brings with
it. For the monotony of campaign life,
while it is yet undisturbed by the enemy,
is so great and so tedious, you feel so
keenly, that every hour of day and night
is dominated by one idea, one purpose
that of getting ready for the bloody
work-that you finally get annoyed and
impatient of the delay almost be-
yond endurance, and come to regard the
time when the hour of battle strikes as a
deliverance, as the accomplishment of
the very purpose of your existence. If
such is the case in every war, you may
judge for yourself how very much more
it is in the present one, which has kim
died so genuine and so powerful un en-
thusiasm throughout the whole Russian
nation. To return, however, to our
camp life. At daybreak the reveille is
sounded, and the tolls of the day begin
by the watering and currying of the
horses then hnlf-nn hour is, given Tor
4 t-preaK1ast, which generally consists of
kasha Ga sort of porridge, cooked OF
rye meaD and water, sometimes milk OF
tea. After this frugal meal we are all
drawn up i'll squadrons, and drill, maneu-
vers and military exercises of all kinds
take up the whole morning until eleven
o'clock. This is the hardest part of the
day on account of the dreadful heat we
have to endure. Every possible precau-
ton has been taken by the commanders
against its effect on the men. The heavy
cloth uniform has been virtually abol
ished and replaced by light linen
blouse we wear on the skin without q
shirt /; the kipi is covered with white
linen and furnished with shield of the
same material falling back on the neck,
and yet scarcely day passes without
some of the soldiers dropping from theil
horses, faint and i'll from the intense
heat, which often reaches $3.50 Rcaumu
(about 10, lis Fahrenheit. At noon
we cook our dinner. Stchy cabbage
soup) meat and kasha are cooked il
| large kettles and distributed in equa
J lots among each tent. After dinner oul
only occupation consists in lying on oul
backs under the tents as naked as pos
sible, sheltered from the merciless rays
: of the Roumanian sun. The camI
, seems to die out, and you might fancy i
| 1acartaI nxri its inOootac If hapa o,,l thor
pair of thick, nailed boots did not pro
| trude from under the white covering ol
, the tents. At five o'clock the heat be
7 gins to abate each of us springs bare
: footed on the back of his horse and ride
l to the one-mile distant Aluta river, t.
enjoy together with the horse refresh
} ing bath in the troubled waters flown!
fresh and rapid from the distant Car
) pathian SHOWS. Between seven an(
5 eight the officers make their rounds O
inspection, examining each tent, horses
ammunition, etc., and inquiring into tn,
5 wishes and occasional complaints of tn
soldiers, and with this the work of the
day is done. Speaking Of the officers
l must say that their behavior toward IL
is such as only could be desired-full O
S tact and attention, maintaining tn
t strictest, unhinching discipline, and ye
never showing us the least trace O
l arrogance or assumed superiority
} Every evening our band plays on som
$ open spot in camp. Even now l ca
> write with difficulty; my pen seems t.
swing in cadence with the "Chorus @
l Conspirators of La File Angot.
Officers, soldiers and peasants of tn
g neighboring villages lounge around
| forming picturesque and lively groups
/ Then the band touches the first notes c
e the "Kamarinskaia," the younger sol
diers spring forward, and the merr
q dance begins, with it's usual accompani
e ment of whistles, singing an
q exciting cries. The others form
e circle around it-strong, stalwart, SUI
o burnt figures, with their short ella
Y pipes between their teeth, and waite
with serious eye the merry making {
the younger generation. In anothe
part of the camp the chorus of the reg
} ment assemblies. Qn the Russian arm
S each regiment possesses one or sewers
Il choruses composed of soldiers on til
4 march they generally precede the reg
e ment and enliven the dreary road wit
S their songs. One after another ou
V national airs, with their wild mirth {
J. pathetic sadness, ring through the sti
q evening air, and their quaint meIod
If flows as freely over the Valachian pla,
Il as it did not long ago at home, hundre,
: of miles away, over the broad expanse
Il our own steppes. Many sad, seriol
IL Thought of the past and the future
, | onn;n,ad mn Inv these sOun1.. al .e