The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-11-23
WHY THEY DESERT.
Am American Soldiers Explana-
tion Whyso Many Jump the
Army.
Toronto Mail,1

al wish to make a statement in
reference to this paragraph" re-
marked visitor to the rooms of the
reportorlal staff yesterday afternoon,
al the same time handing the repor-
ter the following clipped from the
telegraphic columns of the 25th in
slant:
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25.-The an
nual report of the judge advocate
general of the army stated that there
were 5000 trials of enlisted men by
inferior courts. The subject of de-
sertion is considered at length. The
report argues that there must be
grave defects in army management
to account for the existing facts, and
regards the inadequacy of pay and
disappointment as the real nature of
the service required as the chief
causes of desertion."
The speaker, Henry Brown, is a
well-built, athletic looking man of
about thirty years of age. At pres
ent he is living in Toronto, and is
employed as brakeman on the Grand
Trunk railway. As his conversation
afterward proved, Brown is endowed
with fair share of intelligence, and
his story was told in a modest, I'M
assuming manner:
al am a deserter from the United
States army" remarked Brown, sand
I would like to explain the reason
| why L left the service. AS you will
see by the clipping, the report
argues that there must be grave de-
fects in the army management to ac-
count for the large number of de-
sertions,' Truer words were never
penned. Unfortunately for the
good name of the United
States, the army management is rot
ten to the core. enlisted at Cleve-
land in August, 1881, and was short
| ly afterward sent with others to the
recruiting depot at Columbus, Ohio.
Here our troubles commenced. On
the drill ground we were treated
like dogs by the non-commissioned
officers. In garrison we were served
with food which would be ashamed
to place before cattle. I was sta
toned at the depot for four months,
and during that time there were
twenty-five assertions. 1 liked the
service very well, and lived in hopes
that when / should be transferred to
a regiment matters would improve
This alone kept me from following
the example set by my deserving
comrades.
Eventually 1 was transferred
to the Seventh United States
infantry, stationed at Fort REM
lngton, Idaho territory. The long
looked-for change did come, but it
was not for the better. If we were
harshly treated and starved at the
depot, we were used q hundred per
cent worse in our new quarters. The
food was abominable, and the con-
duct and bearing of the officers
simply an outrage on humanity. 1
made up my mind to desert and
come to Canada, and waited pa
tiently for good chance. Why, sir,
you would hardly believe me when
say saw q deserter shot down in
cold blood after he had thrown up
his hands, a signal that he would
surrender. The poor fellow was
called to halt, after being warned
that he would be fired upon. AS l
said, he came to halt, faced round
and turned his hands over his head.
On seeing this, the guard lowered
his musket, but on second
thought raised it to his shout
der, took aim and buried
eight slugs in the body of the
poor unfortunate. Such trivial
matters are never made public, for,
II they were, the American people
would rise to man and demand a
reorganization OF their rapidly de-
caying and brutal army service. 1
had become so tired OF hfe-such
life as l was compelled to lead-that
the shooting witnessed did not in
any way alter my plans for desert
ing. Honestly, rather than continue
in the service, / was willing to be
shot down, and thus end a miserable
existence. My chance came, and
one day, when got out of the fort
on duty, / secured q suit of civilians
clothing, and forgot to again pre-
sent myself. For many nights
4 trudged along toward the
east, and in daylight 1 hid
in the woods. / was CON-
PEELED for days to go without food,
and what little 1 did received was
from the hands of kind farmers.
After q long tramp, full of hard