The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-18
ABOUT SOLDIER BOYS.
THE MILITARY AT VANCOUVER.
The Home Of FORMER wheeling Boy-HOm the
Great warriors Live and What they Get to
Eat-insp,etiou DAy-Soelsty st the Post.
A visit to tha department Onicts.
gpettal Correspondence qflAe Isieuanetr.

Special Correspondence Ctthe IRteIigHeer.
STEAMSHIP QUEEN op p'TuE Pacific, OF
CALIFoRSiA COAST, October before leav
ing Portland ! concluded TO go over t
Fort Vancouver with Lieutenant Charley
Williams, Wheeling boy, and spent
Sunday. Charley is First Lieutenant in
one OF the four companies Of the Twenty
first Regiment OF Infantry stationed there
He 10, as you know, a son OF ex.Superin
tendent Williams, formerly oil your city
schools, sou.in-law Of John Hall, Esq.
and brother OF MIRA. Htnry Harper. He
graduated at West Point about ten years
ago and hos been on duty on this coast
ever pince. He received two wounds in the
campaign against Chief Joseph at the bat.
tie OF Clear Water in. 1867 and was reported
dead in the newspaper accounts OF tbst
battle. SO far from being dead however,
he is the acting QuGrtermaster OF the post
at Vancouver and one Of the busiest men
in the employ Of the Government at thai
station. Just ut this time he is temper
ary widower, his wife and little boy being
on 9 visit to their Wheeling friends. Hie
present domestic establishment Consists oi
himself and his Chinese cook, with an oc.
Casional visitor like myself.
FORT VANCOUVER.
Fort Vancouver is eighteen miles from
Portland by water and six by land. You
can take boat at 7 in the morning or 3 in
the afternoon, aud 60 down the Willamette
river twelve miles and up the Columbia
eight miles, ard in two hours arrive at the
post, or you can take stage across the
angle formed by the two rivers and go over
in less time. Itis a pretty location and has
a population OF about thousand, exclusive
OF the military. The military population
consists OF four companies ot infautry and
one Of artillery. Tne post is one Of the
oldest Government Stations Oh the Pacific
Coast. 1t is the original headquarters Of the
Hudson Bay Company. Gen. Miles, the
Department Commander, has his hea1
quarters there. Col. Henry A. Morris
commands the post. Many OF the officers
are married and have their families at the
post, Among these married officers is Capt,
George NJ. Downey formerly of Mineral
county, W. Va, who WAS appointed from
civil life in 1861. He served throughout
the war and mas been through several
Indian campaigns out here. He is a son
Of the Sir. Downey who was a msmber OF
the Virginia Legislature ut Wheeling
during the days Of the reorganiz4d govern.
ment, and who along with Mr. Trowbridge
started the Wheeling Register. He is also
a brother Of that ex Congressman Downey
OF Wyoming, who some years ago delivered
remarkable speech in the shape Of an
epic poem in the House OF Representatives
at Washington.
THE LIFE OF THE OFFICERS.
The quarters OF the officers at Vancouver
are quite circumscribed. For the most
part the houses are double, aud not large
ut that, and are also quite old, and two
families are expected to live in each Of
these double houses. This allows a small
parlor, bed room, dining room aud a
kitchen TO each family. The subordinate
officers complain great deal about their
cramped quarters I don't see, however,
that they have much ground OF complaint.
They get good pay and house rent free.
For Instance, a Captain gets 81 800, with
10 per cent. added for every Eve years OF
service. A First Lieutenant gets 81 500 and
10 per cent for every five years. A Second
Lieutenant gets 81 400 A Major gets
s., 500, A Lieutenant Colonel, 81, 900, and
a Colonel $500 Besides their quarters
they get all their flour, coffee, tea, sugar,
bacon, &c., from the Commissary Store at
10 per cent. on the cost price to tue Gov
ernment, which is equivalent to getting
everything at wholesale prices. This really
makes their pay greater than the same pay
in civil life. The private soldier only gels
SlS per month and rations, and he Is the
individual who bears all the real hardships
and priyations OF the military service, II
he serves until he Is old he Is not retired on
part pay as are the officers. He Is simply
offered an existence at the Jljier's Home,
at Washington, for which he has himself
already paid by q tax Of l2 cents per
month deducted out Of his pay, or, not car
ing TO 90 there, he is turned ont TO get
living Az best he can. The officer who be-
comes disabled In the service is retired on
three quarters pay, and after thirty years
OF service he 10 entitled to be retired from
active service.
no sISHcURE.
The regular army officer it not paid too
,,,rcb nor too we'll provided for, Not at
all. fIe deserves all he gets, for his lie is
not an enyiablc one, but there is q great
gulf between him and the privata.. The
latter gets good food and plenty oft. His