News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-07-24

army mus details some OF the grleVan
ces of the soldier:
Having found site for new post o.
military reservation, one of the frs
duties of the commanding officer is t,
appoint post council to fix the price
at which the post trader shall sell hi
goods. This is to insure REASONABLE,
charges. The prices so set are made
out in price list form and ordered to b.
hung up in the post traders store. Thi
is done for a few days and then some ad
vertising card is hung up so as to com
pletely hide it. The list soon comes t.
be dead letter. While 1 stood in ;
post traders store one evening soldier
threw down a quarter and asked for {
lamp chimney, which was handed II
him with ten cents change. 1t happened
that he bought it for an officer and he
returned presently saying that Major K
said he charged him too much. TheI
the following conversation occurred:
did you buy that chimney for Major
K?'
'Yes."
"Why did you not say you wanted il
for an officer ?"
81 did not know you had one price fol
anu duOIuCI 1O1 SO4AAlC1o anu SALA
zens."
"Well, hereafter when you come here
to buy anything for an officer, say so. y
1 informed the boys and for about q
month our company got articles that
formerly cost twenty five cents for eigh
teen cents and everything else in pro
portion by simply saying it was for al
officer. 1t finally leaked out and the
post trader issued books to all the Off
GERS, after which nothing could be
bought for an officer unless his book was
shown to the clerk.
The officers of one post owned sheep
ranch and had enlisted men to take care
of it. The cavalry horses IN the post
got very thin that summer for the want
of oats, and one cavalry captain said that
oats in the summer time were not good
far cavalry horses but were "bully for
sheep" He was a stakeholder in the
sheep ranch. The Indians made a
charge on the sheep ranch one night
ran off the herders and captured several
head of government horses which should
have been in the post.
When troops are in the field they
have about three wagons or a certain
number of pack mules to each company.
In the morning the men take down the
tents, pack the officers baggage, and
then the wagons are moved TO the CAP
tain's tent and his baggage and that of
the heutenants is loaded up. This plan
very often compels the men to carry
their 0vercoats, blankets and two or
three days rations, which, in addition
to the ammunition and muskets, makes
quite load for days walk of thirty
miles. Itsometimes happens that some
of the boys becomes refractory and then
the common cure, that of tying them to
the hind end of wagon, is resorted to.
As the officers are mounted on horses of
course they know Just how far a man
can walk and carry forty pounds. Com
ing into camp after a long march the
first thing done is to pitch tents, split
wood, carry water, start fires, cook, and
groom horses for the officers. 1 have
seen men tied up to trees, bucked,
gagged and left standing in the hot sun
until insensibility relieved their suffer
ings. On one occasion l saw a soldier
bucked and gagged, tied to tree and
cold water poured on his head until he
had fits, when the punishment was dis
continued long enough for him to regain
consciousness and then began anew. I
admit that the man was drunk, but so
was the officer who ordered the punish
ment.
When building Fort Ass1niboine the
whole force, except the guard and those
engaged in making gardens, cutting
wood for officers, etc., were used as la
borers and carpenters, and for such work
as they were accustomed to before going
into the army, they being informed that
such duty would be paid for at the rate
of 35 cents day for mechanics and 20
cents for laborers, in addition to their
pay as soldiers, and in accordance with
army regulations. The citizen employees
worked ten hours a day. The soldiers
worked thirteen hours, and very often
went out on parade for the amusement
of the officers wives after working
hours. 1t took more than two years TO
finish the post, and we have never re-
ceived one cent of extra duty pay. Thus
eight companies were swindled out of
their earnings for two summers extra
duty. The Government issued rations
to the citizens who worked at the post,
giving to them nearly double what the
soldiers had, so that it seemed as if it
was thought that a citizen could not live
on soldiers rations. They builta sub
stantial building for the citizens, while
we lived in tents and slept on the
ground, often getting up at night to dig
bitches to turn the water out of our
tents.
On one occasion the writer, while sta
toned at post in Montana. desired to
go hunting, and asked for permission
from the first sergeant. That worthy re-
ferred him to the company commander,
who sent him to the post commander.
On entering the room the post COM
mander's desk was Just to the right of
the door, and that of the post Adjutant
at the further end of the room. The
post Adiutant wished to know my bust
ness. told him 1 had permission to
speak to the commanding off,
Ger. Turning to the commanding officer,
who was within three feet of me, he told
him what 1 said. The commanding Off
Ger asked him what / wanted. l said
permission to go hunting. The Adjutant
repeated my words to the commanding
officer, who asked where wanted to go
hunting. The Adiutant asked me and
then repeated my answer to the other.
He, after a number of questions, all
asked through the Adiutant, granted the
permission. repaired to small lake,
distant about four miles from the post,
to shoot ducks, and was meeting with
fair success after being out little more
than an hour, when two officers came
up, and one of them ordered me back to
camp, with the information that only
officers were allowed to shoot ducks on
that lake. / did not stay to argue the
question, but repaired at once to camp,
and never again asked permission to
hunt.
Is it any wonder that our army is
composed almost entirely of foreigners
Our regiment at one time did not have
one first sergeant out of the ten who could
speak English so as to be understood,
and two could not write their own
names. Americans will not put up with
life in the army. Those soldiers who re-
enlist are either semi-invalids, con-
frmed drunkards, or men used to abuse
in the land of their birth. During four
wears and ten months thirty-seven men
deserted from my company, most Of
them being driven out by the brutality
of the officers. -Four men, fine soldierly
fellows, who did not drink, and who dur
ing eighteen months in the service were
never in the guard-house, or on the sick
report, and who never missed an hours
duty of any kind, deserted under the
following circumstances The lieutenant
of the company sent for them to black
his stove, shake his carpet, and do the
general house cleaning that soldiers have
to do for officers every spring and fall.
They went to the captain, and asked him
if they would have to do it. He told
them it was their duty to do what an
LII 4I.o..o L, and III MT