Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-06-30
NOT A HAPPY LIFE.
An American soldiers Account OF His
Experience.
Petty Swindles and Use of Red Tape in
the Army.
N. Y. sun.

his wishes known, the recruit is taken
to a side room, stripped, and examined
by the doctor, after which an outfit of
clothes, consisting of blouse, cap,
drawers, stockings, shirts, shoes, pants
and blanket, Is issued to him. He
signs blank form for the clothes he
has Just drawn, his signature being
witnessed by the officer. A note at
the bottom of the form declares that all
spaces not used to denote articles drawn
shall have red-ink line drawn through
them, to prevent any person hav-
ing charge of the same from inserting
other articles of clothing than those
drawn after the blank has been signed,
This filling is never done, and when
the recruit reaches his company he is
apt to find himself charged with
clothes he never drew, and Is truly for
tunate If the company commander
does not prefer charges against him for
disposing of clothes he never had AS
there are several grades of clothing,
ne often gets the poorest and Is
charged with the best, while
when any of the recruiting
squad draw clothes they draw the
best, and pay for the poorest. After
drawing his uniform he is informed
that he must dispose of his citizens
clothing, as he Will not be allowed to
keep 1t. The sergeant or one of his
men accompanies him to a dealer in
old clothes, who offers one-twentieth
what his suit is worth. He refuses TO
part with them at the price, but is told
by the sergeant that he can not be
running around town with him, as he
has other duties TO perform. Not wish
ing TO make enemies at the start, he
takes what is offered, knowing
he is imposed upon, and
returns to the Office. Had he kept his
eyes open he might have seen the old
clothes man place bill in the SER
geant's hand, which would explain
why hes could get no more for his
clothes.
When, at last he is shipped with a
number of others to the depot. he is
again examined, and having passed, is
put out to drill. His drill-master, nine
times out of ten, is Swede, German,
or foreigner of some sort, whose slight
fund of English is composed princi-
pally of oaths. Under such teacher he
does not progress very rapidly for
which failing he receives an ample
share of abuse.
L neglected to tell about the cleaning
kit sold TO recruits at the depot by the
post sutler. 1t consists of one clothes.
brush, one blacking-brush, hair brush
brass-brush, two combs, one towel, one
cake of soap, button-stick, and one
small paper of trip0li for cleaning but
tons, and box of backing. i did
not ask the cost of the articles, but ON
reaching the company found 50 charged
for suffers kit. Now, emitting the
brass-brush, button.stick and tripoli, l
have seen the other articles sold in
Chatham street for fifty cents
and of better quality. AZ
ter the recruit has reached his com.
, pany and learned his drill he is
assigned for duty with his company
AS the price of those clothes is taken
out of his pay, he usually serves six
: months or more before he draws any
t money.
4 The ration consists of of pount
J. of pork or bacon or II pounds OF beef
4 when stationed where beef can be OF
s tanned. The officers servants draw
A their meat first, selecting, of course
e the choicest parts and not until they
have their meat can the companie
draw any. OF course the officers dom
take bone. SO it is all left for the com
panies. AS no vegetables are issue,
by the government, the onl,
e way to obtain them is from the sale O
whatever rations can be saved, sucl
saving being principally from pork
sugar and coffee, although the allow
h ance of these articles is not any NOR
v than sufficient. After any rations ar
- sold the money is turned owe
to the company commander, 70
Is what reason am sure i don't know
e as it does not belong to him in an,
r. way, and when the company want
u money to make purchases, the perso
81 in charge OF the company mess call
on him, and if he approve
v. of the purchase he give
e. the money. The ordnance d,
IN partment furnishes plates, cups, etc
u on requisition from the compan
commander. Now, instead of til
company commanders making sue
acquisitions, he buys those articles OIL
of the company fund, so that he wi
have TO render no account for then
OF The quartermaster's department SUI
sc plies ink, pens, rulers, CHI, irs, and Ii
as necessary Office furniture for the fir
as sergeant's Office, yet those articles a.
S also bought with company fund
US US and very often find their way from IL
Gu first sergeant's Office to that of Il
,ie company commander. The foregoin
IL, are only a few samples of how con
,5 pany funds are expended. Perhal
., some officer may say they are not o
~. lowed to be expended for Office fu
GO niture. That IL so, but we bougl
-" Office furniture with our compau
III funds and the merchant ma,
81, out the bill tor potatoes.
'sy The bread ration varies at differeI
e, posts, being twenty ounces at most
H., them, but at very cold stations 1t
,y sometimes twenty-five ounces. TakiI
,S the first case, instead of issuing tive
~, ty, only sixteen are issued, the TO
ounces saved being sold aud the mon,
-, turned into post funds, this being h
ole only way that money Is secured
'ne that purpose. The post fund is gottt
''e entirely from the sale of the enlist
mems rations. During my enllstme
s soy my company, with others, built ne
YER, post In Montana. After
ION, was built we cut pol
I ,n. and fenced in a large plat of groul
I ~ for post garden. After we h
eai worked the land and got it ready |
nm, nm. planting, tho seed was bought out
ded the post fund and we planted 81
ons; worked the garden, storing the pre-
Of uce In an underground cellar viii
,pie we built. In the fall when our or
sys was housed the commissary officer p
r r. Jock upon the door and sold us
era. own vegetables, charging for potato
OF one and half cents a pound and tn
IN m limiting the amount 10 so much
hiss month,so as TO save enough for the o.