The Washington critic., 1885-08-04
GOING SOLDERING.
How Recruits Enter the Army-A
visit 10 the Recruiting Omce.

porter called yeBteruhy HC tne Army
Recruiting office, on the south side OF
Pennsylvania avenue, between Ninth
and Tenth streets, to ask something
about recruitine here.
1--WE are not doing wholesale busi-
ness now," said Captain Scott, ''as
we arc limited now to c.enlistiug old
soldiers and select men. / mean by
that men who have certain trades, such
as shoctnikcrs, tailors, farriers aud
saddlers, aud we only take others who
happen to be- exceptionally fine
physique. IL Is only u short time since
relieved Major Worth here, aud DR..
Skinner can tell you more OF the past
operations here than ! can. We were
stopped recruiting at large In May by
the Adjutaut- General, and understand
the reason TO be that the enlistment of
SO many ludian scouts, who must be
regularly counted IN the maximum
strength Of $4,000, fixed by law,
makes it necessary to check enlistments
at large TO keep below the limit We
don't accept very large proportion OF
the men that apply, but OF that DR..
Skinner can tell y0,, inorc than can.
During this month | iiud on the book
here that there have been II applications
and enlisted 10, which Is about TWEEN.
ty.five per cent. In April list 33 ap.
piled and only were enlisted, in May
4G came and 4 were chosen, and in June
of 40 candidates, 13 were put into uni.
form. The examination is very strict
to begin with, and when get through
with au applicant, DR.. Skinner takes
him up stairs, where he is stripped and
carefully examined physically. IL he
passes the medical examination, he is
sworn in and put into uniform Mt once,
and, as soon as convenient, sent to one
Of the recruiting depots for four months
instruction before he is sent TO rcgi-
ment.
"The class OF recruits nowadays Is
much better than it was lew yeas
ago, for the easons that better class
Of men arc applying and the recruiting
officers are much more strict. Only
about five per cent. of the applicants
here are of foreign birth, and the ma
jority are from Maryland, Virginia and
North Carolina. Lately there have
been number of Italian applicants,
but have rejected them all for their
imperfect English. We don't take men
now that you cannot understand.
''There is no difficulty in an officer at
once distinguishing the difference be-
tween an old soldier and raw recruit,
although now tue uniform does not
make so much difference, because un.
der the new arrangements Of Quarter
mastcr-Gencral Holabird uniforms are
made in as many sizes as you will find
In any ready.madc clothing store, and
will fit man pretty well. OF old, only
four sizes were made, and q recruit in
his first uniform was queer figure
But there is q "sotting up" about an old
soldier that he cannot hide, aud that
not even II militia training will give
him."
The requirements for recruit to be
accepted arc that he must be over II
and under 80 years old; free from al
physical defects; must be 3 feet inches
in height, or over, and weigh not less
than 120 pounds. Besides this Il mar
for mounted service must not exceed
1G5 pounds weight, or for infantry ant
foot artillery, 100 pounds, and every
man must have chest expansion OF n
least two inches.
At this rendezvous during the yeal
ending June 30, 1885, there were All
applications, of which 105 (6l white an(
A coloredD were accepted and mustered
in, and 372 (2i3 white and l29 cOlorcd
rejected, fraction more than - pc
cent.
The principal causes for rejection "a
shown by the consolidated return fo
the year, were: Minors, Al; undc
height, 40; bad feet (bunion", overlap
ped toes, ctc.,) %; under weight, %
deficient chest, %; poor physique, u
being drunk, Is; varicose veins, II, an'
over age, II. Besides, ) were rejGcteC
because they were married men; MAJ
was turned away Oh account Of his NOR
ais, in having Indecent figures tattoOet
ON his body and another could not pas
because he had a black eye where som'
one had "pastel him one"
When an applcant'has been gencr
ally examined by Captain Scott, he i
taken to room upstairs, where h,
strips stark naked, aud is examine,
thoroughly by DR.. Skinner (who is II,
tailed fot the duty in the presence o
Captain Scott. The man is made L
bend over to the floor, bend backward
strike out with one hand and then th'
other, to hop across the room and back
first on one foot and then the other
and then his heart and lungs are testet
and listened to. The eyes are testeC
carefully. If he passes all these tests
the officers depart and he is taken dowr
to another room where he is at once
furnished with uniform clothing from
top to bottom and is then duly sworr
in by the recruiting officer and turne(
over to the sergeant OF the party, whit
gives him good advice in whole volume
for his future good.
Here he stays usually for week o
ten days until squad Is obtained anC
is then sent to Dlvid's Island in New
York harbor, or Columbus Barracks |
he is for general service, or to Sc. Loui
II he goes to the the cavalry, aud he i
! drilled and disciplined for four months
At the end Of that time he is ready t,
be sent to regiment, and he might.
lucky If, rs things are too apt to go fo
want ola little Judgment, he is not sen
in summer to command in Florida
Texas or Arizona, or In the dead u
winter to Dakota or Montana wher,
the mercury crawls way down in the
bulb of the thermometer and goes It
sleep for Two months or more.