Little Falls transcript., 1886-04-02
JOYS OF ARMY LIFE.

JOYS OF ARMY LIFE. 4.
A Tramp Tells His Experiences in Uncle
I Sans L!vsry--Brief but borrowing Ac.
count Of Hard Work, Dreary Experi.
charge. + r
New York Sun. ',
The following story WAS told by q
young man who had deserted the Unit
ed States army: .>-.. .2.. II 49,
II was born and raised in New York
City. I ran away and became a
tramp. The summer of 1888 found
me in Chicago, and one day made ul
my mind to quit tramping and join
the army. On the 18th day OF Sep
tember, 1888, enlisted in Troop u,
First United States Cavalry, and q
happy boy was that day to think o1
the glory OF brass buttons, sabres, car.
bines, drills and battles that was in
store for me, to say nothing OF $13
per month and my rations. In view
of the fact that I had been strapped
and begging for some months, I con
sidered had struck a. gold mine.
'"I got my uniform and accoutre-
ments in Chicago, and hung around
there a couple Of weeks, feeling good
and waiting for orders. went West
on the 10th day OF October. I ar.
rived.at Fort Ellis, Montana, and
there stayed eight months. Ii I live
q thousand years [ shall never forget
my experience there. The fine notions
1 had formed of army life van
ished in a jitfy. How long do you
think a plain tramp like me could be
happy getting up at daybreak and
grooming horses two hours every
morning before breakfast? Yes, sir; il;
is a cold fact that I, heretofore a man
of leisure, a hungry one, to be sure,
but yet a man Of leisure, had to 80 to
the stables every morning after re-
veille, and groom horses about two
hours. I have had this thing to do
many time on an empty stomach
when the thermometer was twenty
five degrees below zero. We break.
tasted between and o'clock
hash, bread and coffee; the fare was
always the same-hash, bread and
coffee for breakfast, pork and beans
Tor dinner. I'll bet I've eaten enough
hash to run boarding house a year.
But I don't complain about the ra-
tions; l had Jared worse before
turned soldier. After breakfast we
were ordered all hands out to police
which meant to clean up quarters,
rake off the SNOW, and straighten ur,
things generally. Then came the time
for saving and hauling wood. We cut
all our own wook by mule power. The
mule worked treadmill and cut the
wood that way. At last l rose from q
groom to the more aristocra tic rank
OF a scullion. washed the dishes in
which the hash had been perpetrated,
But my menial duties as soldier
were not relaxed. just Why 1 had to
stand guard over a haystack two
hours at night, when it WAS 40 degrees
below zero never knew. But Ibid it.
But I had one consola tommy relief
Jared worse than [ did He wore
heavy underclothes, a fatigue uniform,
q blouse and a big buffalo overcoat,
two pairs of wooden socks,
army boots and fur-lined over
shoes, gloves and ear nuffs;
he walked constantly during his two
hours watch, and drank q quart of
whisky to keep his blood in circula-
tion, and yet his ears and feet and
hands were frozen as hard as iron.
II had been in the service four
months before I received a cent of
money; my clothes had cost all my
pay. Then I received SIT. That was
in january, 1884. The next pay re-
ceived was in May. Then l received
$24.5O, my full salary for two months
less fifty cents for the Soldiers Home
and 81 for broken bowl. During
eight months service l received SAL
so. | made up my mind TO make
room in the service for some other
patriot. On the night OF May z,
1884, shortly after taps, I left the
Fort and the army forever. The
snow was falling thick and fast. 1t
was very cold. went direct to Boze.
man and bought some citizen clothes.
l met a cowboy who gave me an old
solnbrero for my soldiers cap. Then,
with only So in MY pocket, I began
my long journey to New York. I be-
gan to climb the Rockies at midnight
andwalked forty-tive miles through the
snow. stopped at g. hutn next dayand
got otsomethingto to eat. Then l thought
Iwould try the railroad, and bribed q
brakeman on freight train to let me
ride in a box car to Fort Lincoln A
negro regiment was stationed at this
place. Our own troop had passed
through there on it's way West, and
did not care to show myself at day
light. So I went couple of miles out
OF town, and slept All day under a hay
stack. l got very hungry toward night,
and went to q house and asked for
: something to eat, Offering to pay for
. it,. The woman of the house told mo
l could have supper if 1 would
wait a little while. She looked at
. me little curiously, I thought,
and presently she asked me if {
wasn't a soldier. I told her no. Then
she told me that good many men
would be at her house to supper, and
I must confess got a. little nervous
at this, although I did not know
whether she meant that army men or
plain citizens were going to be there
However, I said boldly didn't care
how many men were going to bethere,
and I would take little walk and re-
turn in plenty Of time for supper. /
went out of the house and walked
around awhile, feeling dreadfully weak
and hungry, and thinking had better
give myself up and be sent to- fort
Leavenworth q prisoner. But l took
heart directly. Remembering my citi-
zen's clothes and my cowboy hat,
thought surely could not be detect
ed in my disguise. Finally I went
back to the house, for supper. The
woman eyed mo closely again, and
said: