Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1888-06-09
LIFE AT A FRONTIER POST
ROUTINE OF A SOLDIERS DUTY IN
THE FAR WEST.
An Early Morning Scene-At the
Rifle Range = Grooming the
Horses-GatIinG Gun Practice

An Early Morning scene-At the
Rifle Range = Grooming the
Horses-GatIing Gun Practice.
Lieutenant L. M. Lewis, of the Uniteo
States Army, gives in the New York
Star the following account of soldier;
daily life at frontier post:
The military post of Fort Yates, OAK,
is unpicturesquely situated just above the
cliff-like banks of the Muddy Missouri
The parade ground-that nucleus around
which cluster the components of every
military posts square and level, and
ample enough in dimensions for the six
company garrison. On one side of the
parade runs well-shadcd drive, along
which are built the officers quarters,
called in army parlance "the line" The
other three sides are enclosed by the
soldiers quarters, the chapel, the admin
istrative building and the guard house.
The season is summer, and the soft
quiet that marks the hour Just before the
dawn is broken only by the ping of q
mosquito, or the growing of some early
cock, proclaiming the advent of new
day. AS if in answer to chanticleer's
challenge, the voice of the sentinel at
the guard house, sounding sweet but
clear in the sharp morning air, an
nounces that the hour is A O'clock, and
that all is we'll.
To each of the barrack buildings lit
tie addition has been joined, and the
light shining out from their open win
dows proclaims that the cooks are already
busy preparing the early meal of their
sleeping comrades.
One by one the stars fade out in the
blue canopy overhead, while brighter
and brighter grows the light in the cast.
Softly the barrack doors open to give
egress to py-lool1ing men, carrying
bright, shining things under their arms,
who hurry to join the group already
forming away down at one end of the
tine. Suddenly, ''Fall in; forward,
narch!" is commanded, and away they
go, sounding on their buges the reveille.
Down they march to the end of their
Ilne, then back again, and to the center
Of the parade ground, their leathern
lungs never seeming to tire in the pro-
cess. By twos and threes, sleepy, frowzy-
headed men strangle out of the bar
racks, and, leaning against the building
FOR support, postpone as long as possible
the moment when they must fully
awaken to life and take their places in
tie ranks. The officers hurry out of
.heir quarters and join their companies
| on the parade. And now the sleepy ones
have to abandon their lazy positions to
go through the roll call; the flag floats
proudly to the top of the flagstaff, I'M
turling her beauty to the fresh morning
oreeze in graceful folds. The reports
are made, the companies dismissed, and
the military day has dawned.
The next fifteen minutes would ex-
hibit to curious eyes prying into any one
Of the little rooms in rear of all the
company quarters long line of men,
who, with the assistance of tin water
| filed basins and wonderful amount of
splashing and squirting, are performing
their morning additions, giving by brisk
rubs with coarse towels finishing touches
to their already shining faces. Hardly
is this finished when the brazen bugle's
voice calls from without:
Soupy, soupy, soup, without any bean;
Coffee, coffee, Golf, without any cream;
Porky, porky, pork, without any lean-n-n,
and. all thoroughly awake, they file into
the dining room to partake of some
what more elaborate bill of fare than the
the pessimistic bugle has proclaimed.
Some hurry through and leave the room
in order to enjoy pipeful of tobacco
before the duties of the day shall call
them off, for at 5:45 o'clock squads of
infantrymen, their rifles slung over their
broad shoulders, are seen Struggling
down toward the rifle ranges.
Dogn on the range the rifles have been
popping for an hour, and we wander
carelessly in that direction. At the base
of the hills is long line of targets, rang
ing in size according to the distance from
the marksmen, but all with oval centers
surrounded by two oval rings. Two
hundred yards from one target a soldier
is standing reading to fire. The gentle
breeze watts the smoke from the muzzle
of his rifle, aud white disk appearing
in front of tine target announces that he
has hit the bullseye
AT the 300-yard point, before another
target, the soldiers shooting are sitting
or kneelng upon the ground, and little
red flag waving over the mark indicates
that the last shot has been too high,
while the officer chides the luckless fell
low and bids him be more careful next
time.
Away back, 600 yards from another
target, two men are stretched out upon
the ground apparently resting lazily,
but closer inspection shows that theil
rifles are in hand, their left legs passed
through the rifle sings, and a puff o.
smoke followed by red disk placed al
most over the bullseye gives evidence
that the mans aim has been good and
his hand steady.
Far across the prairie is dark line Of
figures representing a company engaged
in action. their black silhonettes in relic
! distinctly against the rising land be
yond. These are the skirmish targets
and as we look, a company Of infantry
deployed as skirmishcrs. advances TOWARD
them. A buglc sounds and the mer
drop like flash, and, in moment, tn,
sound OF the distant fusilade reaches us
Another note from tine bugle, and they
arc retiring at run, only 10 stop again
and again TO pour merciless fire upor
fba ;nnrt foo No.v tha ofiicara ride r.