The National tribune., 1889-05-02
WHY MEN DESERT.
Some of the Causes which Force Men from the
Army.

Some Of the Causes which Force Hen from the
Army.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: At regular
intervals once year the Commander-in-C Chief
laments over the many assertions from the
Regular Army, but he seems ignorant of the
motives which, to my certain knowledge
prompt many a man to unlawfnlly sever his con-
nection with the Army. Having served in the
Regulars from 81 to 80, and been made aware
of the intentions of more than one to disap-
pear, and seen them go, and knowing why they
wouldn't stay, could throw some light on the
subject. As it is, everybody seems to believe
the fault to be all on one side. The reason
why more don't desert is this The great ma
jority OF the enlisted men mean to serve their
time out, no matter how discouraged and dis
appointed they often may be. Here, in explana-
ton OF my seemingly undutiful conduct in not
reporting such / knew would desert, would
say, and all old soldiers know it to be true, the
idea was fairly rubbed into us that q soldier
was expected to do only what he was ordered
to do, and that privates had not even any bust
ness to think, as there were men paid to do the
thinking: and for good reasons, no doubt, we
had no orders to play informer on each other
Now, Mr.. Editor, you know that Uncle Sam al
lows generous ration. But hard experience
not hearsay, taught me that it entirely depend
ed on the company commander whether we
while Maj. Fitzgerald or Lieut. Bomard COM
manded our company, or, in order to create
company fund, as it was called, have our ra-
tions curtailed to the starvation point. Boys
of Co. ID, 1st Dragons, VINO served with me 30
years ago, who may read this land | know by
the number of correspondents | have yet from
old Cos. ID and q that THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
is popular among them), do you remember yet
how, for instance, i'll 80, in Fort Fillmore, N.
NJ, we were forced by gnawing stomachs to buy
bread tickets at the post Suffers, and then ex-
change them at the company bakershop for the
bread the Government allowed us2 The pecu-
liar hash-lots of muddy Rio Grande with a
few small pieces of meat sailing round in the
big black pot-has not and will not fade from
my memory Do you remember the ways and
means adopted to procure fresh meat, and what
a row the Mexicans then kicked up about it.
and the grand inspection of physiognomies by
delegation of Mexicans for the purpose of
picking out, as they claimed they could, the
rascals who were caught skinning a COW? At
ter critical examination, front and rear, of
every man IN the ranks, they said, in good
Spanish, those men are not in the ranks. Now
this gave the lie to somebody, for every man
not IN hospital was reported present, and con-
sequently the Mexieans were made to evacu-
ate Fort Fillmore without the least delay
Mere starvation is not apt to make ANYBODY
fall in love with the service, neither does
IL serve any useful purpose for some officers to
make too many exhibitions of the contempt
they seem to feel for the private soldier and his
benighted mental condition. A man is man,
even if he has not West Point education
Boys. will cease firing Rheumatism, which
l, IKE many others, caught in the swamps of
Virginia, is playing the deuce with my joints;
but it is the hardest thing on earth to make
Uncle Sam believe it now. Boys of the old
and present Regular Army, let us hear from
you through The NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
have here given only the result of my own ex-
perience and observations as briefly as l know
how. great deal more might be said on the
subject.-CAsPAR WEIssENFLUH, Co. d, LIST
Dragons, Old Forge, Pa.