The morning call., 1894-07-26
BY THE RETURNING SOLDIERS
Especial Hardships Endured by
the Third.
INEFFICIENT STAFF OFFICERS.
Even the Strikers Took Pity on Them
and Gave Them Water-Guards
Without Ammunition.

The First and Third regiments arrived
in this city from Sacramento yesterday,
and the dusty, disheveled-l looking soldiers
did not conceal their satisfaction at being
once more at home.
For one thing they have just passed
through the toughest experience of their
lives, and while perfectly willing to under
go hardships in the pursuit Of their duty.
not a few of them are profoundly dis
gusted at the manner in which things
were conducted. or rather miseonducted,
as they state. at Sacramento.
The Third Regiment had the hardest
time, and il is by men of the Third that
indignation is freely expressed.
The regiment was hurried 10 Sacra-
mento at barely an hours notice, and on
reaching that city was taken at once to
the armory, where there was absolutely no
no provision for the men, though COM
missary- general of subsistence, Adiutant-
General Allen, had a halliday to arrange
his plans. Without rest or food, however,
the men were put on duty.
From the morning of the Sd until the
evening OF the 4th we had nothing but
some rye bread to eat and little water TO
drink" said one of the men. describing the
condition of things al Sacramento when
the Third first arrived. I'm fact, all the
water we got was what the strikers gave
US. When they saw that We had been
standing for hours in the sun without any,
thing TO drink they brought US some.
After that we were expected 10 charge and
clear the depot when the whole regiment
was famisbed with hunger and paTched
with thirst"
A great many things said by the men in
the Third about the officers were far from
one soldier observed yesterday, cit was hard
to tell BIO were officers and who were men
we'll, L won't say ANYTHING more than
that" ne added, 'but there were some of
the offic ers who scarcely commanded the
respect they might have done On the way
up, and at the outset in Sacramento, too.
There were too many staff officers: il kept
the men busy salutng them. and they
knew less about their duties than any one
in camp. Why one man | could name,
who came up from armOry duty here had
to he taught the alpha bet of military
tactics after he go! to Sacramento. and yet
he was an officer"
The men also complain bitterly of Colo
nel Barry'S having given them dangerous
posts to guard, and allowing them no ammu-
milton. In fact the officers of the Third
with one exception, the captain of Com
pany q, are not spoken of lovingly by the
men just returned from Sacramento,
IQOuRu III Is OuIN tH6 Sbhu OuceTS VINO
have inspired absolutely no respect.
Each company had to do its own cook
ing" one of the soldiers explained.
after we got into camp things were bet
| ter than ut the Sacramento armory, but the
rations were abominably bad, ana those
who could afford it bought their own food.
Those who were too poor to do so Just
worried along on burnt coffee without
milk or sugar and tough beef and pota-
toes"
Most of the men belonging to the First
Regiment express satisfaction with their
treatment at Sacramento, after the first
few days, when food was scare and water
scarcer. "We were well fed when we once
got into camp" they say. "The Third
Regiment ? Well, there is too much poll
tics about the way things are run
in the Third. That is the principal
reason the men bad to suffer so mucn
more than we had This was substantially
the answer that number ofSmen belong
ing to the First Regiment gave for the
greater hardships that had been endured
by the Third Regiment. 1t is an unfor-
tunate fact that being at Sacramento has
only served 10 intensity certain lack Of
good-fellO wshiD that formerly existed be-
tween these two portions of the National
Guard.
The First and Third regiments were re-
lieved by the Eighth and the Tenth, that
went into camp at Sacramento to-day.
Companies B to Ii inclusive of the Sec
ond Regiment OF Artillery are still at Oak
land, as we'll as one section of the Light
Battery and Companies G ana d of the
Naval Battalion. Perfect satisfaction has
been expressed all along by the soldiers
across the bay. The duties are arduous,
but the men take to hem eheerfally, as
they are thoroughly satisfied with the COM