New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-06
LIFE IN A WESTERN FORT.
EXCITEMENT AND PLENTY or HARD
SHIP.
DUTIES AND DIVERSIONS or THE ENLISTED MEN
AND COMMISSIONED oil rfcERS.

50 easy and INDECENT these days as many Eastern
people imagine. 1t Is pleasant and somewhat ex-
citing experience. and for some soldiers II Is very
happy life For the last thirty years a military
fort ir thu West. in the fullest Of the word.
IS really no fort at all II is merely collection Of
low. strong built and homoly buildings. houses
arranged in any form most pleasing to the com
handing officers Some ~ tho structures at the
forts look II they had been dropped down on
the prairie hap-hazard, the purpose being to
have military station located far from an
other that mutual Communication can be had in
days ride with 4 horse. There is not the least
srmbance Of fertilization about the frontier forts
parapot' buttresses. blstions. or cannon project
Ing through embrdsures common in military
poems AMI stories.
The cost Of all the buildings a. typical Army
Tort oui I'm this region is usually not over $4,000.
There that would be dear at 5000 The
structures are always arranged so that officers
quarters separated from the barracks Of the
listed men. and the parade or drill ground In
rcctlne,c or square between the officers quarters
and tho barracks. stables. guardhouse and hospital
The Stars AMI Stripes float from a huge pole In the
middle OF the parade ground. For skrmsh drills.
~ which there arr many I'm modern military tactics
the prairie outside Of the garrison limits stretch
ing away in all directions for hundreds Of miles.
chosen. Sometimes there may he a company Of
pcoro ln frontier fort who please their aesthetic
tastes hy cuiiivatng flower gardens within the gar
rison. and q fcw forts have native vines covering
the wooden walls with blossoms and green foliage
but ,u0h features are not common.
MILITARY ORGANIZATION
Frontier forts re ~ various sizes. They run all
tho Wa from one-company posts to twelve or four
teen. There are in this fort twelve companies Of
infantry and one troop of cavalry. Wherever there
IS military headquarters a rcgimenta' band Is
s,1' on,1 regiment 4 cavalry. under the present
organization ~ The United States Army. consists
Of two t. A A
one colonel. one Northumberland three majors
twelve captains. fourteen nrs-iicutenants ami ten
second Heuf,nan.s. Tho tao extra hrst-eutenants
in each organization are the regimenial adiuiaut
AMI tho qInricrmasicr. The adiu,ani H. sort Of
chief clerk of inc concern. He does or manages all
the clerical work receives and answers all commu-
n.ciions Dor 1t would boz considered breach Of Ell
ql'tie address commune alton direct TO the com
fr.aI.ng oni-er Everything should bc done through
o.. Aliutant. The qunrteru asi'r must be genuine
hustler" o. keep pace with his business. IL has
rn ,,-ccIlnsy difficult position - nl accepably.
ior that officer rule. is the most roundly
abused ~ al 100 tho military service. and In nine
.ls.s o4. o, ton tho faIi; does not c AZ his door
4 r,mpiny organization .s one captain. one hrst-
lieutenant and ore sscond-ll,utcnaut seldom is II
Shat company BEL completely differed II the cap
tam I. present l. ~ command n person. but his
lieutenant. ar, detached COR one thing or another
thcy are aaay from thc post special duty at col
I..es or aWesi Point recruiting service. from sick
ness . vacancy in the company. or from a hundred
other causes or n present at IN" post they ar" tenn
porarily detached especially 10 perform such dut-'
those ~ post adiutants post quartermasers post
commissaries Instructors u rife practice. ordnance
officers provost mar,nas or they on in the field
surveying. cscortng postmasters chasing Indians
and the Ike The duties Of all cheers and soldiers
calculated - teach any t"nderfoot on short no
urc that the mill,lr, servants Of Uncle sam away
here on the frontier completely and thoroughly
every cent they get by the grace Of Congress.
\ soldier is enlisted for nv" years. Why any man
voluntarily comes into the service II Is hard 10
say There are various reasons and. as a rule. the
personnel of the enlisted line Is very fair. Indeed
and they quite credit To- themselves as well
as 10 the nag they represent The pay II small
tho duty neither hard nor lahorious and the dsci-
pne strict In the ranks OF the Army to-day there
are "a bright talent and as well-read and educated
men a. can bc found In any other profession or
trade on earth Some OF the finest officers who to-
day wear the sh1udcr-straps Of high commissions
have risen from the ranks 10y their own cndcavors
and hy steadincss und'r hard trials and tribua-
tions Of course. IL is easier serving the United
States AT Fort Monroe. Fort Porter, Governors ISL
and. and elsewhere in the East than 1T Is far out
her" In the high Northwest under the shadow
OF the giant Rockies.
THE PAY or THE SOLDIER
The soldier gets sl3 per month pay. an Increase OF
81 for the third year g. for the fourth. and 50 for
the NTH. also additional remuneration II promoted
corporal. sergeant arihcer Besides TINS II
worked as a carpenter. pasterer or mechanic oil
any kind. he receives what IN called extra huty
pay: then must Included board. lodging clothing
schooling medical attendance and various other per
quisitcs Uncle Sans Army catches all sorts OF
material for soldiers Of all nationhltles ana
all climes They come as bright as meteors ana as
vcrdant as unrpc cucumbers. but no matter no"
ignorant or green recruit may br al INC '"'' VI
joining ne usually leaves the Army ~"l satisfied
with his Ave years discipline and experience ana
also a Zine marksman.
In summer 1t Is pretty plain sailing. aithough d,
some Of the forts distributed along the missouri
River 1t IS safe comfortable FOR the Soid'''
officer either. attempt 10 do eudtd uu'! W
other work at the height ~ the warm season uhleSS
well protected by hcad-nets and cast-ron gloves on
account OF the ways 81 tho mosquitoes These IN
sects are prepared for business In TINS latltu"''
They come In swarms and are so numerous anu ~
persistent that II Is not exaggeratlon TO say 'hdt
life is positively a burden for few weeks OF eaeh
year Mules ponies horses and cattle all suller
terribly from these pests while man would also ma
existence next to unbelrabe should ne not pe any
10 provide himself with adequate pro'ecuo' III Wv
way Of hcad-nets and long-armed gaun'le's' !"
summer the inmates OF the iort nave ia" ''e "'"
perature AS high as l23 degrees Fahronheit III me
ahsde In January and February the mercury
al this point has sometimes sunk 10 the a"Iu' tenn
perature OF 10 degrees below zero fut''hs Wv t"'
together We get range Of l6s degrees as the diier
orc. betvecn the extremes, which Is hard for any
other spo, on the known globe to equal In the
winter the snow may reach on a level IN the Nor'h-
west anywhere from six inches to four or hVe feet
The average. however. is not much more than -FOUR
teen inches all around; but even ms dep'h Oh Il
level unbroken stretch OF prairie makes campaign
, an Zoo, moi the pleasantest occupation one could
ana When the winds blow and the b'izzards ny
and the snow begins pile up then IL Is tinle 10
seek shelter and not he found wandering over the
o,en prairie without compass or landmark Even
the Indians. under such climatic eohui.'o"S' '"'"
-, -, ,noir uuco., e3rtable tepees and lodges. pre-
,or.io,, rather 10 b. At peace with all the world
then than TO enjoy unlimited freedom in the open ar
under the doubtful protection Of breech-ciout ana
a well-yentlatcd blanket