The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-12-10
LIFE In A WESTERN FORT

(
not so easy and indolent these days
as many Eastern people imagine. 1t
Is pleasant and somewhat exciting
experience, and for some soldiers it is
verp happy life. For the last thirty
years military fort in the West, in
the fullest sense of the word. is really
no fort at all 1t IS merely a collec-
/ ton Of low, strong built, and homely
buildings. houses arranged in any
4 form most pleasing to the command
/ ing officers Some of the structures
I at the forts look as if they had been
/ dropped down on the praire haphaZ
ard, the purpose being to have one
military station located 50 far from
another that mutual communication
can be had In days ride with horse
There IS not the least semblance Of
/ fortifcation about the frontier forts
parapets, buttresses, bastIons, or can
non projecting through embrasures.
The cost Of all the buildings at a
/ typical army fort cut IN this region is
usually not over $4,000 There are
/ some that would be dear at $4,000
The structures are always arranged
so that officers quarters are separated
4 from the barracks Of the enlisted men.
and the parade OF drill ground in a
rectangle or square between the Off
GERS quarters and the barracks, stables
guard house, and hospital. The Stars
and Stripes float from pole in the
middle Of the parade ground For
sklrmish drills, Of which there are
many in modern military tactics, the
| praire outside of the garrison limits,
stretching away III all directions for
hundreds of miles, is chosen. Some
times there may be a company Of
/ people in a frontier fort who please
their aesthetic taste by cultivating
flower gardens within the garrison,
and a few native vines covering the
wooden walls with blossoms and green
foliage, but such features are not
common.
Frontier forts are of various sizes
They run all the way from one com
pany posts to twelve or fourteen
There are in this fort twelve com
panies of infantry and one troop of
cavalry. Wherever there is d military
headquarters a regiInental band Is
stationed. A regiment OF cavalry,
under the present organization of the
| United States army, consists of twelve
companies and a band. The officers
are one colonel, one lieutenant colonel,
three majors, twelve captains, fourteen
] first lieutenants, and ten second lieu
/ tenants. The two extra first lieuten-
ants IN each organization are the regi
mental adjutant and the quartermas
/ fer. The adjutant IS a sort of chief
clerk of the concern. He does or
manages all the clerical work, receives
and answers all communications. for
it would be considered a breach of
etiquette to address a communication
direct to tie commanding officer.
| Everything should be done through
the adjutant The quartermaster
must be a genuine hustler" to keep
! pace with his business. He has an
exceedingly difficult position to fill
acceptably, for that officer, as a rule.
is the most roundly abused of all in
the military service, and in nine cases
out of ten the fault does not lie at his
door, A company organization is one
captein, one first lieutenant, and one
second lieutenant Seldom is it that
a company is completely ofticered If
the captain be present, he will com
mand III person, but his lieutenants
/ are detached for one thing or another
they are away from the post on
/ special duties at colleges or at West
3 -, ,al-
ness, a vacancy in the company, or
from a hundred other causes; or. if
present at the post, they are temper
arily detached, especially to perform
such duties as those of post adjutants,
post quartermasters, post commission
ers, instructors of rifle practice, ord
nance officers, provost marshals, or
they are off in the tield surveying, es-
corting postmasters, chasing Indians,
and the like. The duties Of all Off
GERS and soldiers are calculated to
teach any tendarfoot on short notice
that the military servants of Uncle
Sam away cut here on the frontier
completely and thoroughly earn every
cent they get by the grace of con
gress.
A soldier is enlisted for three years
Why any man voluntarily comes into
the service it is hard to say. There
are various reasons, and, as a rule,
the personnel of the enlisted line is
very fair indeed, and the men are a
credit to themselves as we'll as to the
flag they represent. The pay is good,
the duty neither hard nor labori> Us,
and the discipline strict In the
ranks of the army today there are as
+ talented, and as well-read and as well
/ educated men as can be found in any
other professICD or trade on earth.
i Some Of the best officers, who today
wear the shoulder straps of high com
missions, have risen from the ranks
by their own endeavors, and by steadi-
ness under hard trials and tribula-
tions.
The soldier gets S13 pc, month pay,
an increase of 81 for the third year,
y for fourth, and S3 for fifth: al
so additional remuneration if promot
ed to corporal, sergeant, or artItlcer.
Besides this, If worked as a carpenter,
plasteIer, or mechanic of any kind, he
receives what is called extra duty
pay. Then must be included board.
lodging, clothing, schooling, medical
attendance, and various other perqui
sites, so that the pay is practically
pocket money. Uncle Sans army
catches all sorts of material for sol
diers- men of all nationalities and all
climes. They come as bright as
meteors and as verdant as cncumbers,
but no matter how Ignorant or green
a recruit may be at the time of join
ing he usually leaves the army well
satisfied with his three years disci
pline and experience, and also a fine
marksman
In summer it is pretty plain sailing,
; although at some of the forts distn-
hutpl atpDCr tho N1SCpuri rivar II -