The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-08
LIFE IN A WESTERN FORT.
DUTIES AND DIVERsIoNs OF UNCLE
iM ESLIsTED MER,
The Typical Army Post In the Indian !
Country - Midwiuter Mt the Garrison
what the Soldiers Eat and Drink-A
Chrrutmnu "a. Al

Nne IultE NAT and nElnk-A
Christmas Dinner-Amupsnents for All.
FORT CUSTER, Mon. Nov. IA soldiers life
in an army fort on the frontier In the Indian
country Is not SO easy and indolent these days
as many Eastern people Imagine. II Is a pleas
ant and somewhat exciting experience, and for
some soldiers It Is q very happy life. For tho
last thirty years a military fort in the West In
the fullest sense Of the word, is really no fort at
all. IL is merely a collection of low. strong
built, and homely buildings, houses arranged In
any form most pleasing to the commanding OIL
GERS. Some of the structures at the forts look
as II they had been dropped down on the prairie
hap the purpose being to have one mill
tary station located SO far from another that
mutual communicates can be had in q days
ride with a horse. There is not the least sem
blance of fertilization about the frontier forts
parapets buttresses. b~astions, or cannon pro-
jecting through embrasures.
The cost OF all the buildings at a typical army
fort out in this region Ia usually not over SiB.-
900. There are some that wonld be dear at
$4,000. The structures are always arranged so
that officers quarters are separated from tho
barracks of the enlisted men, and the parade or
drill ground in n rectangle or square between
the officers quarters and the barracks, stables,
guard house. and hospital. The Stars and
Stripes float from q pole In tho middle of the
parnue ground. tOE tklTIussu uTlllb. OIL winch
there are many in modern military tactics. the
prairie outside OF the garrison limits, stretching
away in all directions for hundreds of miles. 10
chosen. Sometimes there may be n company
of people In n frontier fort who please their
aesthetic tastes BY cultivating flower gardens
within the garrison. and n few forts have ma
tive vines covering the wooden walls with bios.
SONS and green foliage. but such features are
not common.
Frontier forts are of various sizes. They run
all the way from one-company posts to twelve
or fourteen. There are In this fort twelve COM
pauies Of infantry and one troop Of cavalry.
Wherever there Is a military headquarters n
reglmental baad is stationed. A regiment Of
cavalry. under the present organization OF the
United States army. consists OF twelve COM
panies and O band. The officers are one Colonel,
one Lieutenant-C Colonel, three Majors. twelve
Captains. fourteen First Lieutenants, and ten
Second Lieutenants. Tho two extra First
Lieutenantsi In each organization are the reGt-
mental Adjutant and the Quartermaster. The
Adjutant 10 u sort of chief clerk OF the concern.
He does or manages all the clerical work. re-
ceives aud answers all communications. for 1t
would be considered n breach OF etiquette to adj
dress a communication direct TO the m
ing officer. Everything should be done through
the Adjutant. Tho Quartermaster must be q
kChhiho ~ ~ bNSS - AfS s1SA-
ness. He has an exceedingly difficult position
to fill acceptably. for that officer. as q rule. is
the most roundly abused of all in the military
service. and in nine cases ont OF ten the fault
does not lie at his door. A company organiza-
tiop is one Captain, one First Lieutenant. and
one Second Lieutenant. Seldom Is It that n
company is completely differed. II the Captain
be present. he will command in person. but his
Lieutenants are detached for one thing
or another-they are away from the post on
special duty at colleges or at West Point.
recruiting service, from sickness. n vacancy In
the company. or from q hundred other causes:
or. II present at the post. they are temporarily
detached. especially to perform such duties rs
those of post adjutants, post quartermasters.
post commissioners, Instructors OF rifle practice.
ordnance officers, provost marshals, or they are
of In the fold surveying. e%scorting Postmas-
tiers. chasing Indians. and the like. The duties
of all officers and soldiers are calculated to
teach any tenderfoot on short notice that the
military servants of Uncle Sam away out hero
on the frontier completely and thoroughly earn
every cent they get by the grace OF Congress.
A soldier is enlisted for three years. Why any
mar 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 they men are a credit to them
selves as well as TO the flag they represent The
pay is good. the duty neither hard nor labori-
Gus, and the discipline strict. In the ranks of the
army to-day there are rs talented. and as we'll
read and rs we'll educated men as can be found
in any other profession or trade on earth. Some
OF tho best officers, who to-day wear tho
shouldcr-straps Of high commissions. have risen
from tho ranks by their own endeavors. and by
stcadiness under hard trials and fluctuations.
The soldier gets Sl3 per month pay. an in
crease of 81 for the third year So for n fourth
and SO for q fifth; also additional rsmunera-
tion IL promoted to corporal. sergeant, or arti-
dcer. Besides this. II worked as n carpenter,
plasterer. 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 soldiers men OF all nationAlties
and all chimes. They come as bright as me-
teors and as verdant as ~cucumbers. but no mat
ter how Ignorant or green n recruit may be at
the time of Joining he usually leaves the army
well satisfied with his three years discipline
and II pericnce. and also Il fine marksmnn.
In summer It is pretty plain sailing, although
NJ some OF the forts distributed along the Mis-
souri, River 1t is not safe or comfortable for the
soldier. or officer either. 10 attempt to do guard
duty or other work At the height of the warm
season unless well protected by head nets and
cast-iron gloves. on account OF the ways OF the
mosquitoes. These insects are prepared for
business in this latitude. They come in swarms.
and are so numerous and SO persistent that II is
not exaggeration to say that life Is positively
a burden 10 r q few weeks OF each year. Mules,
hors es, and cattle all suffer terribly from
these pests, while man would also find existence
next to unbearable should he not be able
TO provide himself with adequate protection In
the way Of head nets and long-armed quantities..
In summer the inmates of the fort have had
the temperature as high as 1899 Fahrenheit in
tho shade. In January and February the mer-
curry at this point has sometimes sunk to the
awful temperature of 45' below zero. Putting
the two together we get a range Of 1852 as the
difference between the extremes. which is hard
for any other spot on the known globe to equal.
In the winter the snow may reach on Il level In
the Northwest anywhere from six inches to four
and five feet. The average however, is not much
more than fourteen inches all around: but
even this depth on n level; unbroken stretch
OF prairie makes campaigning on foot not the
pleasnntest occupation. one could hnd. When