Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1898-09-03
The Volunteers at Whipple Dis
satisfied and Disguised
Mutiny Hinted at and Ignorant Off
GERS COnd mngd.
The Filthy Guard House Breeding Dis,sss
and Corruption.
THY ARE ANXIOUS TO BE MUSTERED OUT.

some time 1t has been growing.
will tell you how aud why shall stat,
the facts a. 1 know them TO be. | ask ne
fayors aud | fear no man. Two week.
ago Priyats Wilcox, gathering the then
sentiment OF Company A, drafted a petit
tiou 10 Secretary Of War Alger, setting
forth the facts and purposes OF the en-.
listment Of Company A. II stated that
peace having been accomplished, and the
purposes OF enlistment having failed, and
most Of us not desiring 10 DO garrison
duty, then asked that II the authorities
thought It consistent with the best inter.
ests OF the government, VIZ be dis.
charged.
IL Wv based upon the understanding,
that in the discharge Of troops, the war
department would, in part nj least, take
into consideration the desires Of the NJ
themselyes-which last h certainly poll
tic and sensible. A wilin I soldier Is the
best soldier.
Itiwas intened TO submit ths petition
when all had signed It, or least enough
to show the sentiment OF the company
to Mr.. BOrradaile and to Colonel McCotd.
before forwarding II TO the war depart
ment. II Il had been a~scertained that a
majority Of the company ~disfaYored IL. IL
would have been dropped. The petition
was In existence half an hour and thirty
seven men had signed IL. Just then the
little captain" discovered IL and Ii died
But this was not enough. At assembly
the blue book was parsded before the
company and certain articles OF war read
to the boys in a solemn and funeral tone
which had about az much application to
the existing state Of facts az the Ten
Commandments. They were informed
what Ignorant fellows they were. Upon
occasion they we're twitted funnily about
IL. This was the seed. The real aud
substantial reasons for desiring dis.
charge were as stated in the petition
mentioned. But s~uperadded to these
we're and yet are the entire lack OF ac-
commodatiOns at this place for men.
These men are not regulars, used toarmy
life. This Is an abandoned post; every
thing Ia gone but the air. some old build
ings. ~dyseDtery breeding water aud bed
bugs. With the hard Il jOr or the ground
Tor u couch, with grub from which the
meanest hobo would turn away IN dis
gust, with the absolute neglect OF the Of
Ulcers to look after the comfort OF the
men, with their entirely uncalled for
supercilliousness with the men and treat
ment OF them, II ia no wonder that what
| shall write has come 10 pass | offered
a tramp n day some dinner, after he
told me he was hungry. He cursed and
refused 1t when he saw II. The men
would willingly put up with any treat.
ment necessary In fight or field They
have, even here, borne without protest. III
usage. until to-day this camp Ia a slum-
boring volcano. The FIRST public erup-
ton was the Wilcox letter In Tuesdays
CITIZEN. II concentrated the as yet I'M
expressed sentiment OF the $50 men
therein mentioned. II opened the eyes
Of the officers. They had thought 10
cOddle or intimidate. Some had thought
the men 80 simple ss TO swallow both
food and statements II they wanted 1t
and neither gag nor refuse to believe.
The men were told to always salute GER
tain officers. The officers failed to re-
spOnd, and this showed that they were
either not officers or not gentlemen. The
next time, the men failed to salute and
we're repremsnded, and this showed that
the men with the straps were officers, but
not gentlemen. Mr.. Wilcox wrote and
signed himself as representing the seven
companies here, amounting to $50 men.
He stated that Of this number there we're
not hfty men who did not desire 10 be
discharged. This, | think, Is true. so
little had the officers mingled with the
that they did not believe II. 80 they
at once circulated a counter statement.
II circulated among the Las Vegas com
pany and some Others. II never reached
Company A. The man who would
have had II would not have
been popular; to put Il mildly,
where II did circulate, IL was headed by
officer. One OF the officers threatened
to make II hot" for any OF his company
who did not sign II. Some who did sign
II afterwards retracted and desired TO re-
tract their names. Many undoubtedly
to please the officer and through
fear OF being singled out as a victim. for
Is In the army az II IL in college. There
are army faculty succOfs, and while all
men are susceptible, more or less, % fiat
terry II %artidcially administered. There
are some men here who will take il with
a hose at high pressure, Aud 1t is true
that they can and true that some OF
them do exercise their petty authority
the limits OF law or common
Men, here, have been put In dark
cells and fed on bread and water for some
offense or even no Offense other
than not In effect, dropping dead before
some officer. Well, the result OF the Of
1cers' counter statement to the Wilcox
letter is that II got by hook and crook
thirty-hye names-including those who
afterwards wanted TO withdraw. 30 that
was right with a large margin to
spare az to the sentiment Of the men.
But he was mistaken In including all Of
icers as getting more In the army than
their usual occupations. It is not true
Lieut.. Chamberlain or Capt. Fall or
Lieut. DR.. Crulkshsnk and may be- others.
The writer has expended the sum OF $50
10 date buying something to eat outside
what the government has given or is
supposed to have given. There are many
who have spent more or less; some
the boys saved their tl5 to buy grub
exclusively. Time and again the atten.
ton OF the officers have been called to