The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-07-16
A RIGHT TO GRUMBLE
THAT IS ONE PRIVILEGE OF THE
AMERICAN VOLUNTEER.
RoughinE It Agrees with Him-Though
the Change from House Life to the
Tented Field May Make Him IA at
FIrst-VaIuaBIe Lesson. v

tble ground has been selected; in Other
iases the water is said to be bad, the
cooking arrangements insufficient, the
iations poor and scanty, the tents
eaky, the drilling severe, and the hours
or 'reVeille" and taps" unreasonable
lays the Richmond (Va.) Dispatch.
host of these causes of complaint have
risen from the hurry with which these
men were hustled from their homes to
he tented field. Time enough for prep
nation was not taken. Too many men
Sere packed into camp at once. It
Fould have been better to have gath
red them in gradually, so that there
Eould have been no crowding and no
overwhelming of the quartermasters
md commissaries.
There can be little or no excuse for
ne selection of unsuitable ground for
camp or rendezvous. In the midst of
N active campaign soldiers must camp
where their presence is most needed
| whether that place be in an old field, in
ne woods, on lowland or on highland;
Sut not so now. Good, healthy ground
ian and should be obtained where COM
portable camps may be established,
where good water is plentiful and con-
Tenient and where stores of every sort
may be promptly secured. AS for the
army rations, they are very good, in
deed. We venture to say that they at
lord better meals than the average
American family is accustomed to have
In such times as these. And though
there may be lack of variety, whether
of meat, coffee, sugar, or other article,
may he easily exchanged for such dam
| lies as the appetite Graves. When men
have marching and fighting to do near
ly every day in the week. they have no
time or dispositi~ to complain of their
Fations, unless they are scanty, but
while they are idling away their time in
camp they are hard to please. Del
monico's bill of fare would not satisfy
all. However, a little grumbling does
no harm. At any rate, 1t has ever been
the privilege of the American volunteer
soldier, and he will never consent to
surrender it.. In one of the state camps
the commandant has had the "reveille"
sounded at a. m. and "taps" at 8 p.
m. That is to say, he has had his men
toused out of bed at 5, and all lights in
The tents had to be put out at 9. Now
the great majority of our volunteers are
men who are residents of cities, and
many Of them are not used to rising I'M
til or 8 o'clock, so the hardship Of hav-
Ing to bundle out of bed at was very
great. In the case in point the remon-
strances of the officers and soldiers
have resulted in an order changing the
hour for reveille from to 6, and for
taps from to $50. And so far as
drilling is concerned, it may be said
soothingly, yet truthfully, that it's Sc
verify will lessen every day. 1t will be
wearisome at first to the new recruit
but experience and practice will lessen
Its severity very much. And every old
soldier will affirm that nothing will be
more helpful than for the recruit to be
well shod-to wear a pair Of stout,
broad-soled, easy-fitting shoes.
The change from house life to the
tented field is sometimes accompanied
by sickness, but with most young men
camp life agrees very we'll, indeed. And
1t fortunately happens that this is the
very best season of the year to go into |
camp in Virginia.
We may presume-certainly we hope |
that the spring rains are over, or |
nearly over, and that the ground will |
soon be dry and the air fresh and brac-
ing. We may be sure that no mistake |
has been made in the location of our |
camp. Camp Lee was a campground |
for aNSummer before the civil war, and |
1t was a campground from 1861 to 1865, |
and was never known to be aught but |
healthy. And in the matter of prep
arations, 1t Is to be trusted that the
have taken warning from |
the mischances in other state camps,
and have all their arrangements in a
proper degree of forwardness.
Still, none but very green" SOL
der will expect to find all the com
forts of home in a camp. He will |
have to trough it" and this he may do
without serious hurt to his health. On
the contrary, the life of a soldier will be
sure to make a man of
him." He will have no mother, or wife
Or sister to pamper him, but if he be a
fellow Of average sense he will soon
learn how to-cook his meals and roll ND
his blankets-the two chief items of
to which he will have to
give his attention.