The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-02
SAME OLD HOWL
An Old Veteran Comments on
the Roar.
ABOUT COLONEL FITCH
Thinks the Boys Were Not
Given Enough to Do.

It was reported yesterday that Captain
Everett of Wichita's company. had gone
to Omaha and that he would locate there
permanently, or stay there az least until
the thirty-day furlough given the men ex-
pires. This report is. however, not cred
tied
The boys who have returned could be
seen about the streets yesterday and IN
most cases each one had a crowd about
him. telling them Of the bigotry Of Colonel
Fitch, the msanness Of the officers in
general for not trying 20 prepare them
better accommodations n camp.
Il nave been reading" said an old vet
eran, a lot of things in the Eagle coming
from the soldlers-complaints and threats
ard limitations Of dire exposures Of Off
GERS on account OF their treatment Of
the privates. and OF the great want and
privatIon, starvation, that they have mad
10 undergo. 1t reminded me so much Of
when I enlisted The same complaint, the
same grOwl, the same kind Of criticisms
were made then as now regarding the OFF,
GERS and their treatment Of the men. II
was a hard matter for Us boys 20 adjust
ourselves TO the condition OF affairs. We
could not just quite underst and that after
eiecting our officers from among ourselves
that We were placing them IN almost alb
sOlute authority over Us. Ny own seat
mate and school chum was elected and
c0mmissioned-wen out from under my
blanket-and from the hour he got his
commission our roads parted. I could not
adjust myself TO the change, but it was
right. Tit great howl chat went up for
the first few months about discipline was
simply dreadful. The first lieutenant Of
my company had served two terms in
the United States regulars, a thoroughly
trained soldier, and the captain gave MIN
carte blanche When We were not drilling
on foot we We're drilling on horseback or
practicing sword exercise or policing the
camp. While lying in camp, as these boys
have been, we worked eight hours a day.
I imagine if the commanding officers OF
the Twenty-ffrst had kept the boys con-
stantly employed there would have been
far less grumbhng and dissatisfaction. I
believe that had our boys had remained
in the service six months longer, got
themselves adjusted TO soldier life as it
is and ought 10 be, there would have been
an entirely different feeling existing then
than now. Ny experience after three and
a half years OF war-real soldering under
an officer that was a strict disciphnarian-
was that the body OF soldiers that had
officers who never iinched from their
duty were the soldiers best taken care of
almost always-got the advantage in
camping. marching, fghdng-and when
ever there were any snaps the disciplined
soldier got them, and the officers that
got all the curses at the outstart were
the only officers in the comamnd that the
private soldiers respected or had any use
for finally. If I was in command OF a reg
iment I would hold the officers and pri
Yates right down 90 business all the time
for seIf-protection. While in camp. as our
boys were, I would have kept them con-
stantly employed at some hing that would
have equipped them for more effective
service on the march and on the battle
field. I predict that Il won't be many
months before the boys Will get their
sober senses and conclude that the Off
GERS whom they are now denou1cing were.
after all, their best friends. and the ones
they will respect most. Another thing
don't understand. There is so much fault
finding about food, clothing. etc. 1 don't
know what the boys menu consisted Of
and how often 1t was short of full ratlons.
but have been on the march for ten days
AZ time with nothing 10 eat save what
we could get by foragiug off an impOv-
erished country, and many times, after
riding twelve 70 twenty hours, We would
huddle around a campfire and parch corn
and eat It and be glad 70 get Il. And
more than all that. We did not growl OF
grumbIe and find fault with our officers
or the government, but was proud of the
fact that we could give a sacrifice OF that
kind TO our country. And today I would
not have these experiences eliminated
from my soldier life under any c.rcum-