The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-06-02
WAR NOTES.
render.

WAR NOTES.
learn that Gen. Coppinger was greatly
relieved to have his cratic brother-in-law
Jas. G. Blaine, ir., assigned TO another
| Generals staff. Young Blaine has hither-
to been a very wild, unmanageablc fellow
and the subject of no end of talk not at all
creditable to him. 1t may be, however
that he has sowed his wild oats, and is
determined TO do something that will be a
| credit to him and his distinguished father.
| He will now have a chance. Ii there is
any real good in him, he will have abun-
dant chance to show it in the position OF a
| staff officer.
! Desha Breckenridge is another young
| man who has received plum on &C
| count OF his relationship. He is the son
| of Col. w. C. p. Breckenridge, formerly
Representative from Kentucky. Young
| Breckenridge gets commission in the
1st KY, and is to be given a place on the
staff of his uncle, Maj.-Gen. JOS. c..
Breckenridge, if the latter is given field
command. There il strong opposition to
this in the Army, since Gen. Breckenridge
has been staff officer for II years, and
they think that as he had the plum of
staff work for so long he should not now
want an active command
! met Gen. Greedy on the street, and
congratulated him on the complete sue
cess OF his censorship, which has been
very much more rigid than the most des-
potic Government in Europe could have
secured.
yes, . he said; 1T shows how much
superior our form of Government, where
public affairs. / Simply told them that
wanted to interfere as absolutely little as
possible in their BUSINESS, and put them
on honor as to the transmission OF ciphers
and OF anything that might give informa-
ton to the enemy and be preiudicial to the
Government. They all accepted the situa-
ton with the greatest patriotism, and
every man connected with the telegraph
service is on the lookout that it shall not
be used to the, country's harm. All the
great newspapers did the same, and re-
ceivcd every assistance from them.
have only had q couple of instances of
tr uble in ambitious correspondents try
ing to send contraband news, and their
editors on being communicated with dis
charged them, and wrote me ry patriotic
| letters"
The Government was very fortunate in
| having such man as Gen. Greedy in
such an important and responsible posi-
| ton. He was good soldier-a Massa-
chusetts volunteer, and carried musket-
and is a gentleman of the highest intelli-
gence and tact.
OFFICIAL UNREADJNESs.
The efficiency of the Quartermaster' s
Department in preparing and for provid-
| ing for troops was not in evidence at
! Camp AIger. / was out there full week
after the camp had been established, and
was painfully struck by the lack of prep
arations for the care of the 80, 900 men
whom it was announced would be there.
The camp is situated on fine, rolling
ground, and is in itself a very good spot.
But it is three miles from the railroad
and the road leading to it is narrow
wretched, Virginia highway, as bad as
only Virginia roads can be. In two OF
three places it is crossed by streams
which are not bridged, and consequently
soon converted into mudholes by passing
men and teams. In fact, it is already full
of mudholes, and l saw the 9th Pa. tramp
through one very unnecessary mud hole
which should have been taken care of at
the very first. The road is so narrow that
in very many places two teams cannot
pass. Yet not a spade had been lifted to
improve the way over which troops must
constantly march to and fro, over which
all their rations and equipments must be
| hauled, and over which all visitors must
pass and repass. 1t seemed to me that
some old Quartermaster-Serge of Vol
unteers would have done much better
than the epauletted gentlemen in charge,
even though they had had West Point
| education.
On the grounds was even more painful
evidence of a lack of intelligent prepare
ton No wells had been dug to supply
water, there were no sheds to house the
Quartermaster and Commissary stores
there was nothing to provide for the com
fort and health Of the men. was not
surprised to learn that there was
much feeling among the regiments that
arrived. after being three or four DAYS on
| the road, to find that there were no rations
ready for them, that they had to struggle
around one old farm well to get water. and
that the field officers had to give up their
tents To shelter fhe COmmissary and
Ouartermaster stores. | remarked TO one
of my acquaintanGes that out in some
little wild and woody Western town they
would provide better on short notice for a
picnic or political meeting than had
been done for a great camp.
The whole thing is absolutely unneces-
sary, too. The officers are making great
ado about being called upon to supply
such enormous quantities of rifles, car
tridges, tents, etc. This is distracting at
tention from real things. Certainly there
are enough planks in the country to be
had at once for sheds, and sheds are
cheaper and better in every way for camp
of instruction than tents. Enough men
with picks and shovels can be gotten on
the instant to make all the roads neces-
sary, and to ditch and drain the camps.
gang of men can in day or two put
down enough driven wells to supply
everybody with abundance of water, and
so on. hope things have gone on much
better at Chickamauga, Tampa, Mobile,
New Orleans, etc. l know they have at
the State Camps, where practical. bust
ness men have had charge.