Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-06-21
rnIs Is WAa.
SOME LESSONS ouR SOLDIERS WILL
LgARN.

LoAnWs
Richard Harding Davis aud Poultney
Bigelow seem TO be engaged In . news
paper controversy 1t long range - TO
how well our army ID being taken caro-
OF ct the Tampa encampment. The
debate RACES wherever any soldiers are
Quartered; some visitors think every
thing 10 al right, or ct least - good ~
could be expected, while others come
away saddened, and even indignant, at
the war officials for allowing the boys
In blue TO be 20 poorly fed and cared for.
In the Newspaper accounts the favorable
view ID likely to get its full weight, be-
cause Of desire on the part Of the cor
respondents to keep on the right side OF
the department officers, and also on ac-
count Of the press censorship, which
naturally excludes q recital Of such
features ~ tend TO discourage enlist
ments. But to the impartial observer It
makes considerable difference what time
In the day and what day OF the week the
camp is visited. And after all allow
auces are made on each aide Of the dis
cussion, the fact remains that this Is war,
and those persons who understand this
best are most easily satisfied with what
they and at Camp Alger, Tampa, Chicka-
manga and wherever else our soldiers are
quartered. The letter Of q Missouri boy
to his parents, which has just been print
ed, contains an incident which illustrates
the phrase, "This Is war"
1--WE happen to have German quarter
MASTER" the young man writes, sand
so arriving here We stood all the first day
10 drixzling rain, without tents, blank
cts or rstions, on bill overlooking the
river and valley In the distance pict-
uresquc and inspiring view that would
ordinarily draw admiration from the
most unsppreciative natures, but under
existing circumstances Sunday School
words were not profuse. Az night was
drawing near, and blankets and straw
were conspicuously absent, the writer,
with several other officers, approached
our Qusrtermaster with the question,
What OF the night We were greeted
with, Vat IL It you vantg We guiltily
murmured, Blankets. Dis Is var, he re-
piled. We would have cried like babies
IL We could not come. would have cried
myself. Now We are here. Dis Ia var"
There Ia less complaint about the food
at Camp Alger now than there was few
weeks ago. The boys are learning that
camp life Ia not one OF luxury, aud that
they must expect to endure hardness.
overheard good nstured "dressinR
down" which veteran Of the civil war
gave q group OF boys OF the 65th
New York the other day, who were COM
menting on their privations: "No sugar
and milk for your coffee" repeated the
veteran In disgust. ~ never heard OF
such thing as having sugar and milk
10 coffee. Preposterous to think OF II
DO you want to he rolled up In cotton
battings The trouble with you boys is
that you are being fed altogether too well
and have never been allowed to get real
hungry yet. The time will come II you
see much actual service when raw pork
will be a treat, and n thin strip placed
between two pieces OF bareback will be
eaten with great relish. OF course 1t Ia
much better to have pork cooked, but
when you cannot get IL that way you will
take Il In almost any shape. The time
will come when this food would taste
mighty good, | tell YOU This sort OF
Jobs comfort Il not without certain
good G feet. and still the boys occa sionsl-
ly suggest that the food Ia not just what
they have been used to at home. The
9th Massachusetts,, which arrived at
Camp Alger last Wednesday, had Its first
fresh meat on Monday, eating In the
meantime bacon, canned corn beef, po-
tatoes, beans, bread, bareback, coffee.
There Is an agreeable regularity In the
appearance OF these staples, and the
problem OF what to get for breakfast does
not disturb Camp Alger bousekeepers.
There IL no scanning the bill OF fare
every meal Ia very much like the last.
Michigan men who came In last week
were for five days kept upon steady diet
Of one ssndwic and one mug OF coffee
for each meal, and the sandwich was
made Of canned corn beef. Hard-tack, &C
cording to the boys, Ia much maligned
food staple. and II II could be had when
fresh and crisp. they say Il would not be
bad since II Is really a cracker made OF
-four and water.
But besides the recognition Of the fact
that this IL what army life means and a
settling down to the consequences, re-
ports from other fields have a Quieting
effect. One OF the local newspapers print
ed on Sunday a private letter from one
Of the District boys at Chickamsugua
iu which he said that all OF his company
were hoping to be forwarded to lamps,
because they had implicit confidence that
II could not be worse than where they
were. But the Bigelow-Davis debate has
40 affected the reputation Of Tampa here
"a a comfortable and commodious hostel
~ that most Of the Camp Alger boys are
willing to stay where they are unless they
can 90 into actual field service. In fact,
conditions at the camp are improving
rapidly, due to the agitation OF the news
papers and the efforts OF some active con-
gressmen. The commission that Secre-
rotary Alger sent to investigate things
brought 10 a verdict Of Mot guilty, but
don't do It again. They found water,
sanitation and everything In excellent
condition, but recommended that no more
troops be sent there. And yet In spite OF
this recommendation and the report that
Camp Alger was 10 be abandoned, the
Third Virginia Regiment came In on
Sunday, and happened to be at Dunn
Loring station on It's arrival. The two
striking features Of fresh regiment are
the extreme youthfulness Of the men and
the Immense amount Of luggage which
they have to carry. Besides the rubber
and wooden blankets, knapssck, rifle,
canteen and ordinary equipment, many
of the boys were carrying boxes and hand
satchels, evidently bringing into camp a
few extras from their friends ut home.
But II would have to be very valuable
article to be worth carrying on foot long
over the dusty roads at the south. When
the Virginia boys got OF the trains
and formed into lines they Immediately
started for camp. Ii was about midday,
the sun was beating down hard, and the
prospect Of three-mile walk, at the end
Of which tent-making and housekeeping
would have to be done, was not envisble.
Some of the boys had got hold OF big
pieces Of bread, and could be seen eating
away at them while waiting for the
marching orders to be given.-Corre-
spondence of the Boston Transcript.