The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-17

the case That the supply wagon cannot
come up because the roads are wholly
impossible But that is quite likely to be
a part OF the soldiers life in the field.
The general care of the troops in either
he camp or the field depends very greatly
upon their immediate commanding Off
GERS. An efficient commissary and COM
petant ACKNOWLEDGMENT can DO much for
the men in the ranks. But >here are very
many ways T wh ch a CO 1siderate and
lazy to use that lumber after the officer
had been to the trouble Of getting It for
them. | have seen an officer wear out
the head of a commissary department
until ne had obtained a supply of chew
ing-tobacco. to which he was entitled, for
his men. The point was covered by an
army regulation with which the civilian
appointee in the comnlissary was unma-
miHar. 1 have seen an officer start from
from busy work. at the sound of the call
for drill, and send an orderly hurrying
down the camp with an order TO the bug
Ter TO follow the signal for drill with IRE
call" ''Drilr' must be sounded at the
specified time. Recall announces that
it is off It was a roasting not day.
Looking out for his own comfort, was he?
Not at all. He had nothing to do with
drill. That was work for his subordinates.
Some officers will send their men on prec-
tice marches regardless of the weather. II
they drop. they drop. that is all. But there
are few officers of that kind.
AS a rule the regular army officer is
more considerable of his men than the VOL
unteer officer. He may be more strict, but
fna will ar inst oy7d hOYt ffrl
There were comparatively few regular
troops among the commands sent to Porto
Rico But among the leaders were regu-
lar army men like General Brooke and
General Henry, General Schwan, and Cen
eral Ernst. while others. such as General
Wilson, saw service during the sixties.
Only small part of what these men and
others, from colonies to Leutenants, did
and tried to do to modify adverse condi-
tons. and to contribute TO the welfare
and the comfort of their men, will ever
be known. Nor were some of the volun-
teer officers behind them either in will or
in effort. But there were many times
when all they could do was not enough
10 overcome the state of things in de-
partments which are soon to be subjected
to the probe of a committee of investi-
cation.
There is quite difference between a
campaign in the tropics and picnic or a
summer camp in the Adirondacks. Under
the best conditions campaigning is an
experience which consists chiefly of hard
ship, whether It be of activity or OF idle
ness. As campaign, aside from its awful
hospital record, which may or may not
have been the result of unavoidable con-
ditions, the Porto Rico campaign has not
been one of remarkable severity. There
has been no Valley Forge no long weeks
in the trenches. There has been much
in it which is open to the sharpeSt kind
Of criticism, but the individual work of
many an officer Of the line. who lied to
make it easy for mis- men, is deserving of
a praise which will never be accorded
But when all is considered. there remains
no doubt that the men who did not go to
Porto Rico had much easier time than
those who did. and there was hardly
enough glory in it all to pay the cam
paigner for the unavoidable hardships and
privations and fevers 10 which he was
exposed. A G.. r.