Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-10
VERY SERIOUS CHARGES.

Private Tells an awful Tale of Hunger
and Bad Food.
o. A. Beam, of the Second Oregon
regiment. has written from Manila to
the Albany Herald. describing the
tough experiences of the soldiers His
letter was dated October 3. and contain
d the following statements:
some papers sent us have state
.ncnts from the officials of the commits
-:,ry and hospital departments saying
that the soldiers are well provided for.
will give you our experiences as pri
Yates in the volunteer army in this God
f,l'sakcn. characterization island of the
far East
,.of the vile treatment received on
board the transports | will say nothing.
as much has already been written
thereon: it is of the camp life at Cavite
ard Manila ] shall speak.
contrary to the statements of the
officials. we can only say we are treat
-, worse than hobocS who. in their mi
;sra;i"ns from North tn South on cur
Pacific coast would curse and reject the
'nud which we are forced to subsist
ulon.
The food for the volunteers sent from
the States consisted Of an inferior
quality Of exclusively fat pork. which
would h" rejected by Americans for
luhricalins grease. This. with two
iations of fresh beef Il week, received
from Australia. not bearing even an
Inspectors stamp. the quality of which
cannot vouch for. y large quantity
Of C!rSicratcd potatoes. the invention of
L: diseased mind about to embark for tn"
k'ondtkc regions. bat not finding a sale
for them even in the povertystricken
north. We're bought for small sum by
thcs,. officials. and thus we are provided
sith potatoes which are not fit for
swine. much less for soldiers. Rice in
small quantities. sufficient for three
rHlions n week. OF coffee. If such it
can b. called. we have Il plenty, but it
is seldom drunk. a large consignment
VI horse meat" coming from we'll
known firm dealing in horse flesh. but
bearing the United States Inspectors
stamp as roast beef This is not
eaten except 10y those who are actually
driven to it by starvation. This is all
We have in our commisSary. ConSe-
ln"ntly our meals consist mostly of
bacon. the fat of which is mixed with
Hour. and so-calied gravy IS served up.
Just think. In tropical country. this
pork comes to us dripping with its own
excess of fat. to feed men where little
"r no meat is found in the diet of
natives!
For bread we have Il hard mixture
o; ilour and water. baked until hard as
a genuine bareback. secured from the
SPANISH, in exchange for our flour
worth ST. a barrel. the bala nce Of the
ta,lr filling the Golfers of the officers. l
|
similar to our worms found in apples.
I'VE boys out Of the pittance received
from the government of $3.50 are
forced tn buy from Il side issue of the
rcmmissary Injuries such as dried
fruits. for none We're sent by the gov
eminent, jellirS. etc. which were sent
by the ladies of Oregon. for their sol
der boys. but contiscated by these dis
reputable officers ana sold to US for
three times the purchasing price in
America.
Beans, the staple of army life. are
had only twice Il week. and then cook
ed With fat, so as to be almost unpala-
table.
These are the damnable outrages
perpctratcd upon the volunteers. The
inspection officers. whose duty it is to
look after our food. sit in their COM
and studying Spanish. in order the bet
ter to make an impression on the SEN
oritas who condescend to smile upon
them for a portion of gold given them
for duty never done. Any appeal
made to them is scoffed at, and men are
threatened with imprisonment if they
even make Il murmur.
'of the quarters provided us, you can
not depict the horrors provided OF our
II esrnt ones. We are quartered in an
old Spanish building. the cr-closet
Of which is in the same room The
"hich arises from this cesspool of dis
ease is beyond description. There is no
smell in America equal to it, To reach
III" closet proper, we have to wade
through human offal. thus laying the
.'rundation for the fevers which are
prevalent. and generally ending iI.
death. We are forced to sleep in this
:paths"me atmosphere. and If we were
not the strong, healthy men we are,
could not stand it, AS it is, we arise
in the morning with headaches and sick
stomach. No wonder our hospitals are
tul. Could this be remedied? OF
course, it could: but the officers only
laugh and do nothing.
OF our company officers only one de-
series the gratitude he justly receives
nj the hands OF the men. Lieutenant
NJ. d. Philips is the one Of whom
i'Ak. lie has had the burden of the
"iIpany on his shoulders all the time
Dur captain being SIX. and the second
-i.&l tenan. IN brigade hospital He is
ha' alcappcd in any effort to help us,
not being in a position to make his pro
t"siationS heard.
The Oregon Emergency Corps gave
some hundred dollars for the benefit OF
the company. Where did this money
go? or this sum three or four meals
were given sick boys on the transport
II dare not say more. There were
many champagne bottles cracked over
the SulnptuouS dinners served the Of
hccrs on board while the on-comS and
f'rivates were actually hungry. Can it
be this money of our noble women was
spent thus"
ave not exaggerated In the least:
should tell all. the people would dis
credit 1t.
The privates will voice what I have
written. We would not have murmured.
Eor the men bear these trials with
Superhuman patience, but when these
appear from officials that
we are we'll treated. our patience is ex-
That American volunteers
should be treated thus is worse than
murder"
WE sell Won the Suit