Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-09-24
LIEUT.. WIENTGE
Arrives Home from Tampa and Gives
An Interesting Account Of His
Experiences.
HAD PLENTY TO EAT
The Boys Left al Tampa We're Bitterly
Disappointed, and Yearned for Just
One Day on Cuban Soil.

fOlnt Ill SOOu HedlJH anu Will Lo CoIu-
plant to make as to privations except
that in company with the rest of his
squadron that were left at Tampa, he
was very much disappointed at not be-
ing able to tread the soil of the Queen
of the Antilles even if it was malarious.
He is being welcomed home today by
many friends.
Lieutenant Wientge says that the
greater part of the scare about the SOL
diers being starved and misused in the
calAps was the result of those two pre-
eminently yellow papers, the New York
World and the New York Journal.
These papers would come into the camps
only to be laughed at by the men, and
the reporters of the same given great
CUFF. No such talk has been seen in the
New York Sun or other reputable peri
odicals. When the orders came to pack
up and 60 to Savannah to take the
transports for Cuba, the men packed up
with alacrity, for everybody expected
to see service in the field.
Then came the first heart breaker in
the shape of an order from Washington
that the transports would be taken at
Tampa, and the men waited, and I'M
packed with silent lips but dubious faces.
Finally when the transports did show
up, one squadron of the Trough Riders"
and a detail of ten men from each of the
other troops were left behind to care for
the horses and such equipment of the
front. The lieutenant says that when
the great fleet of transports was loaded
with troops, the men were packed in
like sardines on the vessels and kept
lying in the harbor for nearly u week
while the officials at Washington were
making up their minds what to do. This
treatment of the men was shameful and
had a very bad effect upon their morale.
Life in the camp was lively enough,as
the men had plenty to do. 1t was not
dusty there to speak Of, as the rains kept
down the dust, but of course the flies
and the mosquitoes were superintendent.
The order of the day was as follows:
Reveille at a.. M. stable at Ais, break
fast at 4:30, sick call at s, first call for
drill at 5:45 drill mounted, 6 until $3.50.
mess call, noon, school for non-commis-
| stoned officers, | until 2 p. M, school
for officers under Major Dunn, 3 until 5,
dismounted drill in manual of arms, 5
| until 6, mess call, 6, roll call and tattoo,
| 8, taps, $50. Notwithstanding the fact
| that it was a great task to care for
1000 horses, the men managed to have
| considerable time to themselves; but
| when 40 per cent of the squadron were
sick the work of the sick devolved upon
| the remaining 60 per cent and they had
| their hands full.
There was inspection by brigade ott-
GERS every morning, when the long picket
line of horses was expected to be found
by the inspecting major in good condi-
ton. and the ground entirely free from
manure and other stable litter. The
drill was not as severe at Camp Tampa
as it was at San Antonio whore the
entire forenoon was taken up in drill
under Colonel Roosevelt, as it was nee
essary to get the horses and some OF the
men broken in. But the result of this
incessant drilling was as fine a body OF
cavalry as could be found in any coun-
try. On Saturdays there was no drill
at Camp Tampa, only inspection, and on
Sunday there was nothing to do after
the horses had been cared for.
The men all had enough to eat, only
it was not the delicate grubb some OF
them had been accustomed to. There
was no butter or milk for the very good
reason that milk could not be kept
without ice and ice was a great luxury
in that section of the country. Butter
could not be kept either, SO the men
went without those luxuries. However.
,l,n,, had ~ a rct fpaSh pnoot th roo I'll m pe
a week, and afterwards every day,
there were good potatoes, -four and Other
staple articles Of food. Many of the
companies saved their extra foul
rations and such other rations as they
might save up over the regular issuance
and traded the same off in town with tho
bakers for baked bread or with othei
provision dealers for such things az
might suit their fancy. Sufficient Ice
was finally secured to keep the drink
ing water ~palatable, and after it was
boiled it was kept cool in barrels sunk
in the ground and loaded with ice. Tht
natural water had too much sulphur tt
drink raw as a regular thing or
account of the effect of the sulphur
upon the mems '%'innards."
Word was frequently heard from the
front, and the gallant performance o.
the two %squadrons that went over the
sea made the boys in Florida real
ize bitterly the fact that they wert
not in it; but they afterwards took com
fort in the remarks from their colone
that the men who remained behind were
Just as deserving as the men who wen
to the front, and one did no better thar
the other. Lieutenant Wientge spoke
in the highest terms of the regimenta
chaplain, Rev. Brown, an Episcopal
clergyman who exhibited the greatest
bravery under fire at the front, both
in showing that he could use a rifle and
in looking after the wounded.
The squadron, horses and all went
north by a special train, the cars going
clear through to Montauk Point. At
Jersey City, the local armorv was thrown
open to the men, while their horses were
herded in the stock yards at 40 cents
per day per head for four days. But
the stock company neglected the ami
mails so that Lieutenant Wientge hardly
knew his horses when he came to look
for them. The Jersey City people were
hospitality itself, and the lieutenant
once found himself called to dinner in
nine different directions. Then the cars
we're ferrIed on the big freight transfer
boats to south Brooklyn and switched
off onto the lines of the Long Island
road whence to the Point 1t was a short
run. Montauk Point, the lieutenant
says, proved a lovely place to stay, and
the sick men picked right up under the
change of climate. The grass was regular
range feed, and their fresh water lakes
were immense. The boys in fact lived
in clover at Moutauk, and had every
thing their hearts might wish for, with
milk and butter galore; In fact, milk
would soul for want of some m to
drink it. No, there is no kick coming
- 80 IT, AAon,nk Af~-