The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-09
SOME MORE EVIDENCE IN
Gross Neglect of the War Depart
ment at Camp Thomas.
SICK ARE UNCARED FOR
Forced to Eat the Regular Army Rations
and Obliged to Sleep on Rotten
Straw A Letter From a
Butte Trooper.

Mrs. r A Burton, president of the
Soldiers Aid Society, is in receipt of a
letter from J.. C. Sullivan. quartermas-
Rough Riders now at C~hickamauga,
which. although evidently without any
intention of doing so, adds another mite
to the great mass of evidence the cir
cumstances of the war are piling up to
impeach the war department for in
competency. The letter tells of hard
ships and p~rivations the Butte boys of
troop L, Colonel Grigsby's regiment of
volunteer cavalry. are compelled 10 en-
dure, which a little efficiency would
remedy at a nominal expense, yet IL is
not done, and the boys are compelled to
sleep on rotten beds of straw. go some
times on short r~ations. and the sick, of
whom he says there are many. are al
lowed nothing but the regulation army
grub, which no sick man could possibly
eat. IL such conditions exist at Chick
amauga park, where there is every
facility for giving the soldiers good
food and for caring properly for the
sick, some idea can be had of what the
soldiers at Santiago have been called
upon TO endure, and the Butt boys,
even in their discomforts, can thank
their lucky star they were not included
in the Santiago expedition.
The letter contains other information
that will be of interest. Among other
things, is mention of the fact that the
Butte boys nav won distinction at tar
get practice and hold the banner posi-
ton of all the troops IF the regiment
for their shooting. Mr.. S~ullivan's let
ter to Mrs. Burton reads as follows:
Yours of the 10th inst. arrived a
day or two ago, having evidently been
delayed in transit.
Il don't know how the boys can ever
repay the indness of you society. The
relief will certainly be very welcome
just now and anything that you may
see fit to send will be thankfully re-
ceived and distributed by Captain Sti-
vers Of our troop.
He requests that any money that
you may send be sent by draft, in or
der that he can render strict account
of ii TO his men. / am pleased to an
nounce to our Butte friends that our
troop headed the regiment at the target
competition, and that your old friends,
Jack Lloyd and John Eamerson, made
the best score-23 out of a possible rs.
The range was 220 yards.
In the matter of the kind of relief
most needed, | can hardly satisfy YOU.
Our rations are scant and while most
of the food is good in quality. enough
of it is condemned to leave it short at
times. There is a great deal of ickness
in the troop and the sick ones cannot
eat out food, but the hospital service
is poor and seems to make no provision
for their food.
For this reason it might be best to
send part cash to the captain and let
him buy suitable foo for the invalids
The bedding is rotten straw and makes
fever prevalent. If we had ticks made
about 6x3 we could fill them with hay
and, l think, improve things consider
able. The Billings troop received such
ticks from home, and they say that
they are very useful. Our food is, of
course, rough, though l don't see how
that can be remedied from Butte. The
farmers here rob the volunteers"
The ladies of the Soldiers Aid are
much concerned over the conditions
prevailing in the troop and will make
an effort to relieve their situation, par
ticularly among the sick. They have
already sent money to Captain Stivers
and a meeting of the association viii
be held Wednesday at the @. A. r..
rooms in the Mantle & B"ielenberg
block, at which a full attendance of the
members is desired. An effort will be
made to provide the ticks referred to in
the letter and to do something toward
raising honey for the sick of the troop.
Mr.. S~ullivan's letter undoubtedly rep
resents the condition of the troop cor
rectly since there is nothing i'm the tone
of the author to indicate an inclination
to complain.
Following is the report of the score
tary of the Soldiers Aid for the quarter
ending July 31st:
Total receipts from entertain
ments and contributions. ... $40 60 |
Forwarded to San Francisco to
to Hospital Steward Paxson to
he used for Montana volun-
teers..... 49,. ........ ........ $50 90
Distributed among dependents of
soldiers....... ...... .......... 131 1S
Total disbursements by warrant 361 1S
Balance in treasury. .......... =. 1873 AZ
A portion of the balance has been
forwarded to troop L., at Chickamauga,
since the foregoing report was made.
BUSINESS is DILL.