The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-30

A detachment of eight rough riders
returned to their Utah homes yester-
day, me boys having left Jacksonville
Monday morning. Those in the party
were:
Albert F. Oakason, Salt Lake.
Joseph F. Skinner, Salt Lake.
Lorenzo Bohn, Salt Lake.
William H. Letter, Springville.
Fred S. Dart, Spanish Fork.
Uri Stewart, jr., Springville.
Edgar c. -McCarty, Monroe.
John B. Wilson, Salt Lake.
The troopers were hale and hearty
with he exception of Mr.. Letter, who
was taken seriously i'll with malarial
fever at Chattanooga and who returned
to his home in Springville in a most
critical condition. He was confined to
his berth from the time he left Denver
and received the most careful atten-
ton at the hands of his gallant COM
rades.
Troop I is scattered throughout the
east at present. Each man had enough
money from the distribution of the
canteen profits and his remuneration
from the government when mustered
N0tB W AAASulC It'll d Stdy III
the east and a great many have gone
sightseeing. New York. Chicago and
Cincinnati were the points of destina-
ton of some upon being mustered out
of service, while few are still in Jack
sonville.
The high climate of Colorado and
Utah had it's effect upon the boys after
leaving the Florida country, some find
ing it difficult to breathe and almost
mn 70 hi I
Farrier Oakason, one who returned
yesterday, was seen at his comfortable
home on First South. Speaking of troop
I, and the general affairs of the en-
he said: TT was a great
for ali of us, though we
didn't get mixed up in the fight And
right there is the cause of the great
The troop was made up of
men just as healthy and strong as any
other and certainly was as we'll equipr
ped: There never would have been a
made if we had been put to
the front. I don't know whose fault
1t was, but this fact alone was at the
bottom of the kick.
You see, we We're mustered in at
Fort Russell with John Q. Cannon cap
tain. He was an idol with the boys
everybody liked him. When he was pro-
noted to the lieutenant colenelcy and
u.
There have been many kicks made
against Captain Young. but so far as 1
am concerned, think he was all right
and did what he could for the boys.
they are not all like myself, though
A number of the troop have some hard
5rudgeS against him. but / cannot say
Why. | think there was very little par
iality shown on the part of the Off
,ers.
lere we ran short Of grub. We had
lard-tack. some potatoes. pork and
beams and once in a while we tasted
neat Some Of the complaints, think,
we're exaggerated. Lieutenant Burt, /
lpon taking command. worked hard
md did all he could for US. We had |
rery satisfactory rations while he was |
n command It's true that at times |
We had tough living, but what's the use
Il kicking? We expected to leave jack /
onville within ten days for the front. |
tut as time went on and no orders came |
he disappointment was more keenly |
cit and a growing spirit of discomfort |
became manifest.
1.-THE camp. Cuba Libre. was all right |
or month or so. but when the hot /
weather. came on the men began to get /
ick. Nearly every man in camp went |
through the siege. l was lucky enough |
o escape and put in my time nursing
he boys in the hospital. There was lots
f timber around the camp and the soil
'as sandy; altogether. it was a good
lace until hot weather came. The
orses We're afflicted with CHAMBERS and
ouldn't be moved or we might have
sft the place before We did. AS time
rent on the conditions grew more seri-
us. Drill had to be dispensed with
nd finally there were only so Of US to
ttend about 20 horses, do guard duty
nd all other routine work 1t was
ard for us. but the nome commissioned
Ulcers all came in for the same duty
s the privates and we held it down.
n my position CARRIER 1 had charge
the horses and towards the last. used
} take from six to eight sick horses a
ay to the veterinary.
Under t:,=se conditions, of course,
very one was glad TO be discharged,
ut if the war had continued the riders
'ould surely have stayed with it,
Mr.. Oakason describes a very happy
me when word was received that the
lustering out was to take place.
Every man got out his six-shoOter,"
e says, but was ordered to put it up
gain without using it. We had a
reat time, though, built big bonfire
nd every man having recovered his
pirits. had good long tale to tell"
L lie DOyS Hdu many ways OF passing
way the time when all was we'll at !
uba Libre, but the most amusing was 1
lie kangaroo court" An offense con-
sted of any breach of the rules and
equations. or in trying TO avoid rou-
ne work. and the punishment consist
/ in from three to five somersaults out d.
a blanket and into the air from ten j
} fifteen feet. Judge Frank Jardine
as. as rule, quite lenient with Of !
.nders.
The troopers were treated royalty by ,
le Red Cross all along the route, par
cularly at Chicago and Denver
a fact over which a number of the
Oys are prone to complain is that they !
ere furnished transportation only as
IT as Cheyenne, and had to pay their
vn fare from there on to Salt Lake.
Lieutenants Burt and Hooper are
lpected home within the next few
avs. Archie Mckay is in the hospital
New York, While Earl 3. Allen of
rovo is seriously i'll in ST Louis. 9th !
s of the troopers are expected every
Nv.