The times., 1898-10-04
ALGERIsM STILL RAMPANT.
A Soldiers Statement Regarding
Present Abuse of Troops.

To the Editor Of The Times:
Since my return to Washington, I have
noticed many communications from sol
diers complaining of the treatment they
had been and were receiving at the hands
of their commanding officers. Few peo-
pie have any idea of the truth of these
complaints and of the enormity of the
offenses against which they are made.
Soldiers are still suffering the hardships
and privations which would be considered
an adequate punishment for some crimi-
nal offense.
AS a member of Battery E, Sixth
United States Artillery, let me, through
your paper, call the attention of the gen.
erous and noble-hearted people of this
city to the hardships and tyranny to
which we were subjected by our captain
while in camp at Tampa, and to recite
| few of our grievances since our return to
Washington.
To begin with, we were in camp on the
hot sands of Tampa for two months, and
one can scarcely credit or realize the
treatment we received during that time.
We had four hours drill every day, and
the time selected for il was the hottest,
when the thermometer registered be-
the effort and consequent discontinue in
cident to hauling around field pieces av
eraging 5000 pounds weight, and you
have a fair conception of what we en-
dured. We had about eighty-five horses
and the same number of mules with US,
but our captain thought the work too Sc
we're for them. We might have endured
this had we been properly fed, but such
was not the case.
Imagine a man breakfasting at a. m.
on two hardtacks, about one-third quart
OF an apology for coffee, an indescribable
dish made of scrap meat and putrid
canned corned beef, and then going out
in the broiling sun to work as before stat
ed Our dinner and supper were just as
bad and often worse. do not eXaggerate
when / say that while meals were in
course of preparation it was impossible
| to stand near the cook tent because OF
! the stencil arising from the meat. COM
plants availed nothing, as the officers
| threatened to coniiHe those heard com
| paining in the guardhouse.
| On our way home from Tampa our cap
] tain ordered the train stopped somewhere
| in the southern portion of South Caro-
| lima 1t was at o'clock p. m, dark and
/ heavy rain pouring steadily. Notwith-
! standing this we were forced to take
eighty-five horses out Of the train and
walk them around for two hours, fear
ing every minute that we would be un-
| able to protect ourselves from being
trampled to death This we endured
without complaint. feeling sure that bet
| ter treatment awaited us on our return to
| Washington.
Here we have suffered disappoint-
! ment Our treatment is lamentabiy poor,
our food scant and anything but good
| and though sick and weak we are com
PEELED to prork hard for ten hours each
day. Speaking of the food. it would seem
| that there was some dishonesty some
where, and that some one was pockeung
! the funds furnished by the Government
| for our provisions With the possible eX-
| ception of bread, we never get enough
food at any meal, and thing like sugar,
which is a regular ration, is never dealt
| out TO us.
We went TO war TO serve our country
| and that we have done 1t is needless To
say Why not. then. let the Government
at least show US some consideration, If
not an appreciation, for a duty faithfully
and Loyalty performed?
AN EDUCATED RANKER.