The Portland daily press., 1898-07-08
FOLLOWERS OF THE ARMY IN WAR.
Men and Women Who Make a Living Off
the Soldiers.
(From the Providence Journal.)

army suffers are dlscuuntenanced by the
new regulations, and thus a very pictur-
esque class Of camp followers will be
absent from the encampments of our
soldiers iduring the present war. The
official commissary department will try
to replace those useful adJunots Of former
campaigns by suitably equipped and au-
thorized shops, which, accompanying the
troops on their travels, will supply all
such things as the old-time sutler was
accustomed to deal in. These will include
various Injuries, such as canned fruits
and vegetables, sugar cured hams, sar-
dimes, condensed milk, butter, cheese,
ginger, candy, etc. Soldiers are mostly
very fond of candy, and complaints have
been made recently because many Of the
brave boys at Chiokamauga and other
camps were relegated to the hospital In
consequences of excessive consumption of
young women.
In former days half dozen women
were regularly attached as laundresses to
each company of United States troops.
AS rule, they were the wives of enlisted
men or non commissioned officers, and
nearly always they were very worthy per-
sons. Some Of them followed the regi-
ments for as much as 40 years, and they
were officially recognized as belonging
to the military organizations. One ration
in other words, the food allowance of
a soldier-was allowed to each of them,
and every enlisted man paid Eat a given
rate for their services as washerwomau.
In war time they did splendid work as
nurses, and the quarters occupied by them
at each army post usually went under the
name of Soapsuds row. Eight years ago.
however, the war department made an
effort to dispense. with them, and their
rations were taken away. Consequently,
ing the present campaign, and the soldier
boys will have to wash their own clothes.
1t Is an interesting fact that in num-
Der Of instances the sons of these army
laundresses were educated and sent to the
military academy at West Point, holding
! at this day commissions as officers. For
obvious reasons 1t is not desirable to men.
ton names in this connection, but q nota-
BILE case In point is that of well known
Point by the wife of Gen. Graham. He
| failed to pass because of an imperfeotion
| in his grammar, but Gen. Sheridan took
great interest in him, and the upshot
| of the matter " as that he was appointed
| from civil life as I'd lieutenant year
before the class in which he tried to enter
was graz uated. His father was nom
commissioned officer and his mother was
q regimental laundress.
Women as naturally flock to the neigh
borhood of military camp as crows to
a cornield. Wherever our troops settle
down for even SO short time as day or
two, theresswill be plenty of volunteer
| laundresses. In Cuba the native women
will be only too glad to do washing for
the soldiers, for the sake of making few
pennies. While on the march, however,
the men will have to wash for them
selves, while the officers will employ their
servants, who are most commonly
negroes. Officers servants and mess at
PENDANTS constitute quite large class Of
| camp followers, and ordinarily there are
| good many people who struggle along in
the wake of an army looking for employ
ment Under thesregulation, an officer is
not permitted to Compel an enlisted man
! to do any sort Of mental toll, such as
| cooking or washing. AT the same time
the enlisted man is at liberty to accept
| pay for such work from an officer.
place of the old-time suffers store. Ottio.
ers and men together subscribe the money
required for the establishment of the can
teen, to pay for the stock in trade, ETC.,
and after a reasonable percentage on the
investment has been paid back to them.
the balance of the profit goes to the SOL
diers. The profits, chiefly derived from
the sale # beer, are very large, and they
are applied to the improvement Of the
condition Of the men, paying for various
luXufies which make a welcome addition
to their messes. Thus. fol example, ssthey
are enabled to have on their tables butter
and milk, which are not furn ished by the
commissary. After while the original
debt for the canteen is paid off, and then
the enlisted men run it for themselves.
1t is natural that the war department.
should wish to doaway with the extortions
which inevitably accompany the ssutler
system. Hence the pew departure, which
contempates the furnishing of the soldiers
through The canteens with everything that
| the suffers used to sell. At the same time
| the sale of distilled liquors is rtgidly pro-
hibited, on grounds that seem rational
enough. The only drawback about this
prohibit Is that men deprived OF whis-
| key by official order will always try to
get it by und srhand means The conse-
| quence is that the most abominable sort
| Of stuff is struggled into the camps, and
retired army officer was telling the writer
yesterday about the trouble he had at an
army post in the far West, when the sale
of whiskey within the post limits was
| forbidden by an order from the war de-
| partment The soldiers used to sneak
away at night to certain questionable es-
! Establishments that were set up in the
| neighborhood, called in military parlance
| hog ranches, and many of them were con-
stantly unfit tor duty. The officer quoted,
on his own responsibility, directed the
post trader TO get q quantity of good
| whiskey and sell it to the men at reas-
enable price, the only restriction being
that 40 soldier should be permitted to
get drunk. The result was that nobody
did get drunk, and the hog ranches
quickly went out of business.
In the neighborhood of settled military
camp there are always INSCRIPTIONS per-
sons who sell the rottenest kind Of whis-
key by the canteen, bottle or jug. There
Is 10 law to reach them, aud II caught
they suffer no penalty beyond the conts-
cation of their STOCK in trade and perhaps
brief imprisonment in the guard house.
Worse than these are camp followers OF
another kind, who prey upon the soldiers.
They are professional amblers-short-
card men, provided with marked cards
| and snu,ati ,nea with email fnro Law outs