Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1898-09-23
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. worse-at Chick.

0nauga. |
Elk Congressman John Lind, quarter
master of the twelfth Minnesota in.
fantry, which was stationed at Chicka. |
manga, reiterates the charges made of !
Encouragement in caring for the
soldiers and makes it plain that q
thorough investigation is needed and
none too soon. In u recent in
terview Nh. Lind says:
"The staff departments, quarter
deal 10 answer for" he began. aThe
public thinks the management ut
Santiago was bad, but 1T was equally
bad at Chickamauga, only it was not
SO serious, since the boys at Chicka-
manga we're not in the face OF the
enemy. It is my opinion that, had the
war lasted three months longer, the
army would have been thoroughly dis
organized and the men completely dis
heartened, owing to the behavior Of
these general officers. The American
soldier is as brave as any soldier in the
world and is willing to fight, but he
should be clothed and fed like a white
man, and his ordinary everyday wants
should be looked after. Tho govern.
mont, and the people ut large intend that
he shall be we'll cared for, but some
where there has been n serious mis-
carriage Of plans.
"Ill speak first a word about the
%provender for the horses. We
got full weight. A bale Of hay said to
weigh lOO pounds never weighed mere
than 70; a package of oats billed at 1GO
pounds nev went above 40; and this
was the way with everything we bought
for the horses and mules. I spent
hours every day protesting against
this thing, but it did no good. Tho
trouble was with the general staff, and
the regimental officers could not reach
it or remedy it.
without giving o number of illus
trations to prove my point, I will give
one, and say that 1T shows pretty ac-
curately the general condition at
lChickamauga park. Three days before
the Twelfth left Camp Ramsey orders
/ were given Gotzian & Co., of st. Paul,
for new shoes for the men. It was a
rush order and was got out on time.
The men of the Twelfth who went out
with the regiment OH May l6 arc still
wearing those shoes, and in many cases
they are good for a number of months
to come. The recruits for the Twelfth.
afterwards enlisted to fill our quota.
were equipped after they reached the
park. Orders were placed for the same
grade of shoes which we bought in st.
Paul, and this Is tho grade for which
the government will pay. The shoes
delivered, however, were not worth
putting on. In some instances they
did not last two days. The moment
they were wet they fell to pieces.
Many of the recruits referred to have
had three and four pairs of shoes each
to b one pair furnished the boys in
st. Paul. While Colonel Bobleter was
in charge of one of tho divisions he in
spected a New Hampshire regiment,
whose shoes, after u wear of only two
days, wore falling in pieces. Some of
the boxes of shoes which came to us
and were opened by myself, contained
half a dozen different shapes each. In
the same box were razor toes, broad
toes, medium toes, round toes, coin
toes, bulldogs. Somebody has sold
the government a job lot Of worthless
stock Mt fancy prices and the soldier
boys were standing the brunt of it all.
"The was didn't close a day too soon
for the honor Of the nation. Such
treatment as l have spoken of kills the
enthusiasm of the volunteer soldier
and puts out the fire of pat riotism
that should burnbrightly in his heart