The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-28


Criticised by the Men.
The following letter has been receiv-
ed in St Paul:
Chickemauga Park, Ga, Aug. IS, 2'9S.-There
is trouble brewing here in camp. 1t came
about when the fact became known that Col
Van Duzee sent a telegram to Washington
requesting that the Fourteenth be sent TO
do garrison duty, and stating that the men
We're all anxious to go. The boys were in
dignant when 1t became known. and they got
up petitions, signed by nearly every member
TO send them to Gov. CIough, but the officers
got wind of it, and the captains of each COM
pany took their men out into the woods and
read the articles of war to them and de-
manded that the petitions be handed over to
them. and allowed no one to sign them under
penalty of being court-martiaIed for mutiny
One man of Company G. OF Duluth, they
picked out a rngieader and put him into
the guard house. HIS name Is Henry Harris
and he teiegraphed for his father; who. by
the way. has quite a little political In
nuence. When he comes there will be
trouble. Most of the boys OF company -
have signed the petition, amongst them my
SELL The petition was merely wish ex-
pressed in writing, asking Gov. Clough to
use his influence in having us mustered out
1t did not cast any reflection or discredit, nor
anything pertaining to it. on any Of the
officers. and don't see why they would not
allow US to send it. The whole regiment is
now disgruntled mob. and they are crlti-
freely They are trying to suppress them
and keep the matter quiet. but l am going
TO write and let the Minnesota people know
what they are doing with us boys down here
l don't believe. you could find twenty-five
IN the whole regiment that would want to
DO garrison duty. They are making loud
demonstrations that they did not enlist to
do garrison duty, but they enlisted to fight
ana as am writing l can hear remarks be-
ing made to the effect that when we had
a chance to go to the front, Col. Van Duzee
nti ha
too late and then he did 1t only as a matter
OF form to make the boys believe that he
tried to go: But row when thsre are 10
bullets to face he wants to go. He don't
want to lose his nice, big. fat salary Of So GOO
year, even If he does have to go to the
extreme limit and volunteer the Fourteenth
without even asking the men whether they
would Ike to 60 and then stating in his
telegram that the men are anxious to go.
Ihese and other stronger remarks Col. Van
Duzee has heard, being made so that he could
plainly hear them, can be heard on all
sides now. l. for my part, think it's
shame shame and an awful big shame for Col. Van
should not be so loud in their demonstrations
put then, taking into consideration how
they feel about it, a person can hardly blame
;, There are also rumors afoat, from a re-
liable source, that the officers were threatened
that II they allowed their men to s.gn the
peutlons, they would lose their commissions
The boys. were adj right and even put up
with Partially being shown in the different
companies. but now since this turned nm
rney are expressing themselves a little too
pIalnly, l think. One certain private even
Went to work and put piece in the Chat
II1anoosa Times. copy OF which 1 enclose
livery word OF 1t is the honest truth. It
pictures the condition of affairs in this Camn
as true as life and 1t can be proven by every
private IN this regiment. The colonel is
trylng to find out now who put that piece
IN the paper. You cannot picture the state
d s. 'N,' al 'ieie
There was a large parade last Wednesday
ana they had US out from $50 in the morn,
Ing until II at noon. in the hot sun. waiting
10 get in line to pass in review, and the
act OIL marching US out at $50 In tie morn
ing ana letting US stand in the sun for Fl Va
4oufs was unjust and entirely uncalled for.
think is was pure meanness on the mart
VI Goi; Johnson. who commanded the regi-
heinz mat nro cay. good one,third OF the men
oe!hg Frustrated from the heat, had to fall
out 1t was an act which, to my mind can
not De two severely criticised.
eat am f fbs getting enough
humanity left IN them not to let us starye
aIthough 1t is not what it might be at that
70 an am good good and sick of this and am longing
70 get nome again. If We were going to the
front | would not say a word, bus as it is
= 20 hot want to do garrison duty. That is
to ot te Th we enlisted for There is no news
= ~ tuie neshier. or rather regaining the
p; s,-We got orders this morning to be
probably move this week. I intended ~ NJ
S Semu you piece l saw in the paper this
morning mo- ing about Harris. and the trouble here
u some one took the PAPER and | can nor
The di Their one for love or money. A0'
time b, Glowing is the communication to tba
,,,a,,,ba Iooga Times: 'D'
necessity comDeJIed pros,dox. ~,
payiA, ey to ask the youth of the ITnited S.o.e-
20 volunteer their lives and services in do
1en:e OF our national honor there was mncb
c[Iei i as to his proposed method of Or
poilcy suggested that home COMPANIES shouJd
De otncered by home men, in contradist;rc-
tlon to the presidents plan to have the vol
By regular army officers
me spectacle OF two hundred thousand
fairly well drilled men In the field scarca
t I'M Gays after the call was made shows
heart; but the lesson learned by This eyneri
ence causes many to doubt whether the samo
men would respond a second time should a
SIN necessity arise. By this the patriot
ism of the volunteer army is not STONED
rather it is that very patriotic spirit which
prompts the doubt
And. while Uncle Sam has every reason
boys in springing to the front. It NAV mt
De out OF place to recite a few facts in CON
necton with the mastering in of SO large a
1orce. So much has been sad and W. ftten
on tne ability of the army to cope with any
difficulty, that the disease known as caput
magnum seems to be spreading In certa n
localities. while the men to whom all the
credit is due meet with very scant NEED
of praise.
When the farmer left his plow and tn :,
mechanic his bench to go to the front, they
chose men from their own ranks to lead
them on to victory; but army life sfems tn
be so fascinating to those in whom the CON
hdence of their peers had been placed that
the common soldier is becoming more and
more disgusted with his lot. Thank esd,
and to the honor of our citizen soIdierv. he
1t said, this affectation is not generaIHbut
the way some men strut In peacock epau' cts
shows the fallacy of sentiment and policy
army.
Obedience to authority is the basic prin-
ciple of the soldiers life but abuse of au-
thority can soon turn an army of patriots
Into disgruntled mob-and this con-
ceited abuse Of fraternal confidence is the
sole cause of whatever discomfort exis.s in
the volunteer army today; yet, however sad
to relate, this abuse extends further than
the majority of people On the outside would
care to belieye-and where regular army Of
hcers are in control the men, are mere con-
tented than those under officers Of their own
cho;ce The discomfort springs from the
imitation rather than the following of regu-
lar army methods, and the imitation is much
IN Keeping with that OF the monkey to the
man.
The case in point touches particularly on
the detailing OF men as orderiies and for
fatigue duty in the regular service So
captivating was the idea of authority over
men that many OF the mushroom sUtocrats
in army life consider The enlisted men un-
der them as naught else than their pe rsonal
body guard or fiunkeys, and the do this OF
lations warrant: the number of men ode
tailed" as servants to captains and Iieuten-
ants is so great that a double amount of
regular company work falls to The lot of the
man who is doing what the government in
tended the recruit should do-namely. a
him self for the field and furthermore priv
ileges are more readily granted the fiunkays
or 'dog robbers" as the regular terms them