The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-04
HASN'T MINNESOTA A PULL
THAT WILL GET THE BOYS
AWAY FROM CHICKAMAUGA
Politics Is Now Said to BE nm EIe.
ment in the Selection of Troops
Cannot the North Star States
Congressman Get the Ear of
Secretary Algers Appeal From
the Boys.

The men of the Twelfth and Four
teenth regiments stationed at Camp
Thomas are becoming discouraged be-
cause they have not been assigned for
duty at the front, and they begin to
believe they never will have an oppor-
tunity to enter the field. The Twelfth
regiment is particularly disappointed,
1or that was the first regiment muster
ed into the United States service, and
the men feel that they had a right to
expect to be sent to the front as early
as any regiment at Chickamauga.
The conditions of camp life at Chick
amaugta are not the pleaSantest. The
Minnesota regiments seem to have been
assigned locations in particularly bad
places. There is a good deal of sick
ness in the camp, but no relief appears
at hand, and there is prospect that
the men will remain there until the
peace negotiations are settled, and then
they will be sent home.
To men who are anxious to take an
active part in the war the outlook is
very diScouraging, and the men have
written letters and petitions to sena-
tors and representatives begging them
to exert their influence with the presi-
dent and authorities in the war depart
ment to secure their detail to one of
the numerous expeditions to be sent to
Cuba or Porto Rico. They are not
particular as to their destination, so
long as they can get away from Camp
Thomas.
G l o b e yesterday Is a sample of the
many that have been sent by the Min
nesota men to government officials:
CAMP THOMAS, Aug. I've, the soldiers
of Minnesota, appeal to the fathers and prom
inent men of the state to have something done
for 70 he CT ppir pnh cfprod
into the United States service, and by all
appearances will be the last to go into action,
If we get even that far.
The boys of the Twelfth and Fourteenth
are completely Disguised at the way they have
been treated in the past two months. the
Twelfth especially. We are located in the
of mile to the malaria reeking Chickamau-
ga creek and right in an old slough. We
drilled up to short time ago about six hours
a day. but after the division review at Snoa-
grass the officers said the drill would be cut
down, but last week several days the hovs
were ordered to fall in In heavy marching or
der at 1:30 p. m. and drill till p. m. We do
not see that the drills have been shortened.
only changed around.
To say q few words about the smell of
the park. The soil Is a kind of yellow clay
and the rain just runs off, leaving on top
settling of decayed matter that is very I'M
healthy.
1t seems that the thoughts of the Mime
sofa people are wrapped up in the Thirteenth,
Fifteenth and ST. Paul capitol. Now these
are all right, but please think once or twice
OF us poor fellows in the South, where ma
laria is as frequent as a cold is up there.
So once more we ask of you to make an
effort to get us out of here at least to some
more healthy locality, and you will always
have the best wishes of the Twelfth and Four
teenth Minnesota regiments.
The belief has become general that
politics has something to do with the
retention of the Minnesota troops at
Camp Thomas. Minnesota's delega-
ton in congress is as strong and influ-
entail as that from any state, and it's
members, it is felt, should be able to
accomplish something for the men of
this state at the front. The Chicago
Tribune, which is a Republican paper,
yesterday published a Washington
dispatch which declared that politics
would govern the selection of troops
for the next Porto Rfcan expedition.
If this is correct Minnesota ought it
Is claimed, be strong enough to catch
and hold the eye of Secretary of War
Alger. Here is the Tribune's dis
patch:
Politics is responsible for the organization
of the provisional division under com
mand OF Maj Gen. Wade. 1t will go to
Porto Rico whether peace is declared or n t.
With the fifteen regiments of which the di-