The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1898-08-26
eRIMINAL ooMMIssARIEs.
History Repeats ItssIf. Meade on Quarter
masters AID Com1nIssarfes IN the
Civil war. OaEht 70 BE shot
without F,euehf Of Crerzv


Without Benefits Of Clergy.
The foIloEing is from the Cannon
GERS story, pages 249-25O
They used 70 say that Meade was
SLOW and ali that sort Of thing, but
he certainly fed, clothed and paid his
troops better and more promptly than
any other commander the army Of the
Potomac ever had. The way he would
sometimes swhOOp-up' his quartermas-
ters and commissaries was a caution.
Ordinarily he was a somber, tsciturn
man, but on occasions particularly
when he had delinquent quartermas
ter, cOmmissary, or wagOnmaster to
deal with-his- profanity would be
something elaborate and artistic. One
day at the artillery brigade headquar-
ters he sent a message to the acting
chief in reply to a complaint that had
been made about mouldy hay or sprout-
ed oats in one Of the shipments Of
forage for the battery horses. The
messenger said that the general com
handing would be at the artillery bri-
grade headquarters in half an hour,
and would personally examine the de-
fective forage! Principally at the mo-
ment old Meade appeared. He had some
bales Of hay broken aud some sacks Of
oats cut open.
- Well said he, in a dry time like
this there can be no excuse for the de-
livery of forage in such q condition. It
may be well enough, colonel, for the
laws Of war to require the presidents
approval to shoot deserter from the
ranks! But, by -, think the com
handing general ought to have discre-
tionary power to hang quartermasteTs
without benefit of cIery!! Reship that
forage to City Point. I will have it
thrown into the river there as soon as
it is properly receipted for. And by
-, would throw the distributing
quartermaster in with it if 1 had the
power!F
about this time there were stories
current in the ranks that officers in the
quartermaster and commissary depart
ments high In rank had complained TO
Gen. Grant of Meade's severity OF Ian
guage toward them, and that Grant
had ceutured Meade-Or at least re-
quested him to be more formal and less
emphatic in his verbal communications
with his subOrdinates. 1 do not know
that these rumOrs were true; but I do
know that the troops had an idea that
old Meade kept his eye on the quarter
masters and cOmmissaries, and we all
heartily sympathized with him, for our
experience under other commanders
had taught Us to regard our officers Of
hesupply department esenemies more
to be dreaded than old Lee or Stone
wall JacksonIn
Among the first expedition to the
Philippines, on the transport, China
especially, there was complaint Of bad
treatment OF the soldiers boutrations.
Now comes a report Of similar treat
ment on the vessels Of the fourth ex-
petition. The following if from the
Denver Post of August DIST, and is as
follows:
HONOLULU, Aug. Ii, via San Francis
co, Aug. 21.-On three Of the vessels Of
the fourth expedition to Manila dissat-
isfaction and bitterness among the en-
listed men have been manifested. The
principal complaint is insufficient, bad
ly cooked and poorly served food, and
neglect Of officers to make provisions
for the comfort of the men
ION the transport Pennsylvania the
trouble over the food question was
largely remedied the second day out by
what was practically a mutiny among
the men. For two days the food was so
bad and so badly cooked the men we're
unable to eat it.
"a meeting Of enlisted men was held
and a statement of facts was drawn up
and presentedto Colonel Kessler Of the
First Montana, with the implied threat
that if there were no remedy there
would be a mutiny. The result was a
great improvement. The Pennsylvania
is terribly Overcrowded. She really
had Accommodations for about 800 men,
but I 800 came this far on her. Coal
passers on the Pennsylvania struck on
the way down because of bad food, and
until the matter was remedied the sol
diers did the strikers work.
"COl. Ressler of the First Montana
is charged with responsibility for the
bad conditions on the Pennsylvania.
The City Of Puebla came into port in e
horribly dirty condition. There were
several cases Of measles on board, and
q men were taken to the quarantine
station. They are three months in ar
rears in pay and much complaint is
made. The Puebla was also badly
crowded Official inspection resulted
IN a finding chat she was too filthy to
proceed. All the men were ordered of
and the vessel was thoroughly cleaned.
''.Fhe troops on the St Paul are bound
for Manila and they left for the Philip
pines. The meat supply OF the ship
was condemned BY the Honolulu health
officers and taken of and burned. It
Is claimed that the meat vss unfit for