The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-21


The men in the Fourteenth regiment
are in danger of being sent to Cuba
for garrison duty. 1t appears that at
a meeting of the officers recently a vote
was passed asking the war department
to send the regiment to Cuba, and the
request was forwarded to Washington
with statement that all the men in
the regiment were DESTROYS of such
duty.
When the men learned how their Of
ficers had acted, they rebelled, and de-
clared the officers had no authority to
express the sentiments Of the regiment
Oh that point. They declared they did
not want to go to Cuba now that the
war Is over, but they wanted to be mus
tered out Of the service and sent home.
:. Corporal Harris, Of Duluth, who was
active in securing signatures to a pc
tition to be allowed to return home, was
recently arrested and threatened with
court martial, but the matter has since
been settled. But the men feel that
they have not been treated right, and
they still protest against being sent to
Cuba.
The following letter states the case
eloquently for the men. 1t was receiv-
ed by The G b e yesterday:
To The St. Paul Globe:
Camp Thomas, Chickamauga, Aug. 49,
We are informed that there is a movement
on foot to shove us the Fourteenth regi-
menD off into garrison duty, and that our
sentiments CD have been given that we are
anxious to go at this time to Cuba or else
where to. do police duty for the remainder Of
our term go months).
To this we register one mighty kick. Our
sentiments or feelings have never been con-
suited, and no one has any right to express
our thoughts-even though we are privates-
without first knowing what they are. No
one can do this, and do the right thing. We
responded to the call by our president, never
once stopping to think OF the wages-or grub,
but through our patriotic spirit We were
ready to do battle for our country, and wers
anxious to see action, and If Necessary r. to
same spirit had made itself manifest
to secure our move to the front
at the time when we could have shown
to get US now on garrison duty, we could
have shown to the people of our great state
whether we are true patriots, or real tramps,
as we have been dubbed.
Some of US left positions In banks at good
salaries, others gave room at the counter for
others at three times the wages we are now
getting. Some gave up their law practice
mum. Many have left their farms in care
Of their wives and children, and their wheat
crop will this year be counted by the thou
| sand bushels And our love of country is
none the less than 1t was the day we vol
unteered our services to Uncle Sam. But we
DO insist that we be not sen.
of to DO garrison duty in times
some men who never before drew a salary
SO large and earned it SO easily.
Much dissatisfaction Is being manifested by
the citizen soldiers, privates. Petitions have
gone through the regiment and been signed by
nearly every man, unless 1T is few first
sergeants who think they have a chance to
whose stripes are wider than the space be-
tween his eyes. The petition merely states
the cause Of our enlistment gives the reasons
why we do not want to go into garrison and
and see that we are discharged when peace
is restored. This is termed by some Of our
were read along the line today and the sign
ers threatened with punishment and the in
stigators with court martial We still maiil-
tain that we have right to express our true
wish, as well as our commanders have to
express wish for US, without obtaining the
true desire Of our hearts.
We can, IN measure, forget our treat
ment here-the poor grub we eat, the half
rations we drew, the curses we received-but
when men undertake to give us dose that
is almost unbearabe we will surely hold
friends at home to aid us by their influence
and see that our just deserts are melted out
to us Private.
The men enlisted to fight. not to pa-
troll streets. They feel that the regulars
should be assigned to duty of that
kind. 1t Is evidently the ambition Of
some officers to go, to Cuba, whether
they have to fight or not.
The present trouble Is not the first
that the men Of the Fourteenth have
had with their superiors since they en-
listed. Ever since the regiment went
to Camp Ramsey the men have had
grievances of one kind or another
against the officers. More designations
have been recorded from that regi-
ment than from any other Minnesota
regiment. And since the men have
been at Chattanooga, the men have
made complaint after complaint on ac-
count of ill-treatment.
AS the writer of the letter says, many