Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1899-08-10
LETTER FROM LIEUT.. DAY
Evidently He's a Pretty Busy
Man.

/ Au8u y, IL do lOliOhc-
My DEAR CAvTAIN: l am very
sorry l did not see you before l
left, but my orders were impera-
tive and l had TO report at once,
You know promptness is the first
requisite of a good soldier, and
even now | find it has paid to be
punctual.
Three weeks ago this morning l
reported and was at once put in
charge of the quartermaster's de-
partment, where l have had good
opportunity to meet all the officers
as they arrived and gain their good
will. Also to properly equip the
company (E) to which / am as
signed out of the very best Uncle
Sam can offer. l had hard work
for about a week, but everything is
in excellent running order now,
and my temporary staff are learn
ing their work. Just now the office
am running is the busiest place
this side of Broadway, New York.
Everything from a pair of white
gloves to thirty pounds of hay per
man, and from a pair of socks too
small to a tent pole too long, are
under my supervision. l must see
that each man draws his allowance
of half cord of wood or fraction
thereof for a fraction of a month;
two ounces of oil per night per
man, and from one twenty-tifth of
an once of pepper to a twelfth Of
a pound of candles each day. They
all come to me and l sit serenely
behind a huge desk and give out
orders to about a dozen orderlies
whe run their legs off with COM
pliments to this officer and a roast
to that sergeant. l bear all the
marks of a bloated aristocrat and
must be obeyed. The only time |
feel in the least humiliated is when
l must write fourteen pages of ex-
plantations and as many kilograms
to the quartermaster general to al
low the regiment one nail puller
to opon the huge boxes and a
truck to haul them on, or when /
have to beg the wagon master to
let me have two wagons to haul
two cars of commissary supplies,
100 hundred cords of wood, twenty
tons of hay and $4,000 pounds of
ordnance that must be distributed
in four hours.
l am enjoying the whole thing
hugely and am keeping up with
the enlistments. | have ten men
in my clothing department out-
fitting recruits ia the gaTb of Uncle
Samuel, ten in the ordnance room
putting up arms, ten in the COM
missary store house issuing the
feed and ten hauling wood and
hav; then l have four drivers and
FIVE clerks on the outside. | also
have the post of officer of the pro-
vost officer, and as such take
charge of the old guard each day
and put them through. Col. Howe
says l have such an aptitude for
getting work done Of l have men
enough) that next week l can start
a regimental canteen, and | 60 to
Denver this evening TO that end.
1t may seem that am about all Of
it Just now, but I'm not. l don't
hold the piece OF regimental CON-
mander; and then there is Signal
Officer Dame; also adjutant and
battalion adjutant. l do hold the
majority of the places, but as there
are few officers here, and most OF
them need drilling, they have con-
solidated the office work to one
man as near as possible, and l am
the unfortunate man who is well
enough drilled to catch it.
My regards to all the home folks,
to yourself and Mrs. White. !
would be pleased TO hear from you
as often as circumstances will per-
NIT. With best regards, l am,
Yours sincerely,