The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-30
OLD RIFLES GIVEN THEM.
South Dakota Volunteers Complain of
the Departments Blunder.

Sioux Falls, S. D., June 30.-The peO-
pie of Sioux Falls and of South Dakota
feel that no state of the union has suf-
fered more than this one on account
of the laundering of the war department
in the matter of insufficient arming Of
the volunteer regiments, and as letters
from the South Dakota privates come
from Manila and are published in the
newspapers of the state telling of many
matters that have otherwise been kept
from the public, there is an increasing
demand for a. thorough investigation.
The friends of the volunteer privates
are going to demand that somebody
be held responsible for sending the boys
against the Fihpinos poorly equipped
with old Springfield rifles when they
might as well have had good weapons.
The loss to the regiment has been heavy
and it is well known that nearly all the
losses in battle occurred while the reg1-
ment was so far away from the enemy
that no corresponding loss could be in
fficted on the insurgents. A great num-
Der of the officers fell in battle and
there is no doubt in the minds of their
friends that they were victims of the
discrepancy between the weapons of the
opposing armies. If a military 1nVeStl-
cation can not be held it is the intention
of the friends of the regiment to ask
for an investigation through congress.
What makes it all the more aggravat-
ing to South Dakota people is the fact
that when the First South Dakota reg1-
ment was being organized in Sioux
Falls a year ago officers of the regiment
Senator Pettigrew against being armed
with Springfield rifles, and Senator Pet
tfgrew went to Washington and made
formal protest, in accordance Herewith,
at the war department. He had
stormy meeting with the late General
FlagIer and afterward laid the matter
before those higher in authority.
In view of the fact that it was not
expected there would be any fighting in
the Philippines the regiment was given
Springfield guns of an old pattern
When hOstiities commenced last winter
Senator Pettgrew brought up the mat
ter in congress and the war department
insisted that the volunteers were not
competent to handle the modern guns.
Some time ago, in an interview, the
senator strongly denounced the war de-
partment for permitting the South Da-
kota volunteers to go on the firing line
armed with the Springfield rifles, while
the Filipinos have the Mausers. The
regulars who were in the Philippines
were kept on garrison duty with the
Krag-Jorgensen rifles. This interview
called forth a letter to Congressman
Gam BILE from Adjutant General Corbin
in which he undertakes to convince
South Dakota people that their regi-
ment was better off with Springfields
than with modern weapons.
In this letter, widely published in the
local imperiaIist press, the adjutant
| general referred to the Springfelds as
| having IAN effective range OF 5000
yards and added:
men armed with the Mauser or the
| Krag -Jorgensen have, in action, no adj
vantage over those armed with the
| Springfield
| Further he said in reference to the
use of the Springfelds: 1.-The secretary
| (AlgeD desires me to add that while
| all expert shots among the volunteers
| in the Philippine islands have the Krag
| for 1ong-range firing, General Otis has
| cabled that they prefer the Springfield
| for the medium range and that they
| also prefer black powder to smokeless,
| for the reason that there having been
| some casualties owing to the bursting
| of guns using smokeless powder they
/ are afraid of it,
| This effort on the part of the admin
| istration to defend itself from the COM
| plants of the volunteers on account of
| inferior guns does not allay the irrita-
| ton caused by the great loss manifestly
| caused by the inferior weapons of the
| volunteers. The South Dakota regiment
| received in April last enough of the
/ regulation guns to have twenty-five to
| company. The men, contrary to Otis
! assurances. seem pleased to get the
| guns.