The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-05-03
Mexican War Rations.

I see great deal said in the news
papers about bad beef. The witnesses
who appear before the investigating
committee testify that the most Of the
beef the soldiers get since the COM
mencement Of the Spanish war has
been bad. You can not do anything
with bad beef but give it to soldiers.
Everybody will take a little good beef
at any time and pay for it too. If /
understand anything about the army
regulations in regard to supplying the
soldiers with rations it is that the
ranking commissary buys everything
in bulk from producers. A soldiers S
ration is laid down by the army regu-
lation and he cannot get any more
than that, but often less. The COM
missary makes his calculation how
much it will take to do 10000 or 100,
900 soldiers one month and buys it in
bulk. After it is bought all losses
come off the soldier. When / was a
soldier in 1871 we soldiers Of that day
did not have much confidence in man
kind, especially if there was much
temptation The rations being bought
in bulk it is turned over to division
commissaries, from them to regimen
tai commissaries and then to company
commissaries. They divide it out to
the soldiers. So you see that the bad
beef will be pretty sure to come down
to the private soldier with no loss.
The good beef is not so-sure to reach
him.
When | was soldier in Mexico We
had no bad beef, it was all good, but
sery scarce at times. AS I said, the
Mexican soldiers had no confidence in
mankind where there were any tempta-
tions. We verify believe that if there
had not been so many commissaries
Uncle Sans soldiers would get more
to eat. So there is no doubt that all
bab beef and damaged rations will
reach the soldier, while it is very
doubtful about the good rations reach
ing him.
am sure that Uncle Sam gives the
soldiers all he promises to give, but
there are too many middle men. We
soldiers always thought that every
man from head commissary to the pri-
vate soldier who was sent after the
company rations made commission.
or in other words, stole little. A
soldier that has soldiered long with
short rations and great temptations,
who will not steal or drink whiskey.
you may call him an honest man.
When had stolen money in my pocket
while stationed in Puebla, the S. C..
regiment had a bakery to bake the
bread for the regiment. Every morn
ing each company had to detail man
to GO to the bakery for the company.
Every morning the man that went for
the bread was accused Of selling the
bread. So one morning / was sent to
the bakery for bread and one man
from each company in the regiment.
The bakery gave us our bread and we
tied it up in cur blankets and put
them on our heads and went in the
street. The Mexicans were standing
thick on the pavement with quarter
Offering it for loaf. l saw the man
before me hand down loaf and get a
quarter. So I stood it as long as |
could, and then | handed down one
loaf and received quarter, then |
handed down another loaf and got a
quarter. That was all I would sell. l
had no money. and wanted some so
much that I could not stand the temp
tation that was offered me. When l
arrived at my company quarters aud
let down my blanket Of break, George
Curtis was orderly sergeant. He call
ed up the company and said to them,
shere is all Of your bread this morn
ing. I have been telling you bread
was stolen and now you can see for
yourselves that it has all come. |
said to myself; but would not let none
hear me, that there we're two loaves
that did not come. That was my first
stealing and 1 felt that it is no big
risk to steal, from the way the company
applauded me for honesty. But | got
tired Of hearing SO much said Of hon
esty while I knew that | had fifty
cents of stolen money in my pocket
ia. Thomas, inthe Chester Reporter.
Abe Long, son of Sheriff J. G.
Long, Of Union, shot himself last Fri
day evening. He had gone to his
room carrying several bundles. 1t is
supposed in putting these down his
"A caliber pistol dropped from his