The times., 1901-05-05

4 It's long way, quickly travelled fror
the recruiting rendezvous to the saddle i
a cavalry regiment of the America
Army. Proud is the ''yelow-leg VIII
> gets permission to ride through CARR
son town on a strong-limbed young horse
| but he has worked TO reach that goa
The recruit works, the non-commissione
officer works, and the colonel is glad t
stay in his quarters after dinner, when
new cavalry regiment is building.
About thirty-five years ago the Gov
ernment organized the last of its regula
cavalry regiments up to this year. o
course, there We're several Rough Rid
ers regiments formed in the Spanisl
war but they could not be termed cav
airy as the regulars use the word, 70
they were with horses only short time
Then there was the Eleventh Noluntee
! Cavalry, organized in the Philippines. bu
that body was made up of men who ha,
been in the service, is nov out Of eX
istence and its number has been giveI
to a regular regiment, forming at For
Myer. near Washington. The Army bill
passed by the last Congress authorized
five new cavalry regiments. and of thes,
one, the Fourteenth. is organizing at For
Leavenworth
lighter in weight and appear to bt
younger than those usually found in ar
infantry regiment. In one batch arriv-
ing at post may be men enlisted ir
| Rhode Island, Virginia. and Michigan
Many of them may never have touched
a saddle and their love for the cavalry
possibly may have been cultivated largely
! by fine war pictures After a recruit has
| been sworn in for service, he is a marked
| man as far as the War Department is
! concerned. Every scar or blemish on his
| body is placed on an outline map of him
] self and this is filed in Washington. AS
! long as he behaves properly, he need not
| concern himself about the map, but should
he ever get into trouble and again come
! within the reach of the War Department,
| he need not attempt to conceal his iden-
tity. Less than week will bring his old
name and record from Washington and
| that without the asking.
The recruit reaches the post in citi-
l,Zen clothes and, according to directions,
reports at headquarters. A moment or
two and non-commissioned officer is
leading him to the hospital, where he
undergoeS another examination and then
he is hustled to a barrack and finds that
he is Smith, a. B., private, No. g. ''X''
Troop, Fourteenth United States Cavalry
His number is marked on all the euuiD-
ment issued to him.
Here is your bed and here is the bath
tub. a man in blue tells him Take this
underwear and uniform with you and
turn in your old clothes" When Smith.
or No. Ga, X, returns to the barrack room
he finds a nice collection of underwear
uniforms, shoes, etc, awaiting him, and
with them a clothing schedule on which
clothing allowance. He is also told he
may have one pound of tobacco, clothes
brush, soap, towels, etc.
Now he is ready to begin the life of O
soldier, and at his next step ne generally
decides how pleasant or profitable his
army experience Will be. In every Regu-
lar Army organization there are two
kinds OF soidiers-the good and the bad
While the bad may be largely outnum-
bered, still they are there. If the rocky"
turns to the bad end of his troop he is
nearly sure of a bad record and an early
visit to the guardhouse or worse. If he
goes to the earnest, working contingent,
he stands a chance for advancement to
which there is no limit. In the American
Army the enlisted man is encouraged TO
work for a commission.
That night trumpet call puts out
Smiths light and sends him to bed. AT
O'Clock next morning another trumpet
jerks him onto his feet and in twenty
minutes he must have dressed, answered
roll call, and have started on the march
7e0 or 500 men maybe served at once.
Coffee comes in soup bowls, and hungry
men in flannel shirts don't give much
time TO table etiquette when they know
The cooks are soldiers, ali detailed for
the duty from the several troops. In an
other hour Smith, yesterday in civilians
clothes, is doing fatigue duty; that is
he is getting things in shipshape in and
about his barrack. Next he is out on the
green parade ground forming squad
with ten or twelve other rockies,
non-commissioned officer teaching them
how to walk. If the regiment is wholly
new and "non-coms' are scarce the most
likely man in the squad. one who has had
And then it's drill, and when there's no
drill it's something else-enough to keep
the new man out of trouble. In learning
to walk the new man Smith is put
muscles are stretched and then hardened.
His waist line is to be changed and his
chest IS TO lose its fiatness. he is taught
to salute, and learns what is expected
Of a soldier.
During the first week he has no use for
a carbine or saber, except in the bar
racks, where he is taught the names of
the parts of the carbine, and how to clean |
and care for the arm. In the second week |
he is given a carbine at drill and he finds |
more new muscles in his arms and should |
may appear on his hands. but all is for |
gotten in the wild appetite that has de- |
veloped, and Smith Of * Troop occa- !
siOnaliy catches himself thinking of the |
mess hall when ne should be learning the |
exact position of the third finger OF the |
right hand at the command Garry |
Arms It's drill in the morning and drill |
In the afternoon with intervals sufficient |
to prevent tagging of interest, Should |
Smith carry himself well, Keep his equip |
ment in conspicuously good order, he !
will find himself rewarded with an APP
pointment as orderly TO the colonel; and |
that Is about the only way he can earn a |
tWenty-f0ur hour leave in the days of |
day as orderly be
gets leave TO go TO the city. win good
fortune this distinction may come In the
second week
,ound his chum or "bunky,' and feels at
nome in the groups that form about the
quarters after sunset, when the trumpet
srs sound the beautiful retreat call,
which has nothing to do with retreat,
out marks the ceremony Of saluting the
stars and Stripes as they float down the
great garrison flagstaff for the night. If
here is band in the post it plays The
Star Spangled Banner" The men are
ined up in front Of their quarters, and all
iuty for the day. Every troop has its
and there is an amusement
lall, where the men gather and sing or
play. Here, also, they may give dances. |
The third week brings more setting-up
exercises, and, the commanders orders
say, 'seluting and military department, |
and courtesies." He advances |
mother step with the carbine and is
ralned in firing discipline and aiming and |
lighting. The fourth week finds him an
with a yellow cord his |
stead of a rife, for he has probably had |
nothing to do with horse, saddle, nor |
iaber Just as he is growing weary OF |
he everlasting setting-up work and the
little sawed-of carbine, with its wondrous
lights, he takes in hand the beautiful cav
dry saber, or, as the old men call il, the
lattleaXe. Daily the squad, which may |
low have grown to d troop stands on the |
,arade and cleaVes the air with the heavy |
blades, every swing and thrust according |
o the direction OF an officer who seems |