The times., 1901-05-05


he was invariably referred to as she
and her though one of the most man
ly boys in the school. Another one
was christened Tommy because his
name was George, another Dennis
for no reason at all, unless it was that
he looked like a Frenchman-from
Cork
'One cadet evidently very mild
and gentle lad If he had followed his
natural bent was called Alpha Tough
because he was the brightest star in
the constellation of toughs He had
charge of the sections as officer OF the
day one morning as we were marching
to<recitations. As the sections came
tramping down the sidewalk, Alpha
noticed an old gentleman of very dis
tinSuished appearance, standing IN our
way. He bawled out in the most au-
tocratic and arrogant manner. with
wave Of the hand la Podsndp:
Hey, youi Get out OF the way OF
these sectionsr
Certainly, sir said the old man,
giving him a military salute and smtl-
ing all over his face as he stepped on
the grass and watched us fling by
DO you know who that was, Har-
ry? asked cadet of the reckless
youth few moments later.
No, and ! don't care was the
lordly reply.
Wen, that was Lieutenant General
LOngstreet, was the answer
Alpha was afterward known as the
only cadet who had ever ordered and
been obeyed by lieutenant general"
The part of the book which deals with
the war with Spain is largely made up of
stories which read rather like fiction, but
which, the author assures US, are fact.
Some of them are very good notably
How the First Pennsylvania Charged Up
San Juan Hill" The title of this is slight
ly misleading, as the hero, one private of
the regiment in question, charged up San
Juan Hill with some struggling men of
a IT.
reputation-cairn of which regiment Mr..
Brady adds a few large stones. But there
are some chapters devoted purely to de-
scription of the conditions which obtained
in the volunteer camps, and the author
has some rather interesting if not wholly
new testimony to offer in regard to Chick
amauga Among other things he says:
when the regiment first reached
Chickamauga the men were in good
health and in good spirits. The IA
nous old battlefield was admirably
adapted for a camping ground, and by
the expenditure of little money and
the of a little of the grey matter
in the heads of the powers that be, it
might have been made as healthy
camp as any in the world. Instead of
which / believe it to have become as
unhealthy spot as any modern camp
which was supposed to he administered
under scientific regimen and with due
regard to modern sanitation ever could
be.
THE battlefield consists of thickly
wooded plots of ground interspersed
with open clearings in about equal
proportions. 1t is watered by a num-
ber of springs, one large creek and
several smaller ones. Drive wells were
also located at different points. To
take our own experience as a criterion,
the regimental camp was placed by the
explicit direction of the highest au-
thor1ties in a grove of trees on the
side of gentle hill which sloped down
to an insignificant little brook.
Directly opposite was an open field
on higher ground most admirably
adapted for camping purposes, but we
were forced to go under the trees. The
limits of the little grove were the lin
Its of our camp. We were compacted
together in the closest way, and the
prescribed distances between tents and
companies could not be observed. Es-
pecially was this SO with regard 10 the
men; and the mule corral, the canteen,
and the hospital lay side by side.
Beneath the camp was substratum
Of hard rock covered with a slight
depth of soil II was impossible to dig
sinks to any depth and the ground
soon reeked with disease. | personally
know that requisirion after requlsltion
was made for lime. the simplest and
least expensive of disinfectants, again
and again and without results Upon
the advice of our surgeons II was
urged by the colonel that We be per-
mitted to take the camp out on the
open field where there was room and
sunlight; but no. the field was wanted
for a drill and parade ground, and it
was not until the damage had been
done that the permission was granted;
then il was too late. The soldiers IN
command at Chickamauga had forgot
ten. if they ever learned 1t, that for
prolonged sOjourn sunshine is better
than shade for camp.
THE water. of course, even including
that of the dTive-wells, soon became
% had
found il dangerous TO health, so after
securing the country for miles around
we discovered spring long distance
away five miles. | think), and every
day the wagons hauled water in bar
rels for drinking and cooking purposes
from that sDring. The quality OF the
water so obtained was good, but the
quantity was meagre and inadequate.
1T was certainly hardship for men
of cleanly habits to be compelled 10
take a bath in pint OF water es-
pecially after a hard march over the
dusty roads. or a long drill in the
binding sun But there was no help
for 1t. 1t was not until our division
was moved to Knoxville, Tenn, that
we had an abundance of water from
pipes laid down through the camp, and
what a luxury il was!
ITO put Il briefly, here was an ag-
greeation Of about $1,000 men and thou
sands of horses and mules herded to-
gether In a confined area with only
natural water and surface drainage.
became the busiest places and the most
crowded corners of the camp. We had
three surgeons in our regiment, two OF
them were soon detailed on special du-
ties-one of these two died of typhoid
fever while on duty in Porto Rico
leaving the third to stagger along un-
der a burden of labor and responsible
ity which was entirely too great for
the strength Of any one man.
we were required to send the i'll
men to the division hospital. That hos
pital was also inadequateIy provided
with physicians. The nurses were men
drafted nay, extracted, by peremptory
orders from the several regiments
about one-half the complement OF our
regiment would be on some special de-
tail duty every other day, which was
annoying and eXdsperatiug in the eX-
IRENE The colones sent men who had
no fitness whatever for the work or
nursing the sick. Some of them took
that opportunity Of getting rid Of OBJ
iectionablc sOldiersi
Il remember one case where a ward |
Of sixty patients was left during the
night in charge of two men, one OF
whom had been a day laborer and the
other. for Q short time. a Keeper IN
luuatic asylum They were without any
experience whatever. One of the pa
tients in that ward died during the
night and another typhoid sufferer lay,
unattended. in his own discharge. un-
til the doctor came In the morning.
He, too, died.
This is, of course. nothing more than !
has been said more than once, in one way |
or another by newspaper correspondents, |
but a book records the mismanagement Of |
things in more permanent form, and IS |
easily referred to- (New York: Charles |
Scribner's Sons. S-50)
May Magazines.
Tho Nav number of ''McClure's s Maga-