The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-15

A French Canadian died about
month after his arrival. superinduced
from the cruelties practiced upon him
by the first sergeant of his company,
receiving knocks on the head, body
and limbs from the butt-end Of the
musket, used until nature gave way,
and he was consigned to a premature
grave on the adjacent Island of East
Key. The man who perpetrated this
piece of cruelty was afterwards,
through examination, made a lieuten-
ant in the United States Army. This
was not the only instance of his cruel
ty, as every soldier who was in the
company can testify. He misused, with
but few exceptions, every man in the
company.
A private soldier of his company by
the name Of Street came into the hos
pital one morning while 1 was there,
with the blood streaming down his
neck from a wound inflicted at the
hands of this sergeant during drill.
saw the man myself and received my
information directly from him. l can
not remember the names of the many
so ill treated, but they were numerous.
In one instance he struck one of the
soldiers of his company over the fin
gers with his sabre, nearly seVering
them from the hand. Often was 1
shown, also, by my roommates, deep
and black bruises on their bodies
ALLEGED INHUMANITY.
Another instance of heartless inhu
mainly was perpetrated upon soldier
in Company D, Fifth Artillery, by
name of Christian Conrad, German.
Conrad had been afflicted with fits and
suffering so much therefrom that he
was unable to perform his duties in
his company. He was placed in the
hospital. While there his condition
grew rapidly worse, the lower portions
of his body becoming nearly useless to
him, it being with the utmost difficulty
that he could drag one foot after the
other.
The doctor in charge stated that this
was mere pretense, and that he would
bring him around to duty. He was dis
charged from the hospital, placed in
| the guardhouse and ordered to carry a
24-pound log, which was done under the
most excruciating pain, as the man
trembled like an aspen all over from
the exertion required, to execute the inn
posed task, his limbs being dragged
along almost devoid of life or action.
During the performance of this task, a
cruelty unsurpassed, his frame was
violently contorted with repeated fits,
the command given being that no SOL
der should interfere or offer any as
sistance in the pretended spells, and he
was left writing in his agony without
any helping hand being permitted to
reach forth to relieve his sufferings.
For a week he remained in the
guardhouse, attacked repeatedly with
| these fits. Buckets of water We're or
dered to be thrown over him when I'M
der their influence, and his condition
grew worse. He was again removed
to the hospital, where he remained I'M
til sometim e in November 1856, when
he was discharged from the service OF
the United States. He was borne upon
a stretcher to a steamer lying at the
wharf, a helpless man, unable to stand
up or move his lower limbs. He fire.
uuently expressed the opinion that the
doctor was trying to kill him, anc
whenever the physician made his APP
pearance in his ward his entire frame
shook with fright and horror.
SEVERE ARRANGEMENT.
Harshness began to increase in man
ner, both to the soldiers and prisoners
Drunkenness ran riot on the island
There was not a day passed but thai
officers could be seen Keeling under 1T
influence as they staggered down thu
| hni n ri FIN
sally-port OF the fort. Gaze where YOU
would, the eye would come in contac
with some of them, inebriated, dis
grace and dishonor to the service of tn
country which they represented.
Liquor was obtained from every boa
that entered the harbor, and If the sup
ply became exhausted before the ar
rival of boat again inroads Wer
made upon the hospital supplies, 81
that when needed in case of sickness
the supply was exhausted. l state thl
not upon mere hearsay; | have wit
messed all these things myself; hav
seen orders sent to the hospital for tn
liquor; have seen the orderly as he re
turned bearing the bottles; have un
wrapped the covering and read the la
bel "Spiritus Fermenti," and have seel
the peculiar bottle containing the fiuit
upon the officers table.
But with this | have naught to do.
) the government permits its officers t
, live under the influence of liquor an
!, advances supplies for such purpose
we, the people, have no right to com
Iplain, but must support it. From tn
barbarous treatment daily receive
from the officers from under the infiu
ence of Intoxicating draughts many G
the soldiers began to contemplate de
sertion. Many succeeded in their et
forts until it became necessary to re
: strict them from going to Key Yves
: upon passes. Passes of every descrir
l | ton consequently were rescinded an
soldiers became as much confined o
: the island as prisoners.
One of the most heartlesS acts wit
messed in this age, of civilization har
pened on the occasion when the pay
master had arrived at the fort to pa
off the troops. 1t was counterpart {
the Middle Ages in cruelty and barbal
' ity. The prisoners were engaged in ur
4 loading a vessel moored at the whar
1 containing commissary and quarter
3 master stores for the post. During til
I work the prisoners, whose duty it wa
e to unload vessels on arrival, indulge
= freely in spirituous liquors, in compan
with soldiers who had charge of then
A. prisoner by the name of James Dun
+ became beastly Intoxicated in compan
I i