The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-01

An old sergeant of the regular army.
who fought the Sioux under Crook and
Custer, helped to chase the Pache Kid and
did his trick in the Philippines at the
beginning of the row, recently delivered
himself of some of his own observations
on the desertion question. He has soldier
ed in more than fifty posts and has known
battalions of deSerters.
There are plenty of reasons besides
those given by the boss soldiers in their
reports behind assertions from the army,
said the old sergeant. Il am not speaking
of present conditions, but of assertions in
normal years.
I'm the first place, assertions become
epidemic in certain posts, and when one
of these deserving epidemics sets in moth
ing can stop it short of switching the
whole outfit to another post. Some years
ago one of these deserving epidemics be-
gan at Fort Sheridan near Chicago, and
inside of less than three months nothing
but the skeleton of the command was left.
They quit in squads and sets of fours,
good men as well as roughS and no-ac-
counts.
THAT epidemic was started by a layout
of bad and unpopular officers. One domi-
neering or unjust officer in a post can
cause more assertions than bad rations or
crucifying fatigue duty. 1 once knew a
little runt of shavetail just out from
West Point to cause thirty-two men from
one cavalry troop, stationed in Arizona, to
jump the outfit within two months after
he'd joined.
1.-The deserving epidemics are started
by causes that would seem mighty trivial
to outsiders who do not know what an
emotional, not to say absolutely Senti-
mental. lot soldiers in garrison are. The
minds of soldiers in garrison are easily
played and preyed upon and when few
of them happen to go up in the air at the
same time the thing becomes infectious,
like getting religion at a camp meeting.
For example, there are always more de-
sertions from the army around the holiday
season than at any other time.
There used to be very widespread,
but hopeleSsly erroneous, idea among
American army officers that the presence
OF band in post contributed to the con-
tentment Of the men and made the
wabbly ones less liable to desert. That
now that the military band, instead of
keeping men from deserving, actually
causes many of them to desert.
1.-The music gets at the hearts Of the
mpressionable fellows and it tells a-plenty
of them that they are making hashes of
their lives by sticking to the uniforms of
the buck army private; Next time you
get chance just watch the what's the
use expression on the faces of the soldiers
listening to an evening band concert, and
you'll get better understanding of what
I mean.
Soldiers in barracks are, in fact queer
ly affected by music, particularly music OF
the moving and tender sort. For instance,
we had trig outfit of moderately con-
Luzon settlement in the Philippines where
we were quartered, until fellow with
a either joined the company.
HE was a Observation-Disclosures
that is to say-from French Canada; and
when he transferred to our fit-out he
brought his either, big concert grand
instrument from Austria, along with him.
The things that that French Canadian boy
could do to and on that big either were
certainly sinful, not to say devilish, and
even Us old relics of the bucking- and
gagging days had to either duck out OF
the sound of the kids music or find our
selves gulping and coughing a lot.
He'd spread the thing out on his bunl
O. nights, between supper and tattoo, ant
he'd no sooner make the first swipe at the
strings and work in the tremolo stuff
than the boys nd knock off gaSsing anC
begin to look serious and thoughtful Ev-
cry once in while, while that either mu
sic was going on. you'd see some fellow
a burly ruffian as like as not, Sinking
out SOS not to make show of himself
before the outfit.
LESS than two weeks after that DO,
with the either began those nightly per
formances we had twelve men in the hos
pital. down with nothing else in the worlt
but nostalgia which means inconsistencies
And If you've ever picked up the motion
that nostalgia, as it's called, is merely
harmless and boobyish disease, I'll men
ton that two of those twelve men die
of it. The boy with the either. put !
away then and never played on it again
transport-and then it didn't matter; tn
boys were coming home.
1.-THE well educated men who drift int
the American army cause desertions MIN
out of ten of these well educated men ar
failures in civil life, in spite of their goot
education. and in nine cases out of tel
Almost without exception they ar
grouchy, grumpy kickers and knockers.
when they find themselves In the arm,
with little show of getting out again with
out DESERVING the majority of them choos
that alternative. Those that stick through
their enlistments develop into barracl
room chaw bacons, and make the othe
lions begin
1.-THE temperance in a post of forme
member Of the outfit diked out in happ
mutt rags and exhibiting other evidence
OF prosperity always has the effect o
creating such enyious discomfort that de