Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-08

| in which the United States troops go about
the ordinary dutieszof their camp. especial
Iy as relates TO making their tents comfort
able and haoitable and the sanitary precau-
lions, the arrangement uf which must fall
to the individual soldier.
Lack of RAtions.
Some little complaint was made yesterday.
principally by militiamdn. as to the lack
of food and the inadeauacy of the supply.
The men of some-of the regiments COM
planned that they had nothing to eat for
twenty-four hours and Ywere much weak
ened thereby. The conmlssary supplies
for the militia troops were turned over by
the chief commissaries of the divisions to
the commissaries % thefregiments in proper
Tune 1or dlstrlDutlon to the troops In the
field, and the CHIEF quartermaster furnished
the regimental quartermasters with the
necessary transportation to convey the food
to the men. In many cases the inexperience
OF the quartermasters and commissaries as
serted itself In no small degree, and conse-
quently the troops in the particular organi-
cation to which the erring officers belonged
suffered. Then, too there was no little
difficulty experienced by the officers in
charge in finding the troops in the field
On the other hand, in some of the regiments
rat1ons We're issued to the troops for all
the day and were all eaten at once with the
result that when the soldiers became hun
cry again at the usual meal time they were
without food. All of the men were foot
sore and tired when the days work was
done yesterday and the blues did not relish
their ten-mile march back to their camp
Some OF the companies were fortunate in
oeing able to board passing trains, but the
most OF them "hoofed" 1t back. The major
or one militia battalion marched his COM
mand to the Gainesville railway station and
went down in his pocket to the tune of
$3.50 to pay for tickets for his men on the
train from Gainesville to Manassas.
Few Depredations by Troops
1t is gratifying to the officers of the army
that SO few depredations on private prop
erty have occurred during the week. But
two cases have been reported, and both of
these were incidents of Tuesday night. The
members of the I'd Connecticut Regiment
were bivouaced for the night near the
Schwartz house, at the junction near the
Warrenton pike and Pageand lane, near
Groveton. and yesterday morning Mr..
Schwartz reported to the corps commander
that the members. of the regiment had
broken into his store through a window
and had completely cleaned up his stock
of ginger ale, sarsaparilla and other nom
Intoxicating drinks, for which they had left
no money in payment. Gen. Corbin took
prompt measures to investigate the story,
and after finding that it was true used very
plain terms in describing his opinion of
such conduct. He directed that when the
paymaster pays these troops on Saturday
next sufficient sum shall be deducted from
the regimental pay to cover Mr.. Schwartz's
losses. The other unfortunate occurrence
was at Wellinton, and the members Aof the
I'd South Carolina Regiment were the ma
rauders. They are alleged to have entered
a store at that place and to have literally
cleaned it out. 1t is stated that the store
keeper had about sold out his stock, but
still had something left. The troops, it is
declared, took possession of the place and
helped themselves to what they wanted.
They will be compelled to pay for the
damage they wrought in the same manner
as the I'd Connecticut.
Trooper Accidentally Shot.
Private Williams of Troop A, 7th Cavalry,
who was accidentally shot, near the Gray
son house, in the maneuvers yesterday, is
reported as being much improved. Williams,
with others of his troop were scouting in
the vicinity of the Grayson house and
advanced toward 1t alone to get some
water. He found it in possession of the
Tennessee militia regiment of the blue
army and started to beat a hasty retreat.
He lodged around the corner of a wood
shed and ran into the muzzle of a blue
soldiers rifle. The muZzle struck Williams