Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-08-08
AN INTERESTING LETTER
John j. Mahoney Writes Of Army
Life at Fort D. A. Russell,
Wyoming.

EDITOR OF WooD COUNTY RE
PORTER.
DEAR SIR: Noticing in a recent
issue Of your paper that you take con-
siderable interest in army news will
try and write a few items about
soldering in the U. S. Regulars of
today.
AS there are no soldiers around
home the people have great many
queer impressions of a soldiers life.
Most of them think that as there is
no war at present that soldering
is snap, but they are laboring under
false impression.
Now ] don't mean to say that there
is great deal of hard manual labor but
it is the strict dicipline that makes it
hard.
AS far as l am personally concerned
l am glad that l enlisted and think
three years of Uncle Sans discipline
is good for many young fellows and
will bring the manhood out on him if
he has the nerve to stick it out.
Will enclose you newspaper
clipping of General Order 96 that will
give you some idea of soldiers
punishment for various offenses.
Generally after a soldier has five or
six trials he is given a diShonorable
discharge or perhaps he deserts or to
use soldiers term takes to the hills.
Out of body of 800 troops at this
place there has been at least two
hundred and fifty desertions in the
last eighteen months.
Most of them just get tired of the
army and leave going to a strange
part of the country under different
name.
At present the U. S. army is kept
in fine shape and could take the field
as veterans at moments notice.
We hike" (that is walk on practice
marches nearly every day the same as
though in actual service and on the
fifth of August we go into the
mountains for twenty-five days
carrying our full equipments with US.
A full equipment consists of one
shelter half, one tent pole, one rope,
five tent pins, one haverSack with two
days rations, one mess fat knife, fork,
spoon, frying PAM one canteen, one
blanket, one pair shoes, clean suit of
underwear, one towel, one toilet set,
one belt with twenty rounds ammu-
nation, one bayonet scabbard and one
rifle, in all about sixty lbs. and march
from fifteen to twenty miles per day
according to the nature of the country.
Hoping this will give you slight
impression of the bad part of soldiers
life will close.
Will write you later of the sunny
side Of soldering or what they do
when not on duty.
The lot of the enlisted man. wearing
the uniform of the United States
army, will be an unenyiable one when
general orders No. 90, issued by the
war department June 10, go into
effect thirty days after the date of
issue.
''If those orders are inforced an
enlisted man can't look cross-eyed
without being fined and imprisoned
for it," exclaimed and old time army
officer, after reading the long list of
OffenseS for which an enlisted man
may be fined. "And as for drawing
his meager pay of Sl3 per month,
there will be few soldiers lucky
enough to get more than So or 81 a
month under the new system"
Rules Issued.
Extracts of some of the fines and
impriSOnmentS taken from the new
| orders are:
Closing or spelling horses or arms
through neglect, four months contine-
| ment at hard labor and forfeiture OF
$40 per month for the same period.
"Absence without leave, one hour
or less, forfeiture of ST.; corporal, 50:
sergeant, 50; first sergeant or noncOm-
missioned officer Of higher grade, 81;
from one to six hours, inclusive,
forfeiture of 81: corporal, So; serg cant,
81; first of higher grade, So"
| Penalties Provided.
And so on the orders read for the
different periods of time the soldier
is absent without leave, until more
than ninety days is reached, when
the punishment is 'dishonorable
discharge and forfeiture Of all pay
and allowance and nine months
confinement at hard labor.
For failure to repair at the time
fixed to the place appointed fol
reveille, retreat, roll call, guarc
mount. target practice, parade, in
lspection, athletic exercises, stable
duty and other soldierey duties, fine.
may he assessed ranging from 81 tC
$40.
For using threatening or insulting
language or behavior in an insubor
dinate manner to nOn-cOmmiSSiOned
Iofficer while in the execution of his
duty, two months confinement al
hard labor and forfeiture of 80 pei
month for the same period are i'm
posed.
| Absence from duty of various kinds
calls for forfeiture Of from 81 to $40