Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-09-13
Cavalry BATTALION
rent BY DISSENT|ON'
OFFICERS AND MEN IN BITTER
STRIFE AT END OF LONG
MARCH.
TROUBLES CAUSE
MANY DESERTiONS
Lieut.. Wlien Quits Mess-Mai. Lewis
Is Criticised by Capt. Williams and
Many Of the Dissatisfied Soldiers
Run Away. 81

Chicago, Sept. with the officers
Of the command split into factions and
with scores of men openly declaring
their dissatisfaction and discomfort,
the First battalion Of the Thirteenth
Of its long practice march" Friday
when the troops approached Fort
Sheridan. 1t is declared by the men
that since the command left Fort
Riley on July II nearly score of de-
sertions have occurred, and they add,
Its wonder there were not more"
Quits the Officers Mess.
The split between the officers in
the battalion has become so open that
Lieut.. j. w. Wilen, in command of
troop G, and the tent mate Of Lieut..
Phil H. Sheridan, withdrew from the
officers mess two weeks ago, and,
since that time has been eating his
meals in solemn grandeur in his own
tent.
Il have quit the officers mess said
Lieut. Wilen to reporter because
l could not stand for the tactics en-
ployed by some of the officers. I
told one of them what / thought about
him and withdrew
Friction Between Other Officers.
In addition to the split-up in the
mess it is declared that serious fric-
ftion exists between Maj. T. ]. Lewis
and one or two Of the troop command
erS.
Capt. R. c. Williams, who COM
mands troop A, is said to be one Of
the officers who disagreed with the
major. Capt. Williams in strong
terms expressed great satisfaction
that the end of the march was In
sight
in all my experience" he said.
Il have never heard of commanding
officer making his men get up at four
o'clock in the morning, as we have
done on this march. never heard Of
such thing. Why, when We were
in Cuba and were fighting, we never
thought of getting up before six
O'clock. Why, the morning before the
only decent battle we had we got
up after six o'clock.
Enemy Not the Alert Party.
did not the enemy wake you up be-
fore that timer" asked young lieu
tenant of the captain.
Certainly not" he replied. They
were not bothering us; it was we
after them. They waited for us to
begin"
Despite the criticism directed
against Maj. Lewis by Capt Williams,
the men all declare that the major
is the best commanding officer in the
service and uses his men with great
consideration.
What the men in the ranks com
plain about and what they say caused
the assertions is the punishment dealt
out to them by troop commanders for
slight offenses.
Fined for Riding on a Train.
II was fined $50 because rode on
train when was supposed to be
walking behind the troops" said a
stalwart cayalryman. ~There were
five of us. and now none of us will re-
ceiye a cent of pay for four months.
That's the whole trouble with the
army. They pay man $13 a month,
and then the officers fine the men un-
til they have not got a cent COM
Ing"
1t is declared that during the long
march If any mans horse was found
to be unfit he was compelled by the
officer to walk the next stage of the
hike
''This treatment caused great
number Of the men to desert" said a
sergeant. -Four men out of our troop
deserted and believe that in all
more than 20 men ran away from the