The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-19
A SOLDIERS REASONS FOR
DESERVING FROM ARMY

the chamber work, helps in the t. . ..r
and gets from s. to SO mont .,...,
for this. He is carried on as "A ,.....t.
duty man and has The pleasure OF ....,.
ing his pay from the Govcrnm,r. ...
giving the Government no seryl,,. ..r.
Officers love him because hr is .....,.
the soldiers hate him because he MIX,
them do his work.
~ longed for the privations o., ib,
| campaign and SO did all the other. ...,,..
| the extra duty men and the dog r,I .rr.
| but we soon settled down To- VIII. Gal,
eX-Enslish solder called 'nivvying.
THE fort being regimental hcad,,rar.
tiers, there was some mounted dri. ,uI
dress parade once in a while Work
| there was in plenty and in additin. ia
| he regular fatigue duty it was do,.d,d
TO dig new pits Tor "A rifle range. which
| took all the men not on guard ana WIS
| mighty hard work, too. Nothing l.ss
| than pick would stir the sun huI.I
ground and finally we had to blast o.,
earth so that it could he shovelle,I. N.J
no liberty all this time. Men would .n
to the saloons, miss reveile and get .u
the mill. and after being fined ahul,
twice they would desert the third tiu...
II had sOldiered over three years Doc.
fore took French leave. and 10 cau,.
ABOUT this way: During my suldi.r.ns
had been straight duty man ard
mad been detailed a number Of times
on detached duty: had been in the quad
house but three times and then for abe
sence without leave only; had been for.
tunate In gambling and had loaned abu,t
$500, which was due me the coming nay
day. At least twenty men had deserted
from my troop and about all that were
left of the original members Of the out
fit when | came to it were a dozen mon
who were trying to get their thirty
years in. Some of them had served
twenty years and more, but a number nf
men with ten years in and on their
third hitch-you enlisted for five years
those days-had deserted and the troop
was largely composed Of Rockies
81 went to n saloon one night with nv
bunke, who had reen.isted after L...,
out three months. and W. both missed
reveille; sooner than go back to the post
we both deserted. Now, remember
had $500 coming to me, besides increased
pay for one year and an amount due for
clothing allowance and less than tVo
L
rather than face another court-martlal
and work like laborer for Sl3 pc:
month.
81 was caught in Illinois after having
been at liberty for about eight months.
taken to jefferson Barracks and after
my charges had been forwarded had
refused an opportunity to plead abscnc,
without leave and temporary mental
s,1 sf..,,
with IA shortage of 500 of camp cloth
ing and garrison equipage, this being a
pleasant way the first sergeant has of
making up his own shortages. have
known men to he charged with stealing
200-pound anvil. curry combs and
brushes and-spurs always. for there is
always IA shortage of spurs | pleaded
guilty to the desertion and the Judge
Advocate advised my pleading guilty 4
to the shortages. telling me 1T was oI Is
matter of form, anyway | did 50
and received five years sentence q, the
Military Prison. which was reduced 20
two years by the reviewing officer IN
account of my military record. TIL,
with the good time allowance. would
make my To. | service with the Govern
ment about the same as though had =
stuck out my enlistment.
AT Lcavcnworth was put 10 work
as clerk and found that after ! had
been there year ! would have the
privilege of applying to the Secretary Of
War for CicmcncN ! id 80 and See
cured two Endorsements from my
troop commander and the rcpim,url
Adiutant. Both commended m, us a
good soldier and my application was
forwarded with an adverse indursr-
mcnt by the prison commandan' who
seemed to think that my taking the
articles charged against me Wa 80
he.nuus an offence that my punish
mont should have been greater He
knew. and the reviewing authorities
knew, that this was n farce and my
tcntcnCc was committed 10y about nine
months. | was discharged with per
mission to re-enlist.
do away with dog robhing: cnlis,
men especially for extra duty and de-
not carry them on the company rolls as
duty men; allow the soldiers % wear
civilian clothing when off duty en-. out
the laboring work and restore tho .an-
teen. Then you will find that tn, -D.p-
pers' will he of the class that aI, ne
good anywhere and they are very
small minority in the Tn States
regular service. Mind YOU. I havr kept
in touch with the army and find D"n-
ditions right now to be fully as lHj Hs
they were in the time l am tclnur you
about"