El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-03-11
.KEs FORT BLISS.

LIKES FORT BLISS.
Fort Ethan Allen, Vermont.
March 3, 1914
Editor El Paso Herald:
In reading The Burlington Times and Free
Press, a Vermont daily, noticed in col
unn Of said paper, devoted to the news Of
WinoOsh and vicinity copy Of a letter
reputed to have been written by corporal
Clinton Montgomery, Of troop "A" Of the
I9th caValy, CeCIyLns me liOlls on tIle
troops at Fort Bliss, Texas ana interring
that would an exchange be matter OF
possibility, he would, without hes1tattng.
gladly exchange positions and conditions
with the soldiers at Fort Ethan Allen, Yer
mont. The letter, according to the Burling-
ton paper, was written to a friendoin WinOO-
ski Vermont, who without a doubt cOnsid-
cred it a favor to his friend in Texas. to
publish it and acQuaint the world with the
awful conditions
However, his information, according to
my knowledge. is greatly at fault. I was
with the I'd cavalry upon their return from
the Philippines, and arrived Tat Fort Bliss
Texas, on the 18th Of June, 1912. At first
we made our homes in tents and in the
same spot upon which now stand the tenn
porary quarters while the 1st squadron
were housed in the quarters south Of the
camp Being in camp naturally left US to
the mercy OF the terrific sandstOrms to
which corporal Montgomery alludes in his
letter. but I can say honestly that in the
full six months that we spent IN tents we
had very little trouble from sandstOrms, or
for that matter from any storms Occasion
ally a wind would come up and perhaps
last for q matter OF a Few hours, but /
assure you that have weathered worse in
supposed to be better stations
Later we were housed in the temporary
quarters which were built in the fail OF
1912 Those we found quite suitable for
the life Of soldier, in fact we felt more
like soldiers while in those shacks than
in some Of the quarters with all convent
ences Soldering and living in parlOrs
should be classed separately.
The hardships the I'd cavalry endured
while on guard duty at Fort Bliss, Texas,
and while on border patrol were in reality
pleasures and have been looked upon as
joke by the soldier with good red blood in
his veins in exact contrariness to the state
ment Of corporal Montgomery, who looks
upon Chasing" Gen SalaZar and Castillo,
the bandit, as a hardship. It is the duty
Of privates to chase or guard prisoners
1Iexicans mentioned can be regarded as
little more than the ordinary prisoner, and
I am sure that a corporal detailed to guard
them should not consider it a hardship
Not only have my many friends in the
ID and I found the duty along the border
and at Fort Bliss pleasant but we have
had the great pleasure Of soldering near a
real city FL PasO in all its mOdernness has
not alone offered to the soldiers in her
vicinity a place iuswhich to find good pure
wholesome amusement, but has offered the
good fellowship Of its people as well. which
was gratefully accepted by all. mus
speak from experience, for 1 have been in
many places. have always known FL
PasO to be as I say, and even at present I
she still remains So Texas is the home
Of d soldier and I hope that corporal Mont
gOmery Will endeavOr to overlook the many
hardships he has undergone and realize
that he is doing no more than is required
Of a soldier
We, the boys Of the ID. would be proud
to be back in El Paso and hope that good
fortune some day in the near future will
E Harris.
Troop L. ID Cavalry.