Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1916-08-10
NOT 50 EASY
To GET DISCHARGE
FROM THE ARMY
San Antonio, Texas, Aug. 8, 1915.

1t is my good fortune to be the first
Wisconsin militiaman to receive an
honorable discharge "on account OF
dependent family" and l want to let
you know that other men in like cir
cumstances will surely be released In
a short time. My discharge came
FIRST, mainly because I was only a
private soldier, and General Funston,
in command of the Department Of the
South, had the authority to order my
discharge. Most of the applicants for
discharge are non-commissioned Off
GERS, and their applications have to
be sent to Washington for approval.
That means a delay Of perhaps ten
days.
There is a certain amount Of red
tape to be unwound, and every case
lis being Investigated; and when it is
considered that fifteen hundred appli-
cations were received in one week, it
is no wonder that it takes some time.
But the principal cource Of delay
seems to be this: Applications must
be made in a certain form, and the
various company commanders do not
seem to know the correct form, and
&hey have not been supplied with
sample, or form model, to help the
men get the right form at first.
| asked Regimental Sergeant Major
cation, and sent it in as he directed,
accompanied by affidavits from Pro-
fessor Smith of Reedsburg, Lieuten-
ant-GOvernor Dithmar and A. H.
Clark, of BaraboO, and a statement of
my own, sworn to before the summary
court officer, Lieutenant Colonel
Prasiki. In a few days it came back,
and Captain Darrenogue told me it
must be made out differently, and that
my own affidavit was unnecessary. I
sent it again, in the form prescribed,
and the adjutant's stenographer
made the mistake of putting the en-
dorsements of captain, colonel and
brigadier general on a separate sheet.
1t came back, and the whole thing had
TO be re-typed, leaving room for those
endorsements on the lower half of the
same sheet on which my application
was made. Then it started again, on
Thursday evening, and on Sunday,
three days later, my name appeared
on a list of fourteen ordered dis
charged under special order 1872" etc.
mander on Tuesday, and on Thursday
am a civilian again, with my ticket
for home, and money enough to travel
in conf TT; 31Ac per mile from here
TO Camp Douglas.
Sergt w. D. Morse of Baraboo has
had the same petty annoyance, and
so have other men, of having to re-
write their applications. But "the ice
is broken" and several Company A
men will doubtless make the plunge
in the course of the next few weeks.
The officers are not at all anxious to
lose any of their men, and they may
ne expected to hold any whom they
can But the war department has or
Gered the discharge of men having
one or more dependent relatives,
when they make application accom-
panied by proOfs-and there is moth
ing to do but let them go when they
comply with the conditions Natural
}y the Wisconsin officers take pride
in the Wisconsin Brigade. The physi-
cally unfit were all weeded out before
we were sent south, instead of being
sent back from here. AS far as / can
find out, only two men of our $500
are in the Base hospital, both for OPP
erations which would have cost them
money at home, and our field hospital
tents are not crowded at any time.
Only one man fell out of the ranks
yesterday when we walked ten miles
in heavy marching order, and he had
blistered feet. At that he walked
home, later.
On the day when we were notified
of the war departments order for the
discharge of men with dependent rel
atives, we also had telegram from
Adjutant General Holway at Camr
Douglas, urging us not to take ad.
vantage of the order, but to have our
families communicate with him, and
he would see that some relief organi-
cation looked after them until our re-
turn
I expect to start tomorrow, and as
soon as I can go after my family, who
Paul, will be among you again.
Meanwhile, do not forget Company
A. The boys are making good name
for themselves down here.
ciu