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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1894)
2' THE BATTALION. are commanded, then if you have good grounds for complaint make it to your company commander who will always rectify mistakes or complaints when he deems it necessary for the good of the 'service. No company commander need fear desertion from his company if he looks to this point, because this is generally where the first discontent is bred. I have always made it a point of duty when I was a non-commissioned officer to be as lenient as possible to a young soldier during his first month in the company. He may be detailed as kitchen police during the first month and the duties are various, such as setting the table, helping the cooks, cleaning up after each meal, etc. Each recruit when he joins his company has at some time dur ing his first year to take his time as sec ond cook—all soldiers are supposed to ‘'have a general knowledge of how to cook. The ration consists of a daily al- 1 lowance for one person, twelve ounces of >pork or bacon, or canned beef—fresh or corned—or one pound and four ounces of fresh beef, or twenty-two ounces of salt beef, eighteen ounces of soft bread, '■ o-r sixteen ounces of hard bread, or one . pound and four ounces of corn meal; ; and to every one hundred rations fifteen Agwrands of beans or peas, or ten pounds of rice hominy, ten pounds of green coffee, or eight of roasted—or roasted and .ground—coffee or two pounds of tea, fifteen pounds of sugar, four quarts of v vinegar, four pounds of soap, four pounds of salt, four ounces of pepper, ■ one pound and eight ounces of adaman tine or star candles, and to troops in the , field, when necessary, four pounds of •yeast powder to one hundred rations of l^ilour, and, by direction of the Secretary of War the following proportions of the pound of vegetables has been increased by 100 per cent, on fresh potatoes, or 80 per cent, in fresh potatoes and 20 per cent, in fresh onions, 70 per cent, in fresh potatoes and 30per cent, in canned potatoes or in such vegetables as can be procured in the vicinity of the station or which ft may be practicable to furnish from a distance in wholesome condition, such as onions, cabbages, beets, turnips, carrots and squashes. At some posts each company has a garden where they raise their own vege tables, and what they do not use are sold or exchanged, for something in the line of eatables. The garden is worked by the members of each company. Usually a fatigue party is detailed under charge of a non-commissioned officer and a gardener. This man is excused from nearly all duty except guard, during the busy time when gathering in the crops. During the winter months, in cold climates, drill is held in the barracks, such as the manual of arms, bayonet exercise, flag drill, etc. Target practice is held on a small scale in the barracks, the men using shells with reduced charge of powder and small lead balls. The score is the same as on the regular target range, the man making the best score generally getting a box of cigars or something from his captain, anyhow each man tries his best to hit the bull’s eye. The shells on each range are cleaned and refilled with powder and ball by the men of each company, each company using the re-loading machine in its turn. During the summer months there are drills and dress parade nearly every day except Saturday and Sunday. Every post has a library and a school. Those wishing to advance in education