t they were
positively nauseating. I saw strong men turn exceedingly sick just
from the stench, and I do not believe it is an exaggeration to say
that there was more upset stomachs on that trip from the decaying
rabbits that were given us to eat than from the action of the sea.

The beef that we were given consisted of only the poorest and toughest
parts. The good cuts went to the mess for the army officers and for
the officers and crew of the ship. The potatoes that we were fed were
the poorest that I have ever seen. They were served about half cooked,
and were small, wet, soggy and unpalatable. It was seldom that a
potato fit to eat was given to the men. We received rice several
times, but it was only about half cooked. During one meal we were
given bologne sausage, and after some of the boys had eaten their
allotment, the discovery was made that the sausage was full of
maggots. The soup was like water with neither flavor nor body. The
bread served was Italian-French bread made with sour dough, and not at
all palatable to an American, who has been accustomed to sweet and
wholesome bread. The coffee was of the poorest quality--probably
mostly chickory--and we were given neither milk nor sugar for it. The
result was that most of the boys did not touch their coffee at all.
The only seasoning given our food was an insufficiency of salt.
Everything served was tasteless, unpalatable and unwholesome.

That there was better food on the boat, we knew, for we could see it
going to the officers' tables. They were served chicken two or three
times a week--the men never. Officers were given fresh fruit at every
meal--the men not at all. Officers were given palatable, sweet bread;
the men only when they would pay for it out of their own pockets and
then at a big price.

It is my opinion that the owners of the boat on which I sailed made an
enormous profit off those meals served to the soldiers. Certainly the
Government would not have given the soldiers such unfit food. The
Government is to blame to this extent, however, in not seeing that the
ship owners lived up to their contract to feed the men properly. There
was a man on board who was supposed to see that the men were given
wholesome and nourishing food, but he failed absolutely to perform his
duty. Whether he was in the company's pay or simply negligent, I
cannot say, for I do not know. But it is a fact that he did not
perform his duty and 1,500 men were fed spoiled and unn