Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-03-01
Camp Life in Utah.


A correspondent of the New York Time.
describes Camp Floyd, in Utah-near Sail
Lake City-as follows:
The Camp is laid out nearly on the usu-
al military plan, but all the quarters being
built of the abodes, or sun-dried, the Camp
resembles at first glance, a thriving town,
and is indeed the second town in popula-
tion, in the Territory. The quarters of the
men are very low buildings, divided into
the usual number Of squad rooms. The
officers quarters are all of one story, two
or three officers being quartered in the same
building, each with an allowance of one
room from thirteen to fifteen feet square,
Many of the officers have made such addi-
tions in the way of stables, fences, DC, at
their own expense, as taste or necessity
seemed TO dictate.
1t is not in appearance alone that we
are city-like. All the sources of amuse-
ment or dissipation found in large towns
abound here. To the enterprise of the
Fifth Infantry are we indebted for the on
ly open library in camp, for cheap and
wholesome beer of their own brewing, and
the building of the first theatre in camp.
A fair orchestra from one of the Regimeutal
bands is one attraction of this theatre, and
some of the comedies are we'll performed; !;
but the tragic pieces are generally painfully
funny. The actors are of course nearly all
soldiers. A few Mormon women frater-
nizing so far with the Gentiles as to appear
on the boards.
In the Seventh Infantry is a Dramatic
Association known as the Germania-
having a tasty little theatre, and an excel
lent orchestra. The plays are all in the
German tongue, but the place is fash
ioned resort, whether one knows High
Dutch from Low Dutch or MOI.
A new rival for fame and halfdollars,
known as "The Varietes," sprung up dur
ing the holidays, giving US now three thea
tres in camp. To these places of resort
add two billiard rooms and two bowling al
leys. There is also ffourishing Masonic
Lodge, and a rapidly growing Society of
Sons of Temperance.
The presence of nearly dozen ladies
adds much to the gaity and pleasure. Af-
ter every little fall of snow all kinds of ve-
hicles on runners are to be seen in our
Broadway, and the occupants full as cheer
full as though riding in the celebrated St.
Nicholas Winter turn out.
Among the outdoor amusements, rab-
bit-hunting, or, to give mole sportsman
like name, hare-hunting, deserves mention.
One of the officers has succeeded in collec-
ing fair pack of hounds, and there is no
lack of game, the sage brush fairly swarm
ing with hares.
No description of Camp Floyd would
be complete without word about Fairfield,
a village on the right bank of the creek,
Immediately opposite the camp. This vii
lage is habitually called Frogtown, and is
inhabited almost wholly by gamblers and
grog-sellers, such as follow the movement
ofevery considerable body of troops. There
are scores of gambling places, and grog-
shops without number. 1t is, perhaps, safe
to say, that scarcely twenty men in the
village earn an honest livelihood. When
the soldiers are feeced of their two months
pay, the keepers of these places pluck each
other-one day rich another poor. A gam
bier here, was known to have at one time
$50, 900, saved from his gains, but in
few months he left here "broke."
We have had the thermometer II aud |
22e below zero.
The garrison consists of eight companies
of the Tenth Infantry, nine of the Seventh,
the whole of the Fifth, three companies of
the Fourth Artillery, including a light bat
terry, and four companies of the Second
Dragons. Making total, including few
ordinance soldiers, of about 2,45O men
and 81 officers.