The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-09-05

CAMP cuLLUM, SPRINGFIELD. Aug. 81, 1881.

| Editor ARGUs:-Camp life has com
menced in earnest, and our Moline and
Rock Island boys are getting used to it.
Camp Cullum is a half mile from the heart
of the city, and is plat of land covering
an area Of about forty acres. The ground
| is very level, and a more convenient and
| admirably situated spot for state en-
campment cannot be found in Illinois,
| The ''old vets" say that it looks like olden
| times, and indeed the white dotted tents
| with smoke curling out from the camp fires
in front of them, and soldiers on guard
with their military tread, makes one feel
patriotic all over who has not seen nor en-
dured the hardships of war, but if camp
life in the army is like camp life at Camp
Cullom, we must say that we believe the
boys in blue had a very comfortable time
| in camp, but when in action of course the
| case is different although action is reign
ing feature here, but no armed foes are
lurking about, and the boys do not expect
to be called upon to expose their lives for
the sake of our great nation, for the pres
ent at least, but if they ever should be, the
present encampment would loom up to
their vision as a comparative criterion of
what army life is in may respects.
GENERAL STAFF.
The Headquarters of the Second Brigade
are in a large tent near the center of the
grounds. Here may be found Brig. Gen.
Reece, who is gentleman well as
thorough soldier. He has arranged Il part
of his tent for the benefit of the press, and
in doing so has gone to personal incon-
venience. st. Louis and Chicago papers
have sent their representatives to the
grounds, and the ARGUS is the only paper
represented outside of the Metropolitan
dailies, Springfield excepted of course. A
large splendid flag floats to and fro in the
breeze directly in front of the tent. Adit.
Gen. Elliot can also be found here, but he
is very busy and takes great interest in the
success of the encampment. The head
quarters of the Sixth Regiment are in the
east end of the ground, and here Col Glen
DENIM issues his orders. G. II. Stoddard,
of Rock Island, is acting as clerk to the
Col Adjutant Porter is also stationed
here and he attends to his duties in a man
ner that has excited the admiration of the
entire regiment. just few feet across
from the Colonefs headquarters the Rock
Island and Moline companies are quartered.
Dorm Holt and Frank Anderson are the
cooks for Co. F., and I can say from per
sonal experience that they take to the cul
mary art naturally for their cooking is
good and we all appreciate it. Last night
the skies threatened rain and the boys
looked sour. Jim Cooke, of Rock Island,
said he wished he was home in his little
bed and Clarence Mason, of Moline, init
mated that he was not
particular friend of dampness,
but fortunately the dreaded rain did not
come and everyone was contented. Some
of Co. F, of Moline and the Rodman
Rifles, ran the guard and went down to
view the sights of the political centre of
the great and glorious state of Illinois, but
they were back before day break and
escaped the odium of being placed in the
guard house, which, by the way is a
decidedly unpleasant feature Of the camp.
But good behavior is all that is required to
keep out of it. Emusic hath charms to
soothe the savage breast" and in recogni-
ton of this quotation band are plenty,
there being one from each regiment. The
Ninth regiment band of sixteen pieces
discourses the most delightful martial music
and they are the musical pets of the
brigade. The Princeton band of our
brigade is also a very good one and our
boys are very proud oft. The rat-tat-tat
of the drum and tan -rah of the bugle
reused the boys this morning at 5:32, and
the moline anu fkOck 1SlaQU DOyS re-
sponded with alacrity, and the following
calls were the order for to day: 6 a. M,
police call; z a. M, breakfast call; 7:30 a.
M, surgeons, call; 8 a. M, assembly for
guard mount, 815, drill call for company;
$50, call for brigade guard mount; 930
drill call for battalion; II 30 "A. M, recall;
1890 p. M, dinner call; 2 p. M, drill call
for battalion; p. m, recall; 5 p. M, as
sembly call for battalion dress parade; 6.28 |
p. m, retreat and evening gun g 40 p. m, |
supper call; 2 to p. M, school for bat
TALON instruction at respective regimental |
headquarters; to p. M, instructions in |
evolutions of brigade at brigade headquar-
tiers; 10 p. M, TATTOO and roll call; 1920 p m.
taps the drill call for battalion. At $50 a.
M, was grand sight and witnessed by a
large number of spectators The Sixth
regiment, under command of Col. Glen
DENIM, went through the military evolu-
tions with promptness and accuracy.
Capt Halves and Capt. Savage, of the