The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-09-30
THE TROOPS IN CAMP.
A Glimpse at the Miniature
City in White.
THE SIGNAL DETACHMENT
A Day With the Boys In Strawberry
"A Mythical MOrmon-"Co
and Get IT,

CAMP IN STRAWBERRY VALLEY, (by
courier to Heber, Utah), September Z
Il Special CORES pondence of the Globe
Democrat. "a city in white" would b.
terSe and very precise description O.
this camp of 800 souls. A greater regu
larity does not exist in any city OF brici
and mortar than thatwith which tent:
are pitched On this beautiful green plain
at the head of Strawberry Valley. A
wide avenue separates officers from
mems tents, the latter being circled on
company streets opposite the tents Of
their officers and in rows perpendicular
to the avenue. In rear of the line of
officers tents are those of the field Of
fcers commanding battalions, while still
further from the imaginary color line is
the group of tents for the acting Brig
adler General commanding, Colonel
NJ. NJ. Blunt, Sixteenth Infantry, and
either side by the large mess tents for
OlAOC40, Wy bAO Sut1C1o 4AOh4
Forts Douglas and Duchesne. In q
pine wood at the base of the hill are the
tents for the guard, the qusrtermsster's
and subsistence store tents, aud, sur
rounding a wagon park, for the team
sters and employees. And on Invalid
Hill, the prettiest spot in camp, are the
tents of the surgeons, the hospital corps
and the infirmary ward.
ON THE COLOR LINE
the infantry are camped in three bat
talions. their left being continued, at
an interval, by the battalion of cavalry
and battery of artillery. Strawberry
Creek flows swiftly by in the rear of
each company's cook tent ION the flank
of the street furthest from the avenue).
So great are the dimensions of this can
Torment that camera has not been found
with wide enough angle to include it in
one view.
The early riser in camp gains view
never to be forgotten of this miniature
city, dotting in white half a square mile
of the green plain. The moon battles
all it's streets and alleys with its liquid
rays, and adds tint of amber to the
white rows of canvas, while the only
signs of lifs are given by the sentinels,
who pace their beats about the camp in
a sleepy, mechanical. wish-I-were-in-
bed manner, and by the sergeant, who
dozes as he tends a fire ia front of the
guard tent. But long before daylight
robs the scene Of this beauty, smoke
will be noticed curling from the fires
opposite each street, and few forms
NAV be seen lowering over them as
l. If 81 70
company cooks, two from each COM
pany, troop or battery, who are called
at 4, in spite of the ice which forms
each night, even in August. at this alti-
tude.
Shortly after o'clock the assem- bly, 4
OF trumpeters. commonly called first
CALL" is sounded, first at the guard
tent and then at the various street cor
ners in camp. Presently, from all di-
rections came sleepy trumpeters, fferS
and drummers, and, all assem- milling at
the avenues end, play march down
its length and to the guard tent, where
reveille itself as last warning hurres
tardy warriors from bed to answer the
days first roll call An officer appears
with each little group, and as "as-
sembly" sounds the roll is called and
report made to the camp adjutant. Or
ders prescribe "mess call at o'clock,
but long before that time cheerful
shout of
"CoME AND GET IT"
from each company's cook summons
his comrades to coffee, bread and beef
steak or bacon, served under temper
ary shelter of canvas and gre en- bougbs |
erected as a dining hall. "C5me and |
get it" sounds down the line of twenty |
companies, and whatever lit" may be,
few, if any bluecoats fail to appear at it's
roll call. At o'clock officers caU and |
q second mess call announce breakfast |
for the officers at the suffers tents.
Nine is the hour for guard mounting,
which, with all other ceremonies and
most drills, is had on a large parade
formed in front of the commanding Of
ficer's tent by clearing the weeds and
sage-brush.
From 10 to II, rain OF shine. each
man attends drill of some kind-most
of them battalion drill and battalion
skirmish. The latter more nearly COZ
stitutes "battle tactics than any
other taught our troops. Companies
are deployed with men at intervals of
i've yarOS. LlGtiS dGtGutlOu Is palU TO
alignment and less to manual OF arms,
the soldier being taught to fight, or
rather to drill, individually rather than
IN compact masses. Commands are
by bugle calls, and
,hese soon become SO familiar that at
The different calls long lines of Skin
nishers advance, retreat, move to
1ank, wheel or halt, kneel and fire at
IN imaginary foe. Over bushes. rocks,
streams and hills the skirmishers rush,
lying down and firing
blank cartridges in a mixed confusion
If sounds closely resembling those of
3atling gun in action.
Across the creek the cavalry battalion
njoys tor suffers) similar course of
Instruction in battle tactics, sometimes
harging as foragers, mounted, yelling J
ike wild savages and swinging sabers
n the air. and again leaving their 9
lorses with each fourth man while the :,
thers advance TO fight on foot. And
urther down the valley the battery car /
loo IN O email Uar 0f ito 0un opd @