Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-01
ARMY LIFE.
Some Experiences in the Regular
Service of today.
No War Dutyt But Preparations for
Emergencies Just the Same--.An
Interesting Letter.

There are great many IN Rock Island,
who through relatives or friends are in
terested in the army and the duties exact.
ed of those who are in the regular service
of today. Hence the following letter
from an army officer well know here, tc
relative in Rock Island will be read
with interest:
CAMP SoHoFIELD. |. t., Sept. 25. 1889
l am now, as you doubtless know, on
Gen. Merritt's staff. temporarily. This
would ordinarily give me soft snap. ~
but everything is entirely unorganized.
and hence am busy all the time. Have
to accompany him every morning and
afternoon to, as we say 'see the War. d
That Is the common expression. These
troops are not here to Dir II in the ordinary
sense of The term, buJ to go out aud
practice some of the pr nciples underly-
ing the art of war according to the latest
hods, necessitated by the improvement
that has been. and nov is being made in
implements of war arms, guns, etc. The
methods OF fighting ard conducting an
attack or battle of any kind have all
changed since our war and we are here
to practice and learn for the first time
some of the new methods. OF course
everybody is green and most everybody
ignorant.
Gen. Merritt and his aides. Lieutenants
Dodge and Swift, assisted by Maj Bah
cock and Maj. Sanger, from Leavenworth.
are here To teach this art. There are
about two thousand troops here, organ
lied thus far into four regiments. Each
| regiment IS exercised thus far separately
in the preliminary movements. Finally
they will be consolidated into two oppos
ing forces, who will operate against each
other. Then the war" will begin and
each force will he expected to put into
practice the principles they have been
learning in the preliminary movements,
and exercises they have been practicing.
This is a camp of magnificent distan
ces, you must understand. From our
headquarters to the headquarters of the
Seventh cavalry is a mile, about the same
to the Fifth cavalry. and three fourths of a
mile To each of the infantry regiments
from the Seventh to the Fifth is q
mile and half, the hospital is two miles
from the quartermaster's department vet
such is the lay of the land that each camp
can be seen from here. This is high
point and well drained. Orders are sent
| from here to the numerous camps by or
derlies and by signal men under my in
struction.
When the troops sre all ready and are
seen starting out for their numerous bat
| q 10 N Ill
gentlemen" and mounts This is the sig
nal for mounting and all around to follow
him. There are Maj Babcock Adj. Gen.
Maj Sanger, Inspector General myself. and
Signal Officer Capt. Godfrey. attached to
! staff TO observe operations. He is a
member of board now sitting to revise
our present tactics, and Lieutensnts
Swift and Dodge, the generals personel
! aides Each of us is accompanied BIZ an
orderly, and the ser geant who carries the
generals standard is always along. Sc
we make q cavalcade of fifteen-first the
general then staff, then colors, then or,
deries, and in order and manner we visit
and witness the nanoeuvTes of the diff
ferent commands. These manoeuv-
res are under the supervision of Gen
Sometimes the general sends the two lat
ter to other bodies, while he stays With
one which is then msnoeuvering. In
correcting faults and mistakes he make.
use of us to carry messages to brigade
and battalion commanders. After the
attack, or whatever exercise is being
practiced. is over. The general has officers
call sounded, at which every officer in
hearing comes running and on the gal
Top, and gathering around him Chi.
standard always indicates his position)
listen while he comments on, criticise.
and explains the movements.
This finished. We move off TO another
command, the staff always following
wherever he leads, the army of orderliet
bringing up in the rear. Wherever W,
| dismOunt each orderly comes forward Il
hold the horse 1t is this from morning
to night now. There are eighty officer,
in camp now and more than half of then
Cavalrymen.
1t would do my heart good to have yol
to see what Gala sight II $50 mani
| mounted officers dashing here and there
and such long lines Of csvslrymen
never saw. Everybody is happy and in
tere sted-every body trying to make thei
particular regIn ent or organization exec
all others. | am exceedingly glad Il
hsiy", been Selected out of so many to TAX
portunity to obsers itagdjT listen 20 al
comments ON all the different msnoeu
vres. | can learn more here in day thai
| could pick NJ in my troop in a month
and you bet | sm taking it all in. / an
going to get some books and 60 to study
ing soon as / ZACH home.
found Gen. Merritt expected me 4
move up here TO his camp and that neces
sary arrangeme nts had already been pro
vided for me, hence up l came, and hsv
also arranged very sgreeably to entertain
NJ. here. B.