Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-30
WITH THE CAVALRY.
On the Road from Camp Ordway to
Washington.

On the Road from Camp Ordway to
Washington.
STAR MAN ACCOMPANIES LIEUT.. BARBoUn's
coNPANy-TAREwKLL TO THE CAMP BAD
ROAD, But GOOD TrME-PEAcH PELrIxa AND
SHEEP SHOOTING EN- ROUTE.
The sun had barely commenced to streak the
sky with the lighter gray tints when Camp
Ordway awoke yesterday. The earliest risers
were the members oof troop A-the bIue-an
yellow-clad cavalry boys. For couple of hours
they we're hard At work cleaning their horses
and packing up baggage. II was busy time,
and the mems ingenuity was taxed to the utmost
TO find room for the odds snd ends they wanted
to carry away. Breakfast was the next num-
Der on the program, but the troops did not go
down to the fort until all the preparations for
the march was complete. But little time was
consumed in wrestling with the hash, which
was the major portion Of the breakfast. Some
ate It and some did not, and when the last man
mad finished the troop was formed in the
fort parade ground and ordered down to
the river to water the horses. Back
again, past the fort, the sentries and the
ioungers ON the drawbridge, past the tents of
the exterior guard and up to the canteen,
where there was ive-minute halt. The in
fantry, who were, Of course, going to the city
py boat, looked curiously on those who were
going to dare the dangers OF an overland
Journey, and even some OF the artillerymen
lwho went down by the road, but went back on
the boat) seemed to be Just as well satisfied at
the arrangement as 1t was; they realized that it
was q hard road to travel. In order that some
thing authentic might be written about the
road (Which will be vastly improved by next
encamPment) and to the end that Washington
ians might know how their mounted soldiers
behave ON the march, STAR reporter accom-
panied the pilgrims from the time they broke
camp and went to breakfast until Lieut.. Bar
bour dismounted the troop in front of its ar
mory yesterday evening" II was a very pleas
ant trip through rather picturesque region
in the company Of gentlemen-altogether a
most enjoyable experience.
TOWARD HOME.
The hands Of Lieut.. Barbour's watch pointed
to the hour Of 8 when the order was given
which wheeled the horses with their heads
northward and homeward. Everybody turned
out to see the troops start. In front Of his Of
fice stood Capt. Parmenter. quartermaster of
the second regiment acting quartermaster
general OF the camp, and one Of the busiest
and most efficient Of Gen. Ordway's many eff
cient aids. He waved his cap in farewell to the
boys and they passed on up the muddy road
All through the camp Of the first regiment they
were cheered heartily, and the veterans of the
third battalion pointed proudly to fir tree
which they had decorated a Ia Christmas time.
walking along as closely as possible to the
fence, 50 as to avoid the mud, was Gen. Ord
way, and as soon as he was seen succession Of
spontaneous cheers went up for the command
ing officer. The second regiment was. quite
enthusiastic In its farewell, but it's cheers were
neither as loud nor as lasting as those of the
coiored battalion. Each salute was responded
to In kind by the cavalry, who, with the yells
OF their infantry comrades sti1 ringing in their
ears,
PLUNGED INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE FOREST
which is on that portion of the reservation.
The roadway here was narrow and the heavy
growth Of timber met overhead in an arch
Of natural beauty. It was decidedly incon-
venlent, however, to have so many branches
sticking out into the road Just where they
would strike the faces Of mounted men. The
mud, too was deep In this vicinity except
where it had been all washed away. leaving
nothing behind but big pebbles and a lot Of
fne sand and gravel. Occasionally there were
washouts which had destroyed the entire width
OF the road for several hundred feet and when
one of these places became visible the order
right by files was given and the thirty-two
men and horses would string out in such long
line that 1t would be seven minutes passing a
given point In more than one instance the
regular road was forsaken and a route taken
through somebody's farm. The first farm thus
invaded was one which had been visited by
foragers during the encampment, and a
!oua warning cry went up from several
to one of the ringleaders, informing
him that ''there was that hens husbandS
when a big rooster was seen perched on the
top OF a covered wagon. For some distance
the route led through peach orchards but no
one ate any of the fruit-it was too green: it
did, however. make good ammunition, and for
the next tive minutes Sergt. Mitchell and
Trooper Springmann tried in vain to dodge the
flying missiles which loving hands in the rear
had gathered for that purpose
THE FIRST HALT.
number of washouts were encountered up
to S:45, at which time the troop dismounted to
adjust saddles and to give the horses little re-
lief. The air was very pleasant, as indeed il
had been all the morning, and everybody felt
as though they were enjoying themselves
Sergt. Ferguson insisted that there was no
necessity for his dismounting, but he did come
down at last and had, what he most feared a
good deal of trouble in clsmbering back again
over the bric-a-brac with which the saddle had
been losde ed.
THE FARMER AND HIS SHEEP.
There was good deal Of promiscuous shoot
ing done by those who had cartridges, but the
great majority of the charges were only blanks.
At least one farmer on the road was not aware
OF the harmless nature of the charges He was
standing on his porch, surrounded by his
family, When some one OF the troopers yelled
out, apparently to another trooper: Don't
shoot that sheep, McElhone; don't do It," But
MeElhone was intent, to all appearances, on
splliing blood of some sort and, to the alarm of
the agricuiturist and his interesting family, he
leveled his carbine and fired directly at very
fine Southdown eve which was about 200 yards
away.
81 hit her." yelled the marksman, and then
when the farmer, followed by all his house.
hold, rushed around the barn to take last
fond look at the upposedly-expiring animal
some OF the boys were cruel enough to laugh
Two or three of the farmers little ones abused
the cavalry pretty roundly for the cruel decep-
ton which had been practiced; they seemed TO
be disappointed because the sheep was not shot.
THROUGH MUD AND WATER.
Two or three very old farm houses were adj
mired for their roominess, antiquity and pleas
ant situations, aud passing attention was be-
slowed upon q pile of ancient brick, which
bears the title of st. Johns church. Near
here there were q couple of OK teams on the
road, and all around there were evidences of
much that il now regarded rs primitive In
this vicinity were o couple of long stretches of
water, which in places was SO deep that the
boots OF the riders skinned along on the sur
face. Here, in all places where there was
more than three or four inches Of water, car
Dimes were carried On the riders right thighs.
and what with the water beneath and the tree
branshes brushing in the mems eyes he was q
lucky man who got through without any seri-
Gus damage Trooper Page met with disaster
In one OF the pools. His horse became FESTIVE
and a curbstrap broke. The troopers eye
glasses and helmet fell of into the water The
he m uraa raI kxrA t.