The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-25
A SHORTAGE OF TENTS.
SOME OF THE MEN WITHOUT COTS
AND SLEEP ON THE FLOOR.

master General West Promises &c
Try TO Get More Tents.
CHIcKAMAUGA, GA, June A.-The men
are kicking about the accommodations here
The number of soldiers exceeds that expected
by the officers, and as a result they are not
provided with tents or cots enough to sleep
on. Last night members of the Guards
slept on the floor, and tonight they are oc-
cupying the mess halls. When Gen. Kell
came tonight ne was asked about the de-
ficiency of tents, and he replied that the
companies came stronger than he expected.
He said 600 might be accommodated, but a
greater number than this is in camp. The
tents stretched are all the state can furnis b
Of its own.
TENTS TO BE PROCURED.
The adiutant general said he will look
into the matter, and If the men need the
tents he will try to procure them. He will
have to rent them. Quartermaster General
West came out the first part of the week
and relieved the boys all he could. He has
been very kind to them, and promised
to make an effort to secure more tents and
something more to sleep on Col Garrard
went up to Chattanooga yesterday and pur-
chased individually several tents. but still
the men areRunprovided for. Col Garrard
went to Savannah to-day to appear before
the commission relative to disposing OF the
old armory site. 1t is rumored here in camp
that the site has been sold to the govern
ment, but Col. Garrard would not say as
much
Coz MERCER TO THE BATTALION.
CHICKAMAUGA, GA, June 23.-When
the men of the Seventh battalion came upon
the field with their smoking guns after
- Ak1xr in ina nd
Col. Mercer reviewed them. They were
proud looking men, and they were full Of
I fire and enthusiasm. Every one of them
was ready to throw up his hat and shout
himself hoarse. No battle would have
found men more ready to march to the
drums beat and bare their arms in war.
The perspiration was standing heavy on
their foreheads, and they were breathing
fast. Col Mercer addressed them simply
and eloquently, as follows
"Oficers and soldiers of the Seventh
Georgia battalion, cannot part with you
without some expression of my apprecia-
lion of your courtesy and of the great salts
faction it has fforded me to have you under
my command. Your soldierly spirit and
marked improvement in tactics have inn
pressed me most favorably. Some errors have
been committed, but they have been errors
of inadvertence and not design. fear
that this camp has not been prolific OF
pleasure, but it should at least re-
suit in a sense of great Satisfaction.
I have endeavored to conduct the
camp upon military principles. 1t
has been truly said that the persult
of pleasure is q very weak rule Of life, but
duty, our great leader Gen. Lee declared, is
the sublimest word in the English language.
You cannot but experience strong sense
of satisfaction in the assurance that you
have endeayored faithfully to do your
duty"
WILD WITH ENTHUSIASM.
The camp ran wild when he concluded.
The captains waved their sabres and the
men brandished their guns. Three cheers
were proposed for the colonel and there was
a heavy "hip, hip, hurrah" which set the
echoes flying.
This was the last ceremony of the battalion.
Lieut.. McGrath OF the Irish Jasper Greens
was the first officer of the guard, and he
was the last officer of the guard. He LEFT
his post to-day at the buglers call to make
ready to go home. He was an officer Of the
day once, and the manner in which he
handled the men was remarked comph-
mentarily by the officers.
The Savannah companies made friends
and lot of them. The Blues attracted
considerable attention. So did the Ogle-
thorpes, under Lieut.. Mcaarrie. The Ger
mans showed up better than ever before
under Capt. Kolshorn, and the Greens did
not lower their record. They were the
strongest company in the regiment. They
are always ready for duty, and they per-
form as much of 1t as anybody,
The Cadets-well, everybody knows
these boys. To say that they made friends
is what everybody knows. They held their
own as the very best infantry company In
the state. There is not an exception. Tho
United States officers say this, and they
hQU in NJ
other.
They all made friends.
COL. REILLy's IMPORTS.
Col. Peter Reilly has labored as diligently
as any man here to bring his men up TO the
standard, and Capt. Fields told him last
night that it was remarkable how he man
aged them. Col. Reilly was very particular
about making the men of the First
regiment leave their tents, streets and mess
halls in neat condition. and they did So
When the new men came into camp those
who were assigned to the First regiments
quarters were very much pleased. There
was some grumbling about the condition OF
the tents occupied by some of the companies
composing the Seventh battalion. The
Perry Rifles occupy the Cadets tents, and
Capt. Davis, who is West Point man, said
that the tents were very neat and he only
wished he could leave them in such con-
the quarters of the Jasper Greens. The
quarters are clean and the Rifles
think they have fallen into q
snap. The Macon Light Infantry
occupy the Oglethorpes' quarters, the
Baldwin Blues went into the Republi-
can Blues quarters, and the Spaulding
Grays occupy the tents vacated by the Ger
man Volunteers. The other companies
forming the Second regiment extend over
into the quarters of the Seventh battalion.
They are the Macon Volunteers, Southern
Cadets. Putnam Rifles, Columbus Guards
Quitman Guards, Americas Light Infantry
and the Eastman Volunteers. Each com
pany has a drum and nearly every one
brought chaplain along with it.
PIANO IN THE CAMP.
The Columbus Guards did not bring their
piano this time, but the Southern Cadets OF
Macon didn't forget theirs. SO the officers
may go to sleep every night by music.
Col WILLY is a soldier, and he makes the
men step around lively. The Guards
battalion-127 strong-occupy the tents used
by the Dawson Guards, Fort Gaines Guards
and the Dublin Light Infantry.
When they entered camp they made q
rush for the mattresses in the nearby tents
when the Spalding Grays charged them anC
recovered the bedding. Some of the Guard,
say Company B is the company. The me1
in Company G say identicaliy the same, and
the men composing A have the very sans