Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-09-03

and discomfort and encouragement In
cident to a first attempt to get the Ma
tional Guard of the State into camp OF
instruction. In the first place, Adjutant
General Oxley, General Spfllman, and
the Staff generally found nothing at
hand except the not-very large State
appropriation, and couple OF hun
dred acres OF practically "wild land"
There was not tent, a dinner pot, a
mess shed, or anything else, and as
preliminary to moving big long list OF
supplies of every description had to be
laid in. Tents were rented, the State
owning none. two or three Godsends In
the way of old camp meeting buildings
on the Gypsy Grove grounds were
pressed into service, transportation ar
rangements made, food supplies laid in,
cooks and other servants secured and
gotten together on time, and
long list of things like axes,
saws, shovels, picks, and so on
purchased and shipped. All these mat
ters have been attended to by AdJutant
General B. S. Oxley, Brigadier General
d. B. Spellman, Quartermaster General
Pritchard, Commissary General A. A.
EFspahgaE pfahgaE tS tsap ttssap sBgP9rdigyatGaip B sGany Upon
fair footlnE, with fair Promise that in
day or two matters will be moving
with military precision. As amatter Of
course the attempt to transform
even such an eligible camping
ground as Gypsy Grove into a
camp of instruction has been attended
with many discouragements and delays,
arising mainly from the utter absence
of anything to work with, or the delays
nseparable from attempting to get
what was wanted on the spur of the
moment; but there was also an element
of delay-and an entirely pardonable one
due TO the want of experience In such
matters by officers and men alike. In
this regard the experiences OF the coming
week will be of incalculable benefit
to the citizen soldiers, and when camp
ing time rolls around next year, they
will be in a position to profit by the les
sons now being learned.
This morning the camp was necessari-
ly in much confusion. In fact, it was
hardly a camp at all, the only tents
pitched being those belonging to the
brigade and regimental stats, these
officers having arrived Yesterday. A
big force OF men were set at work at
very early hour, however, under the
general directions Of General Spill
man, and the sound Of the
axe and the saw have been heard
all day. Tents hastily picthed, helter
skelter last night, have been reset in
order, under the direction of Brigade
Inspector Gluck, the ground is being
cleared off, baggage unloaded, supplies
stored, &c. In the center OF the square
formed by the tents big flag staff is
going up, while of at one side, under
the shelter OF big tent and one OF the
old camp-meeting tabernaceS, cOrps,of
dusky cooks are cooking bushels Of
beans, great chunks Of pork. laying out
bread rations etc. The band of the
Regiment, from Morgantown, is going
through a course of practice
under the trees, which Company /, Of
the First Regiment-Capt. l. r. Miller,
from Morgantown-has just marched
up the hill from the railway station,
and is stacking arms, being the fourth
company to arrive on the grounds.
Others are expected In by the next
train, and by tomorrow morning the
sixteen companies comprising the Ma
tional Guard of the State will be here.
The Gypsy Grove Camp is located on
the line OF the Monongahela River
Railroad, about eight miles from Shinns-
ton and four miles from LumberpOrt.
The tract is an ideal one for camp,
forest and open grand being COM
bined in very picturesque man
ner, and with the care and
necessary, will make as
a fine camp ground as could bedesired,
affording ample space for the encamp-
ment and proper manoeuvering OF four
thousand men. With no preliminary
labor or money expended upon it, the
soldiers naturally found lots of hard work
aud few cOnveniences awaiting them, the
situation being very similar to what
would be found were the boys out in ac-
tive service. But neither officers ner
men are bit discouraged, and went to !
work with will, the hewing of wood |
and drawing of water being the order Of |
the day. Commissioned officers and |
off, working like Trojans, and with a
spirit of enthusiasm which augurs well |
Tor both the present and future camps. |
To-day will be given up entirely TO the /
work of getting the camp in order, the
regular programme of guard-mounting,
lrills, etc, not opening until tomorrow
The camp viii be broken mp
IN Wednesday Of next week, giving six
lays of actual work, which can not but
be productive of great and lasting bene-
it.
The general staff and regimental Of
icers DOW on the ground embrace Gen.
sral d. B. Spillman, commanding the
Adjutant-Gensral B. S. 0xley.