Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-15
OFF FOR THE CAMP.
The Advance Guard VIII Depart This
Morning.

Morning.
Bright and early this morning all
will be activity ri the different armor-
les of the city. Advance squads of
citizen soldiers going to prepare
place for their companies will be in
line, baggage will be hurriediy hustled
into wagons and the "boys" will leave
for Island lake, the pace of the APP
preaching encampment. The COM
panles will leave Wednesday morning,
reaching the camping grounds about
noon and at evening camp Will be de-
clared, guards posted and the soldier
boys will be given taste OF the reality
Of camp life. During the week
of camp, the militia men who
ioned the service thinking they
would shave a snap" will be greatly
disappointed, and will return home
sunburned and tired, but with an IN
creased respect for the military laws
and restrictions. After seven days
grind at the routine work of sol
der. and perhaps one or more nights
put in carrying q musket up and down
| long beat. aud what little sleep he
may get on other nights, broken at fire.
| uuent intervals by the songs or 1ests OF
| his tent mates, he will be willing TO re-
turn home and sleep in mis- own bed.
Still much pleasure is taken by the
| boys although the new ones are liable
| to be hustled out in the middle OF the
night and treated to . shower bath or
perhaps to enjoy the novelty of being
tossed IN q blanket, with the accom-
panying shouts of "Now he's up"
| The exercise is broken up by q cry of
"Here comes the officer Of the guard"
and the tormentors hurry away, leav-
| ing the recruit to bear the burden of
their sins, and afterwards take the pun
ishment for them too.
Then there 10 the pleasure OF going
down town in the evening, Ginning"
| the girls and playing canary" in gen.
eral with other persons property, per-
haps assisting in tearing down q build
| ing or two as a side issue. But as q
close to this sport is heard the far
away sound Of tina bugIe, sounding
"taps," the recruit wonders how IN the
world he will get through the lines,
| and after his return to camp lies for
hours perhaps, in the wet grass, wait
ing for an Opening" With the old
| timer it is different. He walks down
the line to where he sees the familiar
form of some member of his company,
gives 3 private 'countersign" and
walks in.
If the words of the officers are to be
relied upon, this year will be an ex-
ceptionally quiet one. For they say
that greater restrictions will be put on
the soldiers than ever before. The
Second regiment, to which the three
local companies are attached, Is one CT
the best Differed and drilled regiments
in the brigade. It is commanded by
Lieutenant Colonel McGurrin, or "COl.
Mae" as the boys call him. He is q
strict disciplinarian, q thorough soldier
and one of the best tacticians in the ser
vice. His military record extends back
many years, and he has been advanced
from q private in Company B to his
present position at the head OF the
regiment.
Major Rose of this city is next in
rank. Like "Colonel Mac" he en-.
tered the service as q private in Com
pany b, and had been raised to the
rank of sergeant when the Custer
Guard was organized, and he was given
Lieut.. Will White, also graduate oil
Company b, Is Quartermaster OF the
regiment, and it is due to his efforts
that the regiment lives on "the fat Of
the land" Capt. Abner l.. FRAZER Of
Kalamazoo is chaplain. The tota
strength of the regiment is $50 men
including officers. The regiment II
comprised rs follows:
Company A, Coldwater, ffty-sever
men, 1871. Capt. Charles 5. Stuart
!, Company B. Grand Rapids, sixty-fv'
men, Capt. John d. Kroner; Company
: c, Kalamazoo, sixty-nine men, Capt
William G.. Van Kerson; Company ID
Three Rivers, fitty-five men, Capt
Fred ii. Case; Company +, Crane
Rapids, eighty-two men, Capt. Edwar'
,, c. Bennett; Company +. Grand Haven
: sixty-one men, Capt. Fred A. Mans
field; Company G., Iona, seventy-fiv
(. men, Capt. Frank d. Curtis; Compan.
: II, Grand Rapids, seventy-nine men
: Capt. Theodore Lampert.
On the last day of camp will he hell
An election of officers OF the Second IN
(; fantry to fill the Office of colonel. lef
vacant by the resignation of Colone
Irish, and on the next day the entir
brigade, accompanied by the Nine
i, teenth infantry, United States troops
7 and battery of three guns and Is
! men, will visit Detroit as guests OF tn
, city.
= nH for the CAo1-