Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-10-01

out regularly until the next guard
mounting the following morning. This
is a very important part OF a soldiers
| life, for the safety of the entire camp
depends on their vigilance and the care
with which they perform their duty.
There are no invaders from which the
camp have any fear unless 1t Is the
troublesome grasshopper. These In
sects abound in a great quantity, ana
are a source Of much annoyance.
The camp is filled a great part OF the
time with all kinds of music. Besides
| the two regimental bands, each COM
pany contains at least one good must
clan, and some Of them have as many
as twelve. The music is mostly good,
and at night is greatly en-
loved. About the sweetest (?) song
that can be heard most any
time is after the Ball" 1t is footed
on a horn just before breakfast, the
colored cooks whistle IL at dinner time,
and a number Of various assorted voices
howl 1t In the woods AZ midnight. But
when the camp settles down for the
| evening some excellent singing is rem
dered. Away over in the far row OF
tents some soldier boy will start up
some familiar song. The refrain is TAX
en- up by those nearest him and gradu-
ally growing In volume soon spreads
throughout the entire camp. The voices
blend harmoniously, and the song Is
waited on the still night, and many
miles away. The effect OF the voices
swelling In chorus from the unseen
army gives a touch OF additional senti-
ment TO the words. An army OF nearly
one thousand men, all singing the same
| familiar song, is indeed something unus-
ual and one that few people have been
| fortunate TO hear.
When General Spilman gets down to
work some good result generally follows.
He is tireless in his efforts to bring the
| Guards uu TO the standard Of excellence
and every man realizes that he Is not
| playing soldier but experiencing all the
realities of q military life. The Gen
eral enjoys hard work and asks no more
from the lowest private than he would
perform himself il their positions were
changed. He has surrounded himself
with excellent aids and all are kept
busy the entire time. Under his eff
| cient management the National Guard
has grown from a mere nothing into
| nearly one thousand men, who are up
TO the best standard obtainable, taking
into consideration the many drawbacks
that exist. The General has an able as
sistsnt in Lieutenant Colonel G.. L.
Smith. The Colonel understands his i'm
portant relation TO the Guard and Is a
hard and faithful worker. Indeed.
. II .ka G,,or1 unap1H ho - a
! bad condition, as but few could fill the
position with as much care and atten-
ton.
Since the camp opened many amusing
scenes have been enacted, but Of ali
that have been made public the follow
ing is probably the best: A certain
loye-sick young soldier Of Company E.
of Parkersburg, retired one night, and
while 10 the land Of dreams his tent
mate picked up the photograph Of q
handsome young lady of Parkersburg.
which was protruding from underneath
the shirt bosom of the sleeper. 1t vas
| indeed a sorrowful sight the next
morning when the lover hunted for
hours for the picture Of her whom be
loved. The young man became quite
sick and was confined to his tent the
remainder OF the day. At night the
picture was returned to him and the
next morning be was as jolly as any Of
the boys. 1t was . sad case and many
expressions Of pity for the afflicted
! soldier was heard.
The grounds have been the center Of
attraction for a large crowd, and people
are arriving here from every direction.
Two steamers make hourly trips from
! Charleston to, the camp and are always
literally patronized. All local trains
stop here and are doing q good business.
| On Sunday ii is estimated that nearly
5000 people will be here, aud prepara-
tions are being made to handle them.
| On Monday evening, besides the many
attractions in camp, q prize fight will
take place at the hotel near here. 1t
will be between a Pennsylvania cham
MON named Piqkham and a New York
| champion calleh. the Unknown" The
fight will be $500. On that night