The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-05-07
TOO WET FOR FRY
He fingers Another Day, but
Jennings Tramps Away.
Scenes at Fort Landers Yesterday
Routes of the Two COmmands-The
HOLSTERS Get a Banner.

General Fry was to nave evacuated
the city yesterday, but he didn't, because
his soldiers dislike water, and a consider
able quantity of that article fell yesterday.
Nothing but the elements could have pre-
vented the evacuation yesterday, as the
General" having exhausted the hospital
ity Of the committee, the citizens and most
everybody else, was ready to proceed to
another location where a hotel bill for a
week or more would be paid for him, while
his "commOnwoe" army slumbered on the
cold, cold earth and subsisted on buffers"
and salt horse" 1t is but recently that
the idea of evacuating the Hoosier capital
entered into the Generals mind. On the
first day of his arrival he said he had been
born tired. apd he evidently found the Circle
House a restful place. The reporting Of a
few cases OF smallpox in the city also
caused the General some alarm, and then
he desires to reach Washington before the
holidays. All these reasons for withdraw
ing from the city were presented at the
councils of war between himself and his
staff, General Jennings. the "Hoosier
Kid and Colonel Blondell, and the opin-
ion OF all was that nothing was to be
gained by further occupying the citadel of
the Hoosiers, as even free living began
TO look dubious. The opinion of the council
Of war was readily acquiesced in by the
committee, as well as the citizens. Thus
1t came about that the General gave Or
ders to his troops to prepare for their de-
parture yesterday. 1t had been decided to
again divide the army at this place. This
was a stroke Of policy. The original Fry
forces have been considerably augmented
after entering the State. and after leaving
mis- III tho do not ~ 80 81 81
tnat Will care for all of the men should
they remain In one m The army
has been divided into two commands. Gen
eral' Fry Will continue to head his orig
NAL forces, and will have with him Col
Blondell. All the recruits that have been
enlisted on Indiana soil will be formed into
another army and commanded by Cen
eraI' Jennings, with the 'Hoosier Kid"
The latter holds the rank OF colonel" with
positively and in the most emphatic terms
TO accept the title. There are not quite
SO large a number Of "Hoosier Kids in the
army as there are "Colonels," and the for
liking.
There was a busy scene about Fort
Landers" at an early hour yesterday morn
ms, as it was intended to have both
branches OF the army on the march by s
Yates were stirring pa about. and eaoe ACTIVE yne pr pT1-
aIationS for breakfast were being made.
They shambled about the hollow back of
Fort Ianders" and across the dumps
In a manner which, If not acquired by Iona
training with the family of Weary wat,
kins, was a very good imitation of the
movements of that renowned traveller and
his "kith and kin"
Quite a number Of the p~rivates seemed
to really hurry in their movements, while
with others the observer was compelled To
take bearings on some telegraph pole ors
other stationary object in the vicinity to ar
rive at any certain conclusion that they
were in motion. For about a half hour the
army was engaged collecting fuel from the
lnexhaustibie dumps" and then the fires
were lighted. One at a time they began TO
blaze here and there about the hollow. When
sufficient fuel had been collected the cook
is exclusively masculine and apply it. Then
stew pans, If the mess had any, were
brought out, with a small supply of pro.
Vender, and the approved 'commonwoe'
breakfast was ready in a few minutes.
In the meantime General Fry was en-
loying peaceful slumbers in his room at
his hotel till the breakfast bell called him
TO the dining room, where he had a sub
stantial meal, after which he began the
PPf Is armH ..o arratn IN towards moving
past s o'clock he was busy writing orders
In the hotel office, when a reporter entered
city during the day. He answered that he
would. provided 1t did not rain. The Gen
erar' was asked If he expected to get on
the march before noon, and the reporter
was Informed that he did not. The first
stop. Fry said, would be at Greenfield.
against Slelbyville, thence to Rushville and
then Greensburg, and thus, in a sort of
zlgZag route, TO Cincinnati. The object of
the Hoosiers. Some of the soldiers. when
asked why they intended spending so much
time marching about Indiana, instead of
proceeding TO Washington. replied that they
had plenty OF time to reach Washington,
and they wanted TO show the people that
they mean "biZnesS."
General" Jennings's command, after
leaving this city, will follow the Madison
road pike, not railroad to Madison. They
expect to get to Southport on the first day,
and will stop at Franklin, Edinburg, Co
lumbus, North Vernon and other points
before reaching the river. At Madison they
river, robably as far as Pittsburg. At
Cincinnati the divided army will probably
vided the two generals can agree as to
who shall lead the forces from that point.
that the army was to leave during the day
attracted a large number OF people, to-Fort
Landers. They stood about the fort" and
groups of soldiers about the several
small camp fires and waiting impatiently
for the order to be given to form the
column for the march. All the while the
generals were as "impatiently waiting for
the rain, which was threatening, and which
would afford them an excuse for not order
ing the army 10 abandon the fort and evac-
uate the city. A few minutes before 10
O'Clock General" Jennings was vainly en-
deayoring TO secure a drum, fife or some
kim OF an instrument which would make
At about 10 o'clock General Jennings,
standing upon the platform before the fort.
announced that q man was present who
was well known for his work for the cause
of the labOring man and would address
them. He then introduced a carpenter
named Wilson, a man residing in the
Fourth ward. Wilson talked about report
ers. religion and the ''commonwoe'' army.
While he was telling his audience Of about
two hundred people how very much the
"commonwoe' army would like to attend
the churches of the city. but could not,
because when they asked for bread they
would be given a stone" a large portion
Of the army was lounging about the camp
fires in the hollow behind the court, where
several games of cards were In progress.
After Wilson concluded General Jennings
talked for a few minutes till his audience
was driven away by the rain. He said they
were lobbyists going to Washington to
lobby for the people-capitalists as well
as the common people-and the only differ
ence between them and the lobbyists that
are commonly known as such I'm the Cap
itol was that they were travelling on foot
instead Of In palace cars.
JENNINGS GETS AWAY.
NJ -