Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-17
Militia at Chicago Proved to Be of
the Right Stuff.
EXPERIENCE At CAMP WHEELER
The Mission Of the Soldiers to
Restore PEACE.
EARLY MORNING ALARMS
From a STAFF Correspondent.

Ever since mankind commenced to deck
itself in military array there have been
tin soldiers" and Sunday soldiers" and
"fair-weather soldiers" and dude SOL
diers" and toy soldiers''-all closely akin
and there are doubtless several OF them
etill In existence. but have failed to and
them In the Illinois National Guard. Per-
maps my search has not been sufficiently
thorough. and, as q matter Of fact, II has
been confined to the Headquarters of the
nrst brigade and to the second regiment Of
Infantry. 1t may be that the second regi-
uent Is not as good as any of the other
regiments Of which the people of the state
are SO properly proud. and then, again. II
may be very much better than any of the
others. but as an inspection of all the Ma
tional Guard In the field would use up more
an excellent purpose the second will have to
pc dealt with as a sample Of what hard
work and money and general enthusiasm
can do In the creation OF a soldier from the
raw material common in the state which
contains so much that is truly American
fnd SO much that Is not Public sentiment
pas been considerably awakened OF late to
the usefulness Of the National Guard pub
lie sentiment and the practical application
thereof should have been wideawake long
ago. Americans, consciously and uncon-
sof9usly are opposed to the enlistment and
maintenance Of a standing army, such as
~ Europe would be deemed iudicrously
emaii. and will not probably. within ten
years. consent to the force Of regulars
there shall be urgent need for the greater
Increase; such necessity that even a whole
Capitoiful Of ward politicians cannot sheer
At 1t. But without pressure Of the unfor-
tunate variety indicated IL Is safe to say
that. however much of agitation there may
be. the country IS more likely to invest
larger sum In training the National Guard
than in adding to the army of salaried
warriors; and II the investment brings
forth och results as have been achieved in
the second Illinois, then the country viii
pave every reason for congratuiatins itself
] have spent some time with the second
this week; have eaten with them and slept
within pistol shot Of their champion suorer
have sean how they did the duty to which
they were SO suddenly called; have had
every opportunity to judge as to their efii-
cheney.
Away out in the heart of the disturbed
and disturbing reeion-not fer from the
Stock yards. and within a fence that once
Enclosed a base ball parks Camp Wheeler,
50 called in honor of Brig. Gen. II. A
Wheeler, who commands the first Illinois
brigade. Col George NJ. Moulton CON-
rlands tho post, and included in his COM
nland are his own workaday regiment, bat
terry D. and troop Am admirable combine
ton for any kind of military service. From
the strategic standpoint, the camp Is we'll
located, and, in many respects. its interior
Would satisfy all save the most confirmed
kickers an ancient grand stand is the prin-
clpal obstruction. but the accornnlofa ting
soldier boys have made II useful enough TO
Offset the fact that its presence prevents
the proper laying out of the headquarters end
OF the post Headquarters offices are at the
northeast corner of the square; the main
entrance is on the iIortn. Inside the warp
cd and ebstered and bil-decnr1ted fence Is
the home today of about eight hundred and
fifty officers and enlisted men. They are
not all at homo, for many of them are on
duty for miles around. All sorts and condi-
tons Of men are they. except the sickly and
disloyal sort-workers Of wood and metal;
representatives of many trades and profess
sions; stout, hearty specimens OF manhood;
knowing their duty. and doing 1t right
along.
Quick Response of the Men.
It was on Friday, the 9Th instant at 1 80
pm. that orders were issued to assemble.
and when. three hours later. assembly"
was sounded. IS per cent Of the regiment
marched out to do battle IL necessary. for
the Constitution, the flag and the statutes.
BY the morning Of the Tth all those who
were 1T for service and had, for good rea-
sons, failed to show up the night before
were with the regiment: two companies
turned out each 100 per cent: six companies
ranged from 30 to % per cent: none were
lower than IS per cent. Field and staff off,
GERS were all there except two who had
been sick for some months: every captain
and every lieutenant was present; the entire
poa-commissioned staff reported. From the
outset, nothing was done in an unmllitary
way. nor was there any attempt to per-
Suade people that an en1eavor to be spot
lessly clean was a thing of greatest i'm
pOrtInce- For nYe days. ana nights otncerS
and men slept with only one or two thick
nesses of blanket between their tired bodies
and the Unyielding ground. and during that
same period the command had, as one of
the boys put 1t, bread and ham for 3reak-
fast, ham and bread for dinner, and both
for supper" Last Wednesday the regi-
nnents tentage arrived, and since then
things have been more comfortable.
Bur 1t must not De imagined that the
camp life Is all there Is of the seconds ex-
tstence. One detachment is eight miles
from the post, one company IS three and
one-half miles. one company Is three miles
and two companies are two miles away.
Between the exterior points occupied by
these are other companies. one being in the
stock yards and another moving around to
where it is likely to do the most good The
exterior companies lave had an especially
wearisome time Of Ii. never having been re-
lieved from the stations where they were
first placed. At the inner stations the re-
liefs have been regular. II would be diff
cult TO find duty much more artuous than
that which has been done here by these
Illinois guaTdSmen. and it should not be
share of the work. During the daytime
and the darkness of night alike they keep
faithful watch over the track and switches.
see to ii that no srsoE-plotting villains set
fire TO cars, or. IL they do. to at once at
tempt to put out the blaze and capture the
criminals.
FOrtitudc of the Militia.
In the doing Of their duty these young
fellows-for most of them have only re-
Gently reached mans estate-have faced
mobs that breathed :hr-atenings and
slaughter, and have overcome them only
after most exciting struggles. In which
lives were sacrificed that liberty might live
and be glorifed- Taken from the work
bench. the forge. the desk. they have made
transformations display of soldierly quail
ties such as would be looked for in veter-
ans but which seem surprising in mere
boys; stoned by rioters, shot at from am
bush. subsisting upon ordinary. untrimmed
camp fare, exposed to all kinds of weather,
they have richly earned more praise than
they will probably get II Is not a pretty
regiment looked at through the eve of an
artistic elothier. 1t wears the regulation
blue and the regulation equipments. and
when 1t gets into a full dress uniform 1t IL
the United States army goods.
Aside from being justly proud Of its get
there" quality. the second Is nationally
tickled over two prominent features of Its
organIzation-a signal corps and a bicycle
corps. The former has In Its ranks thirty
eight men. thirty-three of them expert tel
sgraphers and the others conversant with
line construction. This combination has
supplied the entire first brigade with the
large amount Of signal-principally tele
sraphic-work that has been 50 valuable.