Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-22
BOTH WORK ANDPLAY
How Time Has Been Spent at Fort
Washington.
DAILY ROUTINE OF DUTIES
The Morning Gun as a Successful
Awakener.
RECREATIONS IN CAMP
Staff Correspondence of The Evening Star.

themselves OF what was accomplished IN
this camp Of instruction. They have doubt
less read in the published accounts of the
doings in the canvas city that the boys are
hard at work and rapidly learning the
duties that are required of soldiers in the
field, but they probably fail to realize the
magnitude of the work that was carried on
and the continuous attendance upon drills
and schools of instruction that is required
in order to obtain the results that are
actually being achieved. A glance at the
program in which is detailed the routine
of each days duty will show what a large
pI oportion of the waking hours is devoted
to hard work and what good chance is
given the boys 10 get really tired. Each
morning at a quarter to o'clock reveille
is sounded and the gun nred, and II there
are any sleepy heads in camp this morning
gun acts as an effectual rouser. 1t is
recommended to every mother who finds
it so difficult to get her boy up in the
morning in time for workshop or office
guaranteed to perform its mission on every
occasion. From = o'clock, what are called
in regulations setting up exercises
is calisthenic movements to develop the
body-are practiced in each company for
a quarter of an hour after which the camp
is cleaned up; technically "poiiced.' If
there are any sick men who wish to be
excused from duty. they report 10 the hos
pital ar $50. Breakfast is served at I, for
which a full hour is allowed and then the
gone through with. At o'clock the COM
panes are called on the field for squad
company or battalion drill, or for aiming,
sighting or position drills, as may be de-
termined upon by the commanding general
and for two hours instruction in foot move
ments which cannot be conveniently eX-
ecuted within the confined limits of a drill
hall, is given. At il 70 the bugle sounds
CONS drill, and if there appears to
be need among the privates for more ele-
mentary instruction than can be given in
the regularly prescribed drills, the COM
ed of the men who show deficiency and
places them under the charge o. a non
commissioned officer, who puts them
through such movements as may be neces-
sary. The dinner call is sounded at l
o'clock, and is one OF the most welcome
huSle calls of the day. rest of half an
hour is allowed between the last morning
drill and dinner, which it is needless to
say is fully taken advantage Of, and after
dinner the men are at liberty until 2:3O,
from which hour until O'clock more drill
ing takes place AT 4:15 the officers are put
through the mill again, while the men are
given freedom until the preparatory call
for dress parade. The afternoon relaxation
is usually the time for good swim and
fatigues of the day. Dress parade is at 6
o'clock, and mess call for supper sounds
an hour later From then until 1870. when
taps is blown and lights are extinguish-
camp. The evening is the playtime, which
is the more enjoyed because of the hard
and continuous work of the day. After
finishing one days routine of duty, a
camper remarked: 1--WE drill, and drill and
drill again, and then drill some more,
and after dinner we drill another time and
then keep right on drilling" But the pro-
gram allows frequent intervals of rest of
from thirty minutes to an hour and Il
half, and the men stand the ordeal splendid
ly.
Guard Duty.
But If it happens that company is detail
ed for guard duty, an altogether different
program is carried out The guard is on
duty uninterruptedly from guard mount at
o'clock one morning until guard mount
the next day-twenty-four hours of con-
tinuous duty. The company is divided into
squads the members of which serve as
sentries for two hours, and then are re-
lieved from post duty for four hours. Two
hours on and four hours off is the rule for
the men. But the officer of the day and
the officers of the guard serve day and
night without relief. However, as soon
the company is relieved at the end of its
long, continuous service, it is excused from
all duty of any sort for the succeeding
twelve hours.
Plenty of Fun.
But there is another side to camp life
What would life be without fun! Suppose
there were no sunshiny days, would not
the question whether life were worth living
be much more frequently and seriously dis
cussed? "All work and no play makes Jack
a jull boy" Soldiers are not different from
other human beings in the matter of enjoy
ing good times and having fun-the mere
clothing of man in military uniform does
not change his nature, although it may
make a noticeable difference in his manner
of life-and when the boys now in camp at
Fort Washington have the opportunity,
there is plenty of amusement provided for
them or which they make for themselves,
in which they can revel and forget the IA
tigues of the day. Most of the men have
very little care weighing upon them; when
they left home they left business and its
vexing anxieties behind, and while the
daily routine of camp duties is physically
tiresome, it Is such complete change from
the ordinary habits of the citizen soldiery
and relieves the mind of all oppression, that
when the days duties are over, recreation
is generally INDUCED in, because 1t can he
thoroughly enjoyed. Then, too, majority
buoyancy of youth. whose superabundant
spirits are always effervescent, SO 1t is only
natural that when work is over play should
begin.
Music Enjoyed.
At o'clock every evening the band as
sembles in front of headquarters offices
and gives a highly artistic concert, the
program being happily selected and par
ticularly well rendered. The general and
his staff, officers Of the brigade by the
score and hundreds of enlisted men gather
around and enjoy smoke while listening
to the music, the interval between the num-
bers being improved by entertaining con-
versation or story telling. Throughout the
camp after the music ceases can be heard
the strains Of familiar songs sung by groups
of men seated under a tent-hy, and some
other until the whole company camp is
Joining in the chorus. Plantation songs and
the weird melodies peculiar to the colored
race sound from the direction Of the colored
battalion. There Is instrumental music in
camp, too. and as a stroller walks through
the company streets he can see many a SOL
der following the example Of the Spanish
cavalier. Guitars and mandolins are numer-
Gus in the second regiment and first bat
talon, and in the third battalion there is a
u. ha md har ol..l