Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-21
J0TTINGS FROM CAMP
Good Work Of the Engineer Corps Of
Late.
WITH THE COLORED TROOPS
How Some Of the Boys in Blue
Enjoy Themselves.
TIL G Fl I G G. E R EVIL

Staff Correspondence of The Evening Star.
CAMP WASHINGTON, June q, 1895
The most popular disease in camp and at
| the same time the most disagreeabIy I'M
popular and irritating discomfort, is that
| which has resulted from a too close ac-
quaintance and association with that micro
scopic and seemingly insignificant insect al
ready too well known all through the camp
the "chigger." The whole camp is itching
| and scratching until some of the men de-
| clare they have very little skin left, the rest
having been scraped off by too vigorous
| use of finger nails The man who has thus
far escaped without this aff1icton-and now
and then such a fortunate camper is
found-is looked upon as peculiarly
unique species of humanity.
| Among the Engineers.
| The engineer corps have been hustling en-
| cheering work ever since they got here;
| and even before the camp began several
| members of the corps were on the ground
! assisting in planning. Lieut.. and Adjutant
Holt and Lieut.. Chandler of company c
made the preliminary map of the ground,
| and First Sergts. Stevens of company c
| and Miller of company B, following the in
| structions of the adjutant general, located
| the positions of the tents.
| Quartermaster Sergt. Freeman, with a
| Qetall from company Is, mas constr uCted a
| telephone line connecting the adjutant
generals Office with Offices of the post
quartermaster and post commssary, the
post hospital and the main guard. The
quartermaster sergeant gives credit TO his
detail for steady and persistent work.
A detail under Capt. Pollard Of company
A, and another under Lieut. Chandler of
| company c, took to the woods in different
directions after gabion material last FRI
| day, and the result of the two expeditions
easily demonstrated the superiority Of the
machetes of company c over the hatchets
OF company A. A couple of gablons con-
| structed by company c are now decorating
the headquarters of the corps, while moth
| ing tangible has yet materialized from
company A.
The tripods for the rife rests, with the
| assistance of which the inspector general
OF rifle practice is drilling the line officers
OF the brigade in aiming and sighting, were
constructed under the supervision of
Lieuts. Chandler of company c and Hut
terly Of company A, by details from both
companies.
The observation and signal tower has
been completed. Lieut.. Chandler of com
pany has immediate charge Of the work,
though great deal Of credit is due the ad-
1utant of the corps, Lieut. Holt, for assist
ance rendered. The tower is a little more
than forty feet high, twelve feet square at
the base and five feet square at the top
with the four supporting timbers extending
INTO the ground two feet. in order to give it
needed steadiness. The tower is rough, but
very staneh, and will DO provided with
ladder, and floor upon the top. The te!e-
scope which was won by Capt. Pollard Of
company A, In a rife match at Wimbledon
Eng, will be mounted upon the tower It
| Is also proposed to erect flagpole thirty
ave feet high upon the tower, giving the
nag an elevation OF seventy-flve feet.
Capt. Drury of company B is managing
the homing pigeons at this end of the line
and Serst Wallace Of the same company
attends to the Washington end. Messages
are sent by the pigeons at frequent inter-
Vals. 1t takes about fifteen minutes for
them to make the trip Those which go
over the route the second time do not waste
any time In getting their bearings, but
make bee (or perhaps a pigeon) line for
the city at once.
Companies B and C are practicing right
along with flags and photographs.
Company c, engineer corps has a signal
ing squad. composed of Sergt. Lepper, Pvts
Colt, Jay Pellen and Trueworthy, which
has lust done nice piece Of work with
the heliograph. Sergt Lepper went to
washington Saturday night, found Pvt.
Pellen yesterday morning, and at the ap-
pointed time together they mounted the
worthy and Jay at the same time were to
be on the bluff near the post hospital The
men at the Soldiers Home could not dis
tinguish anything at this distance, but they
sighted their instrument upon the flash
from this end of the line The Soldiers
Home was plainly visible from the bluff so
the men here had no trouble. The expert
ment was perfect success, the messages
dashing both ways and being taken readily
The cycle CORPS which is attached to
company B, has a drill peculiar unto itself,
which II has been perfectins itself in. The
rouShness of the ground is worse on the
wheelmen than it is on the infantry, but
they are getting used to it.
The third separate company Of veter-
ans amalgamate very well with the engl-
neers, and do a great deal toward Installing
steadiness into the younger blood of the
latter. They all drill together and share
the camp guard duty.
hours sor engineering work the engineer
corps devotes the bulk Of the day to that
work, and drill during the hour just pre-
ceding dress parade, at pm. Drill is not
the strong point Of the engineers, but they
are endeavoring to master the maneuyers
of the dress parade.
Quartermaster Harvey Is winning enco-
miums fer the way In which he provides
the grub for the engineer corps.
With the Colored Troops.
A great many pleasant things are being
said about the first separate battalion,
District of Columbia National Guard, and
many compliments have been and are be-
ing paid in the inner circles to the zeal
and enthusiasm Of that organization, which
is composed of the colored companies who
have volunteered to serve the District
Their camp is we'll situated on high ground
and is located just beyond general head
quarters on the right of the road on the
way to the parade ground and opposite the
camp Of the second regiment. Mai Revells
is in command of the battalion, and was
comfortably seated in the shade of his
prettily furnished tent yesterday Just after
dinner when he conversed with Star
man. The major is proud-and justly So
Of the magnificent showing his command
has made in the matter of attendance upon
camp duties
THE total strength of my command"
said the commanding officer, lis 269 men,
or this number I expected to bring 125
men with me to camp, and had provided
accommoda tons for that many, but on the
morning Of departure for Camp Washing
ton was very much surprised to see that
fifty additional members of my battalion
had reported and embarked with the COM
mand on the steamer. My morning reports
show that since our stay in camp we have
had an average strength Of at least ia
and today quite number Of men have
come down to swell this total SO that on
dress parade this evening am confident l
shall take at least 225 men. Some Of those
who came down to camp this morning will
be unable to stay cut the week, but 1 fully
expect that my average for the remainder
of the encampment will be more than $50
men.