The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-08
A QUIET SUNDAY IN CAMP.
GUARD MOUNTING AND INSPECTION
THE ONLY IMPORTANT GER
EMONIEs.

the camp reaching the Wen the
Foundation of Military Duty-The
Troopers StiII Talking of the Hus-
snrs' MIshap-VisitOrs In Camp.
Lieut.. John VI. jenkins Added to
the Stnff-A photographer Wanted.
COmmissary Hunters sIenu-Hard
work the Rest of the Week.
The First regiment Of cavalry spent a
I quiet Sunday IN camp and the day was ap-
propriately observed by the troopers. It
was a day for visitors and quite a num-
/ Der went up from the city. though the
weather probably interfered with many
who might otherwise have gone.
The only ceremonies OF Importance were
the guard mounting and the inspection.
The regular camp duties, of course, were
performed. but the drills. practices. pa
rades and Ike military work, were dis
pensed with.
Capt. J. Z. Hughes Of the Liberty
| Guards. troop Z. was officer of the day,
with Lieut.. G. II. Berry Of the bingham
Hussars and Lieut.. n. P. Thomas of the
Burke troop as officers OF the guard. The
guard mounting is. perhaps. the most i'm
portant ceremony of camp life. The de-
tail consists Of an officer of the day, two
| officers of the guard, two sergeants, three
! corpOrals and nineteen privates at Camp
Atkinson, the number being proportional
| according to the number Of the posts, and
the strength Of the camp.
The guard mounting is conducted by the
adjutant of the regiment, Capt. A. S.
Way. The proceedings usually last about
half an hour, and are made very impress
i've. The reason of this is that the sentineIs
duty is of the greatest import to the camp.
He is the camp guard. and upon him de-
Ponds the safety of the men within the
| lines. So important is this duty considered
that the men are given regular and tho
rough instruction on the subject of guard
mounting, and each man is furnished with
a copy Of the regulations pertaining to that
branch Of the service. to which he is ex-
pected to give most careful attention.
Outside of the stable and camp duties
the inspection was about the only other
feature Sunday. This was conducted by
| Col. w. w. Gordon, commander of the post
with Lieut.. Oscar J. Brown, Lieut. John
NJ. Jenkins, and other staff officers. The
rounds of the entire camp are made every
day. The officers go through each of the
troop streets, and inspect the quarters
while the men take their positions in front
of them. This Is one of the times when
every piece of equipment must be
in proper place, and every tent
must be in neat and apple pie order. Sat
urday night some of the men on guard
| found several Of the cavalry saddles in
empty stalls In some of the stables. In
conformity with the orders these saddles
were taken to the guard tent, and they
could be secured by the men only on an
order from the commander of the post.
| Then they were warned that they must be
kept at their quarters A supervising eye
is kept on every part of the camp, and 1t
| is impossible for anything to go far wrong
| without the knowledge of the highest au-
| thorities.
Lieut.. John NJ. jenkins OF the Ninth
! United States cavalry, who is detailed on
duty at the Citadel, Charleston, S. c., has
been detailed by the war department for
duty at Camp Atkinson, and an order was
| issued by Col. Gordon appointing him as in
| spector of the post and instructor of guard
mounting. This gives the camp with Lieut.
| Oscar j. Brown, of the First United States
| cavalry two United States officers, who
| take part in the instruction of the men.
Lieut.. jenkins has the important duty of
instructing them in all matters pertaining
to guard mounting, and he goes the rounds
| of the camp day and night to keep an eye
| on the work in this line.
The men will get a taste of camp life in
earnest to-day. They will begin the morn
| ing with the squad, platoon and troop
| drills on foot, and will drill mounted in
| the afternoon, when they will have the
| squadron formation. If this is finished in
| time, they will have also the regimental
formation. The work is to go forward step
| by step, and they viii begin right at the
bottom with the drills. preliminary to the
| higher formations.
THE main advantage in camp" Col.
| Gordon said, lis in having the men under
military supervision for seven days, where
| they learn the foundation of military
! duty, namely the prompt, unquestioning
! and unhesitating obedience to orders. They
/ will be taught everything possible in the
way of drilling in the short time we have.
1t takes about a day to get well estab-
/ lished In camp, and almost another day to
break camp, and one day is Sunday, so
it will be seen that we have
only about four complete days for
good solid work.
There is a great advantage in having
the United States officers here. as they
are able to point out all the little details
| of the service very many Of which are not
| mentioned in the tactics and military
! works. They are details which are estab-
| lished perhaps as much by custom as any
| lnlfB else, anu yet winch are ODSeTNGu
| well regulated camps. For instance on the
inspection after the troop commander has
given the salute, he is invited TO accom-
| pany the inspecting officers through the
! troop quarters. AS they pass through the
quarters the first sergeant salutes for the
entire troop instead of the salute being
| given by each of the men. There are num-
erous details of this kind not mentioned in
| the tactics in which the United States Of
| flcers can give instruction.
THE camp is well constructed and To-
Gated, and in those respects has given
most excellent satisfaction. The location
too, is a most healthy one. We had to de-
tail a corporals guard to go down and
brush out the hospital tent as we have had
no use for it up to present time, and do
not expect to. The work of camp has been
so arranged as to bring the hardest part
of il in the early hours Of the morning and
late in the afternoon but the weather we
have had so far would not have prevented
drilling at any time of the day.
The men are all of one mind with re-
gard to their quarters and are well
pleased with the thorough and complete
arrangements for all camp work. The
target practice will go on again this morn
ing, when the two Liberty troops will go
on the ranges Col w J. Obear insnpc-