The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-07-22
LAND TARS AT CAMP LONG
HISTORY OF THE NAVAL RESERYES ATFISHER'S ISLAND UP TO DATE,

Everything Progressing wslI-Rain Has Not Marred the Pleasure of the BattaI- ion. Nor Interfered With Its Programme of Duty-Order of wsrk-Life on the Maine-Ban to be Given This Evening. Camp Long, Fishers Island, July 21, 1897.. The naval battalion reached it's camp here on Fishers Island at 4:3O o'clock Monday and commenced it's work on the United States steamship Maine at 9 o'clock yesteday morning. The mem are all in good health and take hold of their ship duties with spirit. Commander Buckland addressed the assembled battalion Monday evening and informed the men that 1t was the intention this year to give as much l time as possible to drill on board ship and to spend as little time as possible l In camp. He said further that it was l his own wish and the wish of the off, cers to accomplish as much as possible l in the few days that are to be spent at camp. and he hoped and believed that was also the wish of the men. | Beer, in accordance with the regula- l tion in the United States navy, will be served in limited quantities at lunch and at supper. No liquor will be allow ed in camp, as 1t tends to destroy the l efficiency of the men at their work as well as the order of the camp, l The naval campaign of the naval hat- tafion really commenced at sunrise Monday morning. when the sunrise gum I on board the Wyandotte was fired by ] Coxswain Smith of the New Haven dI- vision
 Before the sun was high in the 1aeav- l ems the sailors in the battalion began | to arrive at Belle dock, where they were taken aboard the Wyandotte. in the cutter.
 By g o'clock the Wyandotte was d ! scene of bustle and confusion. Ham, l 1nocks were being strung and the anl- intuition and guns were being stored on board the steamer Richard Law. Shortly after g o'clock Lieutenant Conn ! nander Goodrich ordered the First di- vision on board the steamer, and at 9:15 the boat was cast off, with two rdi- VlSlOllS eLlko Cu5llAOCI 5COI pS OIl tQOdTQs and the weeks cruise of the naval bat l talion may be fairly said to have com- menced. The voyage was not lacking in inci- dent, although there were no battles or other naval tragedies. The battalion got a taste of about all sorts of weather on the trip down to the island. Oid1 Neptune seemed to bestir himself in or- dor n fyfvn "a kcrx of all kinds of his weather at the very start. At the start drizzling rain set In, which made things decidedly nasty and uncomfortable ia any place except be- tween decks. The boys did not mind the weather much, however, for packed between the decks of the small steamer they smoked, told stories, sang songs or slept, as the spirit moved them, while the Richard Law logged along, at five or six miles an hour. Later the weather cleared bit and the boat which had been steaning along in wa ter of the stiffness of a mill pond eK- peTienced little rougher water, but | nothing great. By the time the Law reached the pier of the island the sum had nearly worked it's passage through the rain clouds and 1t was quite warm. | At noon lunch, consisting of eanh- wiches and pie, were served on board
 the boat, washed down by a bottle of
 beer. Sandwiches and pie were in lal
 minority compared with the .fnen who relish such edibles and as a conse- quence various devices were employer | by some to get their share, while some unfortunates got left out entirely. 1 The Hartford division, between fifty and sixty men, who came down onI
 the Law, having left Hartford at 5 o'clock in the morning. There were
 really 1M men all told on board the l boat.
 l On the arrival at the pier the men were greeted by the men who came
 down on Saturday to put the camp in
 order.
 The work of unloading the boat was
 accomplished in short order, and in less | than an hour personal effects, all the guns, equipments and the howitzer had been safely transferred to Camp Buck.
 land from the boat.
 The camp Is very pleasantly situated;
 on the slope of the hill just back over Hooking the sound, just opposite Mystic on the Connecticut shore. It Is ai
 healthful as we'll as pleasantly situated}
 place. The division tents are arranged'
 in rows from west to east.
 The two rows nearest the shore ara occupied by the New Haven division.
 There are twenty tents, and three mem
 occupy tent.
 At the west of the mems ,tent are the tents of the division officers and, still further west, of the commander of the battalion and his staff. South and par-
 allel to the tents of the New Haven di-
 vision are those occupied by the Sec-
 ond division of Hartford, and, still fur ther south, of the Engineers division. The big. tents of the Hospital corps are
 situated south of the division officers tents.
 At o'clock the men marched to mess,
 which Is provided in a large tent, with
 open sides, south of the entire encamp-
 ment.
 Soup, roast beef, bread, beer, coffee
 and milk made up the bill of fare. Tin
 plates are the most striking pieces of
 table furniture. The men had appe-
 tites whetted to an edge. and left at