Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-05-22
Regular Troops Arouse Enthusiasm
All Along the Way.
FROM new YORK 10 WASHINGTON
Have Taken Part in Two important
Ceremonies.
70 BE BACK NEXT MONDAY
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
CROwDER'S WOOD, Near Baltimore
Nov, &c

CROwDER's WOOD, Near Baltimore,
May %, 1897.
The regular troops from Fort Myer and
Washington barracks, who left, about q
month ago, to take part In the Grant day
parade in New York, are expected to arrive
at their home stations either Sunday or
Monday next, having marched overland
the entire distance between New York and
Washington, about $50 miles.
The commanding officer of the troops Is
Col. 8. s. Sumner, commandant at Fort
Myer, with staff of Lieutenant Howe
adjutant; Lieutenant Hartman, quartermas-
ter, and Captain Arthur, surgeon. The
command consists of four troops of the 9Th
United States Cavalry, in charge Of Major
Lebo, and Battery e, 1st United States Ar
tillery, commanded by Captain Capron.
The other officers on duty with the troops
are Captains West and Craig, and Lieuten-
ants Brooks, Gallagher. Ryan,. Rhodes,
Hyer. Short. Heiberg. Lott. Summerlin
Chamberlain, Hawthorne, Hamilton and
NiSSen.
While in New York the troops from
washington were encamped on the heights
above Weehawken and were transported to
and from New York on the ferry boats of
the West Shore railroad. This camp which
was called Camp Merritt, in honor of the
commanding general, Department of the
East. was thronged with visitors from re-
Ve1lle until taps, and even after taps 1t re-
CURED the persuasion of an armed sentinel
10 convince some visitors that their pres
ence was not wanted. Curiosity at every
thing to be seen-the tents. the horses, the
rlf1ed field pieceS-but above all the field
kitchens was something marvellous. Off
GERS became accustomed to strange faces
peerfng into their cosy tents with such re-
marks as My, he's got looking glass;"
And see the wash basin!' He actually
uses SOAP ETC.; while the crowds about
the open-air kitchens became so demon
strative that ropes had to be stretched to
enable the cooks to work. The camera en-
tnuslsasts were very much in evidence, and
both officers and men early became hard
ened to gazing fixedly into space, while the
lens OF a camera was thrust ruthlessly for
ward in their direction Surely, soldiers
dare face the frowning lannon's mouth
after experiences such as these!
Camp Merritt was abandoned May 1, the
inhabitants Of the neighboring town of
Gutenberg causing no little excitement by
their frantic efforts to carry off fire wood
left by the troops, while a single employe
of the quartermaster's department tried
vainly to keep his eyes on forty different
piles of wood at the same time. The troops
abandoned him to his fate! With band
playing and colors flying the cavalry and
light battery made their first days march
to Elizabeth. N. j., passing through Hobo
ken. Jersey City and Newark. Flags were
flying along the route and from the mills
and factories hundreds of handkerchiefs
were waved to the boys in blue. For divers
reasons, the boys in blue did not all have
handkerchiefs to wave in return, but their
drab campaign hats did quite as well.
Elizabeth and Princeton.
At Elizabeth rain overlook the command;
the camp, which was unfortunately pitched
on swampy ground, became a quagmire.
and there was serious thought of teie-
graphing the War Department for life pre-
Rnf he oil of ho
beth people more than made amends for
the Indictment weather. Charming people
I waded out to the camp, and made them
l selves known; and dinners, breakfasts
\ and hop at the Town and Country Club
followed. 1t was with genuine regret that
the regulars left Camp Keene. as uncom-
Portable as it had been, and marched 10
New Brunswick. Here the sun shone for
awhile-long enough to allow bedding and
clothing to be dried; but rain relentlessly
pursued the troops, and the patter of the
rain drops on the canvas all night long.
with, perhaps very few trickling through
on to the tired soldiers, was not an en-
couraging lullaby.
But the sun came forth on the following
day from a heavy bank of clouds, and the
of rising spirits.
And then came Princeton!
All sorts of rumors in regard to Princeton
had reached the troopers from the time
they had left New York. Look out for
them boys" said one old wiseacre. 'They
ran one wild west show out of town." The
soldiers did not relish being taken for a
wild west show. Neither did they like the
idea of going on the warpath for Prince
tonians. Old Indian fighters took counsel
of one another and a few recruits were seen
putting an extra keen edge on their .sabers.
But the Princeton boys. loyal young
Americans, proved jolly good fellows, who
seemed half inclined to join forces with
Uncle Sans representatives, instead of
officers were invited to dine at the students
clubs. and later in the evening the senior
class. seated on the steps of historic Old
Nassau gave a most enjoyable and credit
able vocal concert.
After tents were struck the following day
the command was wheeled into line in front
of the line of beautiful college buildings
and. amid the cheers of the students. arms
were presented to that grand old building
where met the first Continental Congress
of these United States.
Mid the Blaze Of Cameras,
On the way to Trenton 1t seemed as II
three-fourths of the students Of Princeton
accompanied the troopers. Wheels passed
and repassed. and from around sudden
turns in the road masked batteries of
cameras were aimed and fired, their owners
scorchfng to a safe distance ahead. where
they halted aimed. and fired again. Not
since the war of the revolution had United
States regular troops traversed that histor-
ic road. and this may perhaps explain the
warmth of the welcome which the troops
received at Princeton and Trenton. At
Trenton companies of the National Guard
met and escorted the regulars through the
city, flags flying from nearly every window.
The Delaware was crossed, and Camp Nor
ris established on the site of Washington's
headquarters. on Morris Island. Here again
was the camp visited by thousands of in
terested visitors, and perhaps the only
thing that saved it from complete inunda-
ton was the fact that toll was levied on all
who crossed the river.
The next camp was at Torresdale a
suburb of Philadelphia, upon the lovely
estate Of Col. Morrell. inspector general of
the Pennsylvania National Guard The
march thence was the elimination of q
series of patriotic demonstrations by the
good people of New Jersey. At Bristol
nearly every house was gorgeously decorat-
ed with bunting, and near the center Of the
town a piece Of the original arch under
which Lafayette passed in 1924 spanned the
street and did honor to the marching
troops.
After several days at Torresdale. where
Camp Morrell was -deluged with visitors,
the command marched into Philadelphia
and pitched the tents Of Camp Hastings on