The sun., 1898-10-03
BOYS ARE HOMEWARD BOUND
Two -BattaliOns of .Delaware'S
Fighters Will Return to
This City Today.
MAY ARRIVE HERE AT 1UCLOCK
The Government Has Ordered Colonel
AinscOw to Feed the $50 Re.
turning Soldiers at Pyle's
Cycle Academy This
Evening.
MAY ARRIVE HERE AT 1UCLOCK

The Delaware boys will be home to-
day. The trains conveying them back
to the ''Little Diamond State" will leave
Camp Meade about o'clock this morn
ing and will arrive in Wilmington about
one o'clock.
The boys will get good, square Della
ware meal at the governments expense,
for Colonel A. L. Ainscow has received
an order from Uncle Sam to give the $50
Delaware soldiers supper at Pyle's
Cycle Academy this evening.
As published in The Sun last Saturday
morning the soldiers after having spent
the campaign in camp and anxious to
get to the front, will be mustered out of
the service this afternoon and evening at
the state armory, Twelfth and Orange
streets. They will not be discharged
until they have undergone physical
examination, which examination will
take place at the armory thirty days
after they are mustered out.
The soldiers will then be given their
final discharge. Practically their term
of service will expire when they are mus
tered out, but the government wishing to
reward them they will receive the
months pay for the thirty-day furlough.
Major Z. Van A. Andrews and Lieu
tenant W. A. Alexander, of the Fourth
United States Artillery, and Captain D.
E. Settle, all of the regular army, have
been in this city since last Friday, wait.
ing to muster out the returning soldiers.
The mastering officers were at Middle
town for several days, until the govern
ment decided to muster out in Whining
ton instead of Camp Tunnel.
There will be fifty Of the boys retained
as guards to the armory until the general
discharge of the two battalions.
There may be some demonstration
made in honor of the boys return, but
the time is so short that the plans fol-
their reception may not mature.
Parents, wives, sweethearts and friends
will be at the French street P, w. 4 B.
station to welcome the boys, and many
of the citizens of Wilmington will be
there out of curiosity to see how the
boys look on their return from govern.
ment service as warriors.
There may be many members of the
two battalions who have preferred garri.
son duty and remained with the bat.
talon that will be sent to Cuba and
many of the members of the assigned
battalion may have preferred to leave
the service and come home. 1t is under
stood that the government allowed them
to take their choice in the matter.
The boys think they have had hard
time of it during the war. One day it
would be reported that they were to 20
to Cuba, the next day would have it
that they we're to 60 to Manila and
finally it was rumored that they were to
20 to Savannah and nothing turned out as
reported.
Their life Of expectancy and inactivity
in Alger Camps made them restless and
at times this restlessness gave their Off
GERS considerable trouble and caused the
boys to spend time doing police duty,
chores around the camp or maybe Ian
quisl for several days in the guard house
and pay heavy fine.
Had they known that their military
career would have been spent in camps,
it is doubtful if the same number Of
men could have been persuaded to enlist.
Many of them have expressed them
selves in the above manner when home
on furloughs. They say that their regi-
ment was ignored by the government,
because the government did not know
what fine regiment Delaware had put
in the field until they were seen to 60
through their drill at Camp Meade.
Then they were honored by President
Mckinley and complimented by regular
army officers, who took them to be
regulars by their faultless drilling and
fine military bearing.
Many experienced soldiers say that the
First Delaware Regiment of Volunteers
would have made record that Delaware
would have been proud Of had they been
allowed to 60 to the front as they de-
served.
They were among the first to respond
to the call of their country and more
than doubled the quota of men as COM
pared to the showing Of other states.
1t is not officially given out yet when
the balance of the Delaware Regiment
will 90 or where it will be sent.
y a.-I II