The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-09-16
Sept. 3. 1898.
From Camp Meade.

CAMP MEADE, September 1I.-Since my last
letter we have changed our camp to one OF the
very prettiest places | have ever seen. We
left Old Point on Wednesday, at twelve
o'clock. The baggage and quartermasters
supplies were shipped as freight and the bal
ance of the troops came by steamer as far as
Cape Charles, and from there we embark ed
on the Pennsylvania railroad via. of Lancaster.
The trip was decidedly pleasant one, only IL
was made mostly at night, and amid rain, but
in spite Of all the discOmforts We were greeted
enthusiastically along the route, the crowds
cheering us as long as We were in sight. When
We arrived at Lancaster, an abundance of hot
coffee awaited US and we were refreshed
wonderfully. Middletown was reached about
five o'clock Thursday morning, and upon the
arrival of the entire regiment We marched to
our camp, which is situated on "foung's
Farm" which is about five miles from the
point OF Decentralization.
The march was made without a single halt
and the boys stood it WELL Work was entered
upon with spirit and by 3 P. NJ, the camp
began to assume a homelike appearance, the
only inconvenience to which We are submit
ted being Il scarcity of water, that very i'm
portant article being hauled a distance of
three or four miles to camp, and in conse
quence the boys have not the same facilities
for bathing which they enjoyed when the
Chesapeake bay was at their front door.
Water pipes are now being laid and the next
few days will see US well supplied.
The camp is located in billy country aud
every hill is occupied by regiment. There
are about thirty thousand soldiers quartered
here at the present date. Tho guard duty is
however much easier than at Fort Monroe,
everything at Camp Meade being provost
guard. A full battalion is placed on duty at
one time, and kept at it for tweutyon days
and they patrol Harrisburg, Middletown, and
the surrounding country.
The citizens are having the best OF it, as we
were paid off Just before we left Fort Monroe
and we are able to furnish daintes. Butter,
eggs, sandwiches and milk are at our COM
mand, to say nothing of the splendid pies for
which Pennsylvania famous.
The First regiments under the command
OF Brig. Gen'l. Graham, but as yet have not
been regularly assigned to any corps. Week
pect to he PLACED in Gobn's brigade and sent
to Porto Rico. All this is still unsettled as
yet. The boys will be drilled much harder
| than while at Old Point, as orders were read
to us this afternoon and there are four drills
daily The weather is however, SO delightful
that We will not suffer much. We are the
only regiment in the field which has no band
but there is talk Of enisting one in q few days.
Secretary Alger and General Shafter re-
viewed the troops here on Friday, and al
though we did not pass in review, We were
noticed by both of them and Secretary Alger
remarked that 1--WE were tine looking lot Of
soldiers"
cannot understand why the Baltimore
papers should make SO many efforts to belttle
the First regiment They seem to refrain
from giving us our Just dues, and this is GER
tainly wrong, for there are honOrs enough to
furnish us with an equal reputation with the
Fifth. They have seen no more service than
we have and have known no more OF camp
life, but it appears impossible for those city
papers to give the true side of our case.
The reputation of our boys for health is
hard to surpass. Our percentage Of sick men
is very low, being only thirteen men out Of
thirteen hundred.
Artifcer Joseph c. Akers and private J. II.
F. Reynolds have been granted honorable dis
charges and have returned to their homes, aud
since there seems no chance for us to reach
the front, there are number of others who
would like to return home, and several APP
plicattons have been made for discharges
We miss Lieut.. Rouse very much, and often
wish that he was with us once more. tie was
always Jolly soldier and was a model officer
in every respect. 4.