The evening times., 1898-06-14
THE SONG OF THE CAMP
s'The Banks of the Wabash" on
the Potomac.
ASCTNE OF SWEET SENTiMFNT
The Friendships of the Soldier.
status of the Hospital Misunder-
stuDdfnr-The Good Roads QHes-
tfOn-Private Hodges Funeral.
Needs of virginia Troops.

Camp Alger was a great volume OF
Sound between supper time and taps last
night. The bands gave concerts, the men
sang in groups and crowds and here and
there wandering musician made melody
for the few nickels he could collect.
A great chorus of several hundred
weary troops sat around quarters at the
15Sth Indiana and sang 'On the Banks OF
the Wabash Far Away" as 1t has seldom
before been sung. The stacked rifles.
backed by the white tents, made Il circle
for the lounging singers, while the whole
picture was framed in a glorious wealth
of foliage and drifting clouds. There
We're few in the great host of troops whose
minds We're not at the Indiana home
stead" and the scene was really impress
sve.
There is strange. pitiful something in
the lonely lines of these camped troops
which makes the whole mass kin.
Friendships are made in a moment and
little deeds performed by one for the
other which would seem strange in the
routine OF civilian life. The craving for
fellowship and companionship goes out
even to dumb animals, and IL is strange
to watch the devotion of some of the
boys to their pets. Despised ours are
worshipped almost as deities. Kittens,
rats. chickens, turtles, birds, and even
little pigs become part of their owners
and are u very important item in their
lives.
Wells are being driven at the rate Of
three or four every day.
AS a result of Col Girard's orders many
men who were too sick TO be out Of bed
but not sick enough TO be admitted to the
division hospital, have to sleep in quar-
ters. The recent vaccination IS causing
It,.
chilis. headaches and fever Some of the
arms of the men in camp are said 10 be
in an awful condition.
Tae Chicago tobacco houses have sup
Piled the Seventh Illinois with twenty
boxes of tobacco.
The Diamond Match Company has given
every man in the Eighth Ohio good sup
ply Of matches.
Watering carts are being used on the
roads leading into camp and this keeps
a little Of the dust down. The attention
of the War Department has been called
TO the condition of the road between the
camp and Falls Church. Fairfax county
is said to have made barrel of money
out of the camp and if the residents wish
to retain this good thing the road must
be repaired. according to the feeling at
camp.
A detachment of dozen men from the
Sixty-ffth New York went to Fort Myer
this morning to attend the funeral of Pri-
vate Hodges, who was killed by train.
The dead soldier received a military fu-
neral and was buried at Arlington.
The Third Virginia is in need of tentage.
the men being badly crowded in their
present quarters. Good water has been
found and Col. Nalle is much pleased with
the camp.
The Eighth Ohio is averse to taking a
back seat to the Sixth Massachusetts, on
the Friday and "th!rtesn' business. The
former regiment was also mustered in on
Friday left Camp Bushnell on Friday, ar
rived here on the thirteenth. the train had
thirteen cars and the officers rode in a
car named Waterloo" The State pay
came in on Friday and they expect to
leave camp on Friday.
Sk!rmishing tactics took up almost the
whole morning today and the troops are
getting into line in good style.