Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-05-19

all around In regard TO the meAico
Adjutant-G General Bell
has stood by us at all times and we
are faring nicely. We will, of course,
retain our officers and not M of us
has q complaint to make.
CAPT. HERBERT BLACK.
IN AND ABOUT THE CAMP.
Correspondence of the Ledger.
CAMP STEPHENS, JEFFERSON BAR
RACKS, Mo-, May 15.-Company O is
in camp at last. After much hard
work all this has been done and we
are in fairly good shape now.
When the train bearing our boys
pulled out of Mexico there were many
long faces, which showed the effects OF
a sad farewell. AS the train neared
st. Louis the boys began to lose their
detected looks and began to have some
life in them. They could see some
thing funny in everything and by the
time the train was backed into Union
Station they we're "joshing'' every
body in sight.
After a short wait In st. Louis the
train was transferred to the Iron
Mountain tracks and moved to Jeffer-
son Barracks, where the men unloaded
and marched to the Fourth Regiment
camp. Here the men waited two or
three hours and it was a dull, dreary
wait, too. The men were then marched
to the parade ground, near the canteen
or suffers store, and were held there
until about $3.50 O'Clock, when they
were marched to the nav camp
grounds for the Fifth Regiment. Here
the officers tent was pitched. The
First Sergeant was called by the Quar-
termaster and rations for two messes
were issued. The rations consisted Of
beef, bacon, beans and bread, and the
boys ate a late supper and that in the
rain.
A great deal of uneasiness was being
| expressed all of this time on account
| of the report that there would be no
tents or blankets issued for the men,
but finally, about dark, and while it
was raining, the tents began to arrive
and there was a hot time for a while;
in fact, the camp-elect looked much
like a Turkish bath.
Finally the tents were up and straw
and blankets were issued. By this time
the worn-out and hungry boys were
ready to 60 to sleep. They we're eau
toned to ditch their tents, but they
thought it would soon slack up, and
"let Ter go" at that. Consequently
when it did begin to rain the boys
were soaked. They fixed the tents
bright and early the next morning
They learned an excellent lesson. A
good wetting was thrown in.
On Saturday the men were formed
into police and guard details and were
worked hard. Here one could SET
four or FIVE of the boys with rake ant
shovel cleaning the company's stree
and a man doing guard duty.
The fond mothers of Mexico woult
have been shocked to have seen thei
I boys doing such arduous and menia
work, but it is the life of a soldier ant
must be done. 1t will make men on
of some of the boys who, it seems
g would otherwise be a drug on thu
: worlds industry.
A case in point happened this morn
q ing. One of the boys rather objecte'
to a duty assigned him and the dut.
8 was Immediately doubled. The actiol
t of the officer who detailed the ma
8 for duty not only learned the youn
8 soldier that his duty was to obey an
not to ask questions, but it served t
show the other men what was expecte
of them and how they would be serve
In case of sulkiness.
The last paragraph is probabl
s~uperauous, but it goes to show th
q lessons to be learned in soldier lif'
It is q fact that there are many your
men who do not know the meaning
a the word obedience" This may
v may not be the fault of the paren
and no mistake could be more readi
w rectifed than by leading the life of
IL soldier.
ss Saturday night Regimental gual
mount was gone through with at
o'clock. The First Sergeant Of Cor
II. pany L, as Company O IL now Gale
70, was called on for five men and VIII
he reported he had the finest lot
q men In the mount. His men had be-
carefully inspected by him befo
K reporting on the parade ground ar
as an especial work Of favor, the Diet
he sent in was used as officers qua
during Sunday.
NV This week q large number of peoI
or from here were at Jefferson Barrac
" to visit the soldiers who went fro
m Mexico and vicinity. The camp Is
ID miles from Sixth and Market stree
St. Louis, and Ia reached by elect
cars and other means OF transpo
the On approaching the grounds and af
the reaching the summit OF the last
,ois your eyes fall upon a thousand to-
hill or more, over which hoats the Pre-
stars and stripes and guarded by tho
ars. ands of soldiers. Since the trot
and have been concentrated at the barra'
there has been no drilling.
2s, Our boys rel laughing at some
the amusing incidents that had
Cured In camp, M OF which was
zen lated by Lieutenant Eagon ~ follo'
In Company L., Third Regime
Captain schwegier, a big Austrian
the nsme Of Pete Simons, held up
D. hand and was sworn in, but when
Iote. came to signing the muster roll
. D. fiunksd. When the company
.. turned to its quarters Cap
and Schwegler called Lieutenant Ia,
Duncan, captain Of the Kansas [