Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-06-02
From cnmn rhomaa.

Frank Kerr, one OF the band boys who
went out from here with the twenty.
drst Kansas, the private m ,tters only
being omitted, so far ~ we have
heard the band boys seem we'll satisfied
though a few complaints have been
heard from the members Of tile com
pany
Well l am away down here Ia Geor'
"a where the bamboo fishing p )les grow
also aligatorS, and don't know just
what all. We are camped about 1--we
miles back IN the Chlcamauga Park,
one OF tho main battle fields OF tho
civil war There are large monuments
aud cannonS erected all over the
grounds where great generals and col.
onels had their quarters and also where
they Nere killed. There IL q monu-
ment OF cannon balls about II rod from
our tent where General Smith was
killed In a night attack, and the old
trees are oil SCARED up, Some OF the
soldiers found old bullets, ram rods, O..
S. A. buckles, etc. on the grounds
You sec II Is government park, thir-
teen miles square, and people have not
been allowed TO carry Off things or even
hunt for them; but they cannot keep
the soldiers from finding them and
gather Ing them up,
There will ne 80, 900 when all arrive,
and they are about all here now, We
are camped right In among the noun
tains and big trees, so II is shady here
or we would all die with the heat.
This Is the hottest pla.e this side Of
you know where. This park takes In a
big part of Missionary Ridge and Mt.
Lookout Is just on the outer edge. We
came around the foot Of Mt. Lookout
when we came In and we crossed the
ridge coming out to camp, We got
In Chattanooga, Tuesday morning Mt
500 o'clock and took breakfast. That
evening we started for Chickamauga,
Georgia, not Tennessee. We are
about seven miles In Georgia. There
we're 80 many coming in at the same
time that II was all next day, Friday,
getting into quarters and then yester
day all day to get fixed, Bob Rae,
Bob McMillen, James King from Cal
dwell, my closest chum) and | are in one
tent together. l could not have been
better satisfied, for they are all like
me, they want to keep clean, and we
do, too. don't want you to worry
over me for | will get through all riOht,
If anything should happen we have
some OF The best doctors on earth with
US, The chief surgeon, Armstrong,
has his wife with him and she Is about
the best woman l have seen since | left
home. She and the wife of one Of the
captains are che only women in camp
that know Of, and the soldiers treat
them like queens. l have got pretty
well acquainted, for you know the
band belongs with the colonel's staff
and our tents are right along side Of
them.
We saw some mighty fne scenery on
the way here and are camped In one of
the finest places east of the Rockies.
You can stand on Mt. Lookout and
see into seven States.
We left Topeka Tuesday at 400 p, m.
and there was the largest crowd eyer
saw. They completely covered few
Of US with flowers. knew q crowd
OF girls Of about eight whom l met
last fall, and they put so many flowers
on me l could hardly get my breath.
Our trip was continuous ovation.
Large crowds at every station with
flowers for us. l got some Of the
sweetest flowers In Kentucky l ever
saw. We made quite stop at Evans
vile, Indiana, and played "Down on
the Ohio" as we crossed the river, and
my Old Kentucky Home" as we en-
tered the city Of Henderson just
across the river in Kentucky. You
ought to have seen little "yellow gal"
dance Jig when we played "Dixie."
1t was a fine trip. We are In the
First Army Corps, that will goto CUBA
II any go, Major Brown thinks they
will not send any Of the volunteers I'm.
til October. We only have about three
hours work day, that is to play for
guard mount In the morning, dress pa
rade In the evening and an hours re-
hearsal each day. M
AS ever yours respectfully, ,r
FRANK.
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