Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-08
-. when men have

appetite Graves. WIZ"
marching and lighting to do nearly every
dav IN the week, they have no Tune or
disnosl,ion 10 complain OF their ra.o"S'
.,.,osa they are scanty. but while they
r. ,d,ing away their time In camp tney
are hard to please Delmonicos Dill OF
far. would not satisfy all. However
u,tle prumbling does no harm. Al any
80 ,t has ever been the privilege OF the
American volunteer soldier, and he Will
meyer consent to surrender II.
Tn ono Of the State camps the COM
mandant has had the ''reveille' sounded
at "a. NJ. and taps" at p. M. That Is 10
saw. he has had his men reused out OF
he'd Mt 5. and all lights in the tents had
TO be put out at 8. Now the great ma
ior,tv of our volunteers are men who are
residents OF cities, and many OF them
are not used TO rising until z or O'Clock,
so the hardship Of having to bundle out
of bed at was very great. in the case
In point the remonstrances of the OIL
GERS and soldiers have resulted In an or
der changing the hour, for reveille from
5 TO 6, and for taps from to $780,
And so far as drilling is concerned, 1t
may be said soothngly. yet truthfully,
that its severity will lessen every day.
II Will be wearsome at first to the new
recruit. but experience and practice VIII
lessen its severity very much. And every
old soldier will affirm that nothing will
be more helpful than for the recruit TO
be well shod-to wear pair Oh Stout
b. d-soled, easy-fittng shoes.
Ire change from house-life TO the tent
ed field is sometimes accompanied with
sickness, but with most young men
camp-life agrees very well, indeed. Ana
I: fortunately happens that this is the
very best season of the year TO go into
camp in Virginia. We may presume
certainly, we hope-that the spring rains
are over, or nearly over, and that the
ground will soon be dry and the air fresh
and bracing. We may be sure that no
mistake has been made In the location of
our camp. Camp Lee" was camp
ground for a summer before the civil
war, and IT was a csmp-ground from ls6l
to 1865, and was never known TO be aught
but healthy And in the matter OF pre-
paratons, it is to be trusted that the au-
thorities have taken warning from the
mischances in other State camps, and
have all their arrangements in proper
degree Of forwardness. Still, none but
very green" soldier will expect to find
all the comforts Of a home in camp. He
will have to trough it," and this he may
do without serious hurt to his health. on
the contrary, the life of n soldier will be
tolerably sure to make man of him.
He will have no mother, or wife, or Sis
ter TO pamper him; but If he be fellow
of average sense he will soon learn how
to cook his meals and roll up his
blankets-the two chief items of house
keeping 10 which he will have to give his
attention.
The war may last for weeks, or IL may
last for months; we cannot tell: but the
arming and mastering Of our volunteers
will not be in vain. The money for this
purpose will not be fruitless.y spent 1t
will be an educational demonstration. 1t
will enable the old Confederate veteran
to see what is new in warfare. 1t Will
be an object-lesson TO generation OF
young men who have been listening to
war stories for 10 these many years. II
Will be a valuable experience for all our
volunteers, and will show the world what
we are capable of doing in the way Of or
ganization. Finally, it will be new
epoch i'm our countrys history, which we
trust will be full Of good and glory, too.
May every Virginia volunteer return to
his home full of honors and remini-
SCIENCES, and then may the old veterans
list to the volunteers stories as patiently
as the volunteers have listened TO theirs.