The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1898-05-28
CAMP THOMAS.
Ben Benson Writes E~utertainingly of the
Trip Of the Twelfth Minnesota from
St. Paul to O~hickamauga
Park, Georgia.

Peter Gill OF D. McKlnnon's store is in
receipt OF q letter from Ben Benson,
formerly q clerk in n. D. McGillivrsy's
store. When war was declared Mr.. Ben
son returned to his home in Minnesota
where he was q member OF q militia CON-
pany and went into active service with
the Twelfth infantry regiment OF that
state He now writes from Camp
Thomas, C~hickamauga Park, Ca, under
date of May 81, and Mr.. Gill kindly per-
mits US to make the following extracts
from the letter:
"As you will see by the date OF this
letter VI are way down 10 Geoogla.' We
left st. Paul last Monday at l1:3O q. w.,
and arrived here at 5 p. a., Thursday.
We had a fine trip as we we're provided
with Pullman sleepers through without
change. Our regiment required thirty
cars, including horse and supply cars.
We left St. Paul over the Minneapolis
and st. Louis, passing through Iowa
via Cedar Rapids and Burlington, down
into Missouri, arriving at st. Louis
Tuesday. Thence over the Mobile and
Ohio railway crossing the Mississippi
river into Illinois at Cairo, where our
cars were ferried across the Ohio river
into Kentucky passing down through
the western part OF the state into Ten
nessee, crossing the entire state to
Corlnth, Miss, thence through Alabama
back to Chattanooga. Tenn. Our train
travelled in three sections and at nearly
every town we received q friendly ova.
ton, except Ia q or two instances
when our platform guards were stoned
by small mobs. At Chattanooga we
could sit in the cars and see Lookout
Mountain looming up, from the top OF
which YOU can see several states. Or
the other side is Missionary Ridge, where
the great charge was made up in the
mountain in the war Of the rebellion
Our train proceeded four miles out Of
Chattanooga, into Georgia, where We LET,
our cars, also everything that resemblec
a soft snap. The officers didn't do {
thing but make US march twelve miles
under q burning hot sun, out to Chick
amauga Park. 1t was a hard march fol
the boys, and it told on 8 great many al
we had been on short rations during the
trip south, having received as a ration
only a piece of dry bread, one spoonful
, of canned beans and a small piece 0
canned meat, which the boys call hors'
meat, or red horse; and ! guess it is, a
l found something that looked like
piece of harness ia mine. These wer
the rations that we're issued to each MAJ
three times q day. We generally had t
wait an hour or two for our coffee ate
placing our sumptous repast under GU
belts. The first night at the Park "
slept on theground in the open air, witt
a blanket and Georgia atmosphere t
keep the dew Oft. We went to bed hun
cry, rs our supply car had got lost il
the shuttle. The next day our com
missary sergeant hustled US q few bean
and o small quantity Of bareback. Th
regiment is now drilling hard and tn
boys are beginning to understand wha
army discipline really is. The days ar
very warm and quite a number OF on
company are on the hospital report.
; Three Spanish spies have been car
tured here, charged with poisionin
wells, one Of whom has been shot 90
the other two will 90 of in the fireworks
tonight. Our boys dug a we'll yestel
day and We have q strong guard over
, night and day.
Il have to get up at 5 o'clock ever
: morning, which ONE pretty hard, as
( have a good appetite for sleep.
"These old camping grounds remin
: one Of the hot times during the COS, an
: on the spot We are oamped one OF Il
hottest battles of the war was fought.
"Kind regards to all my friends