The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-30
SECOND GEoRGIA'S CAMP SITE.
THE REGIMENT NOW MUCH BET
TER SATISFIED.


Prospect of Going to Porto Rico
|. Instead of to Santiago - The Sick
List Growing shorter.
Tampa, Fla, July 29.-The Georgia boys
are now very comfortably situated az
Tampa lights just on the outskirts Of the
city. 1t is by far the pieasantest camp the
regiment has yet had, and the location is
al. that could be asked for
The camp Is dry clean and fairly well
shaded by pine and oak trees and surround
cd by woods of the same. and groves of
orange and other trees. II is just the place
for the new hammocks recently furnished
the boys, ana good part of their leisure
time is spent an swinging under The trees.
There is &ore room IMAM at Palmetto
Beach, besides plenty OF room for drill
grounds near by. In fact, it is an ideal
spot for a camp. A broad avenue over 100
feet wide, separates the officers
quarters from those of the men,
and adds greatly to the
appearance of the camp. Tampa Nights is
a very pretty suburb OF Tampa, being filled
win neat modern cottages, surrounded by
gardens. lawns and orange groves extend
ing all the way from the city itself 10 the
camp, distance Of nearly two miles. Ybor
CITY is just fifteen minutes walk from the
camp and his in itself is no small attrac-
tion as Ybor is a place Of great variety,
where idle hours can be easily Whiled
away. The Fifth United States Infantry
is encamped near by and the present
camp was formerly occupied by the Ninth
M. Tn
one of the least of the attractions is
plentiful supply Of good water, with IA
cilites for bathing.
il Is hardly necessary to state that the
boys have fauen in love with their camp,
ana If IL should be their fate to remain at
Tampa all summer, they would be much
more reconciled than had they been left
in the mud fats of Palmetto Beach.
The members of the Second are very
much elated at the announcement from
Washington that they are slated for Por-
to Rico and not for Santiago, as first an
nounced. The latter place possessed no
attractions for them. All the glory TO be
had there had already been won by other
commands The only prospect, as they
saw it, was to broil under a tropical sun
with an imminent risk OF death
by yellow fever. The anxiety of their rel
atiVes, on account of their situation was
also a matter for consideration The Porto
Rico expedition is looked at in different
light. Both men and officers of the Sec
ond want to see active service. They DO
not desire to expose themselves TO danger
unnecessarily, but they would regret II
peace should be declared without the regl-
ment being given an opportunity 20 show
the stuff of which it is made. The Porto
Rico expedition affords just this sort OF
opportunity The climate is not so severe
as that of Cuba and the danger of yellow
fever is absent, or exists in minor degree
only 1t is simply a case of fight if the
enemy does not back down. Then if the
war is not ended by the fall of
Porto Rico the regiment will be in spleu-
did position TO take part in the final cam
paign in Cuba In the fall. The officers of
the Second Regiment do not desire to ex-
pose the lives of their men unnecessarily,
but they share with them the desire for
active service and will welcome the orders
for departure to Port Tampa, there to
board transports for Porto Rico.
AS has been announced, the Second
Georgia the Fifth Maryland and the First
Florida compose the brigade TO be sent
from this point and the Floridians have
been ordered back from Fernandina, where
they arrived only a few days ago There
are no transports at Port Tam
pa now 10 carry the bri
gade but several of those which
| carried the first expedition are expected
back daily. AS il viii take some time to
clean up and provision the ships. load sup
plies and embark the troops 1t is esti-
mated that 1t will be at least two weeks
before the brigade can get away, conse-
quently the relatives Of the men need have
no apprehension that the latter viii be
hurried away before they have chance to
hear from them again.
one good result expected from the new
| camp is an Improvement in the health of
the men. The sick list was growing entire
| ly too large at Palmetto Beach, but is al
ready diminishing here. Some Of the COM
/ panies have suffered much
more by sickness than others
! Company L, Capt. Hopkins, has had
| its ranks greatly depleted by sickness. The
/ company now has eighteen men i'll with
! typhoid fever, besides several on the regi-
mental sick list. This company has also
! discharged thirteen men on account Of
| physical defects and has had the mis-
fortune 10 suffer several deseruons As
| recruits have not come in rapidly, its ranks
! are not as fun as its commander would
| like to see.
Companies K and NJ Capts Cam and
! Austin. have both suffered somewhat from
sickness and slightly from desertion, but
are both enabled 10 show up on the pa
! rade ground daily In good shape. Com
pany r, capt. Screven, has suffered less
| from sickness than any other company in
the first battalion. -Four men have been
discharged for physical disability and the
! company has one man at Fort Mcpherson
and one at the division hospital. Not &
! single case of desertion has occurred in
the company OF the ninety odd members
! of the company over sixty are from Sa-
| Vauuah. Company b has secured more
orderlies than any two other companies
/ n n rtc
twenty ahead of Company A, Capt Viii
coNsons company. 1t Is no uncommon
thing for Company b to capture both
orderlies for the day Owing 10 the good
| reputation which it has made Company b
has less difficulty in securing recruits
than some of the other companies, the
/ volunteers frequently declaring their pre-
| ference for this company without sohcita-