New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-18
o11vPSES OF CAMP LIFE.
.cr or FIFE AND DRUM-CHEERI-
AD',.rcs OF CAMPFIRES-HOWR AS
IT'S GOT A UNIFORM.


IT'S GOT A UNIFORM
vikoN. sept. Il (speciaD.-Camphres give
Gam" ana appropriate touch 10 life here few can
re" az bere and there each evening. and their
be see n,,,es are greatly roished by the soldiers
crsc"e pr, 90 ,he September nights settles over
as wv Around them the boys gather and ex-
aon'a'~ ~,ae foxes or fight their battles over.
cashe' ..-oo Of the campfire has been one OF the
Inc "a, has made Camp Wikoff fall tort of a
M"s. Americans preconceived rotich OF what
y''"a,,, o., an American Army In wartime is Ike
t'e me- where the soldiers had TO cook their own
u - ,bere were as many camphres as they
Huv'" crd tyel for Put on Long Island. where
c0'u ar, site 5 not changed from night TO night In
'n' &c ~ closing in enemy. cooking is
ne Pr ,,-,t'aily lnesses The company cooks use
tnne ~, few use Dutch ovens. but most use me
0rens a, oven which seems to be especially
Bl1S.aes5 70 camp. and may ne folded readily for
scaY.eo~-.of3or The oven part Of The Buzz0cott is
uanspo,i, box with a I'D This sets top Of
s o, II arched griiron crate. underneath when
sUa' is enough ovcava'ing 20 MAKE room 10y ne
there ~ or7yi5e draught. in order TO make the
,ue, IN the oven even liye Goals are shoNeNed on
Top of IL be irving Is done Water is boiled on
mes scy,ens.on BAR beneath which the dranght runs
VIII ee the modern range IS ahead u the old
ss.sioned f~opoce they are neither so picturesque
nor CHEEKY
,,o,ner tAius the young American misses when
- ,gslts the camp IS the roll of the drum. The
s-,ro and afe have played TO part in the Spanish
..rs,ao war. ana they seem 70 he going out OF
n.n IN ne American Army. The picture OF me
- Revolutionary drummer and nfer marching
Us o,,ra.,y INFO acton and the stories Of drum
80 bovs beating the onward march undl Their
h..r,e ceased 20 beat, give way 20 the picture OF
.,o TROOPS that go silently into battle without aq-
versug IAcir approach except - ~ q - boers
the calls @; 'hy d" TN distances here are
-
Ewes the r1.e ~ bug'a near at nanl WI. oe an
svered from camp far away Ana men i oIV go Scr,
NOR more ard more dlsian: hills sounding as II they
we've eel oos @: the original call Inc man WIN N
,sntsS favs must have had musical sout us
VIEW svee; notes as they fall the still night
az seem more ike an invitation 10 sleep ana resi-
than & command
Tribune representative yesterday asked l. c.
Douglas drummer and buger o. Company H. e'h
Infantry as 20 the absence % the drum ana NE az
camp ne las been drummer in the Army ior
nine years
D,nlv foi,- regiments he said. retain the drum
and afe corps 40 far rs ! know. They are the Isl.
9Th l7th and list regiments. and the lth only re-
Gently formed q corps IN our regiment we nave
8 dr,nmer and ffor in each company. and we
form behind the band for dress parade. The drums
and flies are used chiefly IN guard mount and In
'counany drills They aye not used at all on long
marches Each drummer and Afer has also
bugle and when he goes on duty he has his bugle
"Tta a-y,os and afes are not used here. because
60 man u he payers are dead. wounded OF SICK
W. have ONLY I've on duty in the 9Th and they have
cnhs ,A - our drums on The transport and either
carried ria. or helped carry 81 me Geaa. a.,,,o6
altogethcr IN tne Army Drums are not OF much
practical Use ia The service The morning end even
is 100 dead for Ise 4 drum head IS easily broken
and in an engagement il would be worse than use
less as Il would drown the commands. For music
and marching tie Boys much prefer me bands"
Tho dress Of the men IN camp also falls to At
precopceived ideas. While the campaign hat is In
fnitey more sensible tor hghtins especially fight
ing under tropical sun. It Is certainly far de-
parture from the tine-hOnored soldier cap. Here
the have worn their coats only little and
with their gray. seft -.at- and Army shirts they
look more like miners thar like soldiers.
Then. to top all. there have been until recently
no drills What the boys needed rest. and
what they did no. need drill so the latter was
wisely dispensed with 1t is only since the recruits
haze arrived that there has been any drilling
Companies Of infantry or cavalry may be seen
going through the mapual or manpuvIlng no" a.
almost any tine 81 DAY ana !, I'neS NM 80 r.
peel That mas ninert0 htcN iuiniShec oii pS w
great stretches OF tents the hatte-scarred hags IN
front II he tents Of regimental commanders, me
perpetualiy moving army mules. and pre"eminentIy
by the III and wounded in the hospitals
Ever since 'Rastus. q twelve-year-old negro boy
became the mascot Of the 10Th Infantry. in Noble
be has been anxious 70 get possession Of suit OF
soldier clothes, 80 that his mold the 10th might
rest on a stronger basis than his powers OF enter
teiuirg BIZ dance song and Joke Now Ras tus's
white teeth CLEAN all day in the sunlight at inc
easy way in which Uncle Sam done give him
Suit When the lhh came up from Santiago there
was considerable fever aboard and as a result the
dlsinfecting thoroughly done before the men
were q lowed 10 20 ashore Every man was made
n nd b-au nd and
blanket In which 70 leave the boa. Rastus lef,
behind the faded patched habiments that his
nanny had made him 20 b dipped In the dis'n-
tec,ing barrel! He had roll his soldier trousers
up foot or 50, and likewise turn up ms sleeves.
bis eyes rolled with delight under MS big campaign
hat but 70 make me a sure 'nough member Cd o'
Ras,us nrst became connected with the 10Th as
carrier Of water the Chinese COOK OF The ohcers
Ness IN Mobile AS soon as oi0cfs came IoI ''e
regiment 20 90 20 Cuba the Chinaman gave "
his place. Not 50 Rastus. lie went 20 Cuba pu'
while the fghting was hottest ne STAYED oack WIZ
the mules and most IF he time on that sce OF
apar,icular mule that was furthest from me scene
o. action.
The esprit lie corps IS strong in the regiments oi
the Regular Army II was illustrated when the
shattered remnant Of the 18Th Infantry ief' CainI
Wikon FOX the West. AS tho column moved pas
the officers clubhouse coward tho transport tha'
was TO carry Il away q captain u one Of iis corr
pznics who FOR Some reason. was compelled tc
stay behind rept Ike a child because Of MS en-
forced separation from his regiment His break
Down vas partly accounted for by The ovcrstralnec
condition q bis nerves after the long campaign
but more by the intensity Of his affection :or MI
regiment and company, love tina; is AKIN 10 ma
OF man FOR Ms wife or sweetheart. tbs same
affection Is shown in The cool manner IN whic'
every mar tells Won that his regiment Old the hcs
sork that was done q: Santiago. No amount o.
oenons,raion wu. convince him that any othe'
regiment did qrlir as good work \ fair sample o.
ms pride o. regiment was exhibited yesterday BY
Vne sergeant major Of the 6th Infantry lie is
s,s'elan OF tho ClVl War and Of several lndidi
"s..hts, a. WEI ~ Of the recent WAY.
Inc best work done at Santiago was dOhe D!
~, - Nh" he SAID ~ a calm. dsDassiOnate man
~, a. II thai were undisput"d tru!sn. IN III
49,, pace. We were moved down in thc Blooq.