The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-05-17
OFF TO CUBA.
Twenty-First Regiment Kansas
Volunteers Marches
Bravely Out of Camp With Ban
ners Flying.
TO SANTA FE DEPOT
Where They Take the Train
For Chattanooga.
Some of the Scenes of Breaking
Camp.
70 SANTA FE DEPOT

The Twenty-first Kansas volunteers,
who leave Camp Leedy today for Chick
amauga park, resolved yesterday to
profit by the delay and bitches in the
starting of the Twentieth, so as soon
as they were up this morning, they
started in to load the cars and prepare
for leaving in a systematic way. The
ears to be loaded were sidetracked in
the fair grounds and the transfer of
tents and baggage was made by wag-
ons. There was no delay in loading
the cars with the tents, and by nine
then it was found that some of the
company officers had packed in more
baggage than they, were allowed and
some of the cars had to be unIoaded
and the baggage of the officers taken
out, reduced in weight and packed in
the cars set apart for it.
The orders given by Quartermaster
Little were for ten days rations and
three days travelling rations, and as if
he was following in the foot steps of
Lafe Smith of the Twentieth, he order
ed the cars loaded, and then he started
on his horse for a morning ride.
He returned about 10 o'clock to find
that not a pound of rations had been
loaded
There is a hitch in the quartermas-
ter's department" reported Maj. Brown
to Col. Fitch and he rode away to
straighten out the hitch" Col. Chas.
McCrum had gone to his home at Gar
sas City, SO in the absence of Col. Nc
Crum, everyone turned to Clerk Frank
Wilson for instructions. Some were
preparing to load the officers horses in
one of the baggage cars, and Wilson
was called upon to straighten them
out.
A man with a handsome sorrel horse
rode into camp and said he wanted to
sell the horse. Adjutant Nicholson was
pleased with the horse and wanted to
buy it, but he had just bought black
horse.
How can I fix this thing up?" asked
the adjutant of Clerk Wilson.
Sell the black horse to Chaplain
Woodward said Wilson.
But he wants to buy this sorrel."
"Chaplains can't ride sorrel horses,
they have to have black horses said
Wilson with twinkle in his eye, and
Nicholson rushed off to prove to the
chaplain that he could only ride a black
horse, according to the regulations of
the army.
Col. Tom Fitch was sitting in the
rear of the headquarters tent studying
his tactics. He was attired in a neat
fitting uniform with captains shoulder
straps, and people looking for the colo
mel of the regiment noticed the straps
with two bars, and passed him by, but
one man found out that the student of
the tactics was the colonel, and report
ed himself as tired of being orderly. He
said he had been on two days and
would like to be relieved long enough to
get something to eat; he was relieved.
''The men are well equipped with
blankets, cooking utensils and every
thing that goes towards making them
comfortable. We expect to be equipped
at Chickamauga with arms and uni
forms. 1 think that the men of the
Twenty first, as a whole, are thoroughly
satisfied with their prospects of going
to Cuba The companies are not all full
and we received authority to muster the
companies up to their full strength, and
so far we have taken in % more men"
Where the men were camped was
merrymaking.
First Lieutenant J. U. Brown of Com
pany E, 21st regiment was present
ed with a very handsome sword and
belt as a mark of esteem from MS
Greeley county friends
Lieut. Browns wife had just arrived
in camp with some lady friends, who
met her on the train She came all the
way from Greeley county to bid her
husband goodbye and wish him god
speed.
Can't. Thomson called the company
into line and Brigadier General Hudson
made an appropriate presentation
speech which was responded to by Lieu
tenant Brown briefly. Gen. Hudson was
happy in his remarks and referred to
the confidence repOsed in Lieut.. Brown
nv the people of his county in sending
him to represent them in the legislature
and also to the confidence repoSed IN
him by the members of his company,
who elected him unanimously as their
first lieutenant. He has spent many
Years in Cuba, has had yellow fever,
mud fever and the other ills to which
a white man is liable in that climate
The 21st regiment band in charge of
Chief Musician Watson was holding it's
first practice. They started in playing
''The Girl I Left Behind Me- and
marched round the camp playing as
loud as possible. Up the north side
thew went. across the west side and by
the time they were half way down the
south side they were pretty well wind
only the bass drum and the tuba were
playing but the Shrill notes of the pic
colo chimed in and finished strong
while several young ladies took up the
strain and sang about The boys are
going to leave US.
Where the tents had been taken
down were large piles of straw that had
been used for bedding. One OF the
across the camp. The fire was quick
~ spreading from one pile to another
and it looked for a moment as if the
blankets and tents would suffer.
William Sapp of Galena engaged a
hack and driver and with three ladies
started to camp to visit the Galena
COMPANY The driver started across the
camp ground from the northeast corner
and in attempting to run the picket
line the hack ran into ditch about two
| feet deep and was completely wrecked
| Mr. Sapp and his friends clambered out
without injury and walked the rest of
! the way.
Col Fitch issued orders for the COM
panies to have dinner in camp at IL
| o'clock and be ready to leave the camp
| for the train at one. He expected to
| leave for Kansas City over the Santa
| Fe at o'clock. The entire regiment
| was ordered to march from the camp
| to the train at one time.
Major Brown will have charge of the
| first battalion on the first section and
| from Kansas City will go over the
Burlington. The first battalion will be