Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-09-09

never see this magnificent sight of
facing the dear old flag in deadly
silence and uncovered that my bosom
does not swell with pride in my ma
tive land. 1t is truly an inspiring
sight; as soon as the band ceases the
men are dismissed, the officers scatter
| themselves about in easy chairs on
the forecastle. electric lights are
turned on and general jabber en-
sues. which lasts until about 8. when
all these who have not gone down be-
low to the saloon to write or pla V
cards gradually file off to bed, some
on cots and blankets on deck. others
in their state rooms. as they prefer.
There is much musical talent among
the officers and men of the volunteers
and every night there is music of
some kind. There is a piano, which
several of the officers and men play
well. There are two glee clubs
among the men good ones) and one
composed of officers. These and the
band alternate in playing or singing
for awhile on deck every night, whilst
there is n q CUP of officers youngsters
singing comic songs or skylarking
nearly every evening after the con-
cert is over. So you see one can
hardly feel lonesome, vet the trip has
become very tiresome to me, as the
monotony is great and would be
worse had no studying or reading
to do
The Sixth's Place in History.
The place which the 9th Illinois
infantry will have in the history of
the war is shown no more forcibly
than in the references Gen. Miles
makes to his forces in detailing the
accomplishment of his campaign from
the time he left this country with his
forces, of which the 9th constituted a
part. Gen. Miles speaks of having
these troops on the Columbia and Yale,
within sight of the Spanish officers in
command of Santiago, ready to land
when the surrender was forced, and of
their presence contributing not only
to the. bracing up of Shafter, but of
bringing the Spaniards to a realization
of the inevitable. He also refers to
the landing of these same soldiers
with him as the first of Uncle Sans
men to set foot on Porto Rican soil.
He tells of the part they took in
the invasion of the island, which by
their act has become by this act of con-
quest the indisputable possession of
the United States.
Judging from today's reports, the
9th got out of Rorto Rico none too
soon, as % per cent of the American
soldiers there are now ill.
OF the soldiers now in the hospitals
at Philadelphia all are doing well eX-
cept two Illinois boys; one of these IS
of the 9th Illinois and the other of the
Sd Illinois. Both came on the hospi-
tai ship Relief from Porto Rico re-
Gently. The 9th soldier is Frank p.
Wanner, of Geneseo, Ill. When he
was taken to the hospital he was suf-
fering from typhoid fever and hem
orrhages. He has had several hem
orrhages since he was admitted, and
the doctors at the hospital have given
up hope of saving him. He is also
afflicted with assesses on his hands. |
The Naval Reserves.
The Moline Naval Reserves, who !
left Jersey City last night, are ex-
pected in Moline late tonight or early |
tomorrow morning. There are sew
eral Rock Island boys among them. |
Moline is arranging suitable recep- |
tion for the returning tars. About 500
from Chicago, Quincy, Alton and Mo-
line are included on the train. There |
are several hundred still in the SER
vice. The Reserves were expected to
arrive in Chicago at p. m. today.