The times., 1898-06-06
SUNDAY WITH THE TROOPS
How the Day of Rest Was Pass
ed at Camp Alger.
SERVICES IN THE OPEN
Plenty of Water Now Supplied by
Wells and Springs and More
Wells Are Being Ding - Fourth
Virginia Coming: - RegimentRI
Hospitals Inspected.

The long, low, sweet strains of the
church call rang out from score of bu-
giles yesterday morning at Camp Alger,
and from a hundred streets the troops
poured out in orderly disarrangement.
Some carried Stools others chairs, others
benches, blankets or Bibles. All were un-
armed and but for the unconscious
rhythm of movement and the sameness of
uniform they might have been peaceful
burghers.
Regiment after regiment swung over
the grassy slopes and camped in great
rings around their colonels, their chap
lains and their bands Blankets were
spread'upon the ground, seats were found,
and from the calm stiffness of the morn
ing wonderful swell of harmony rocked
the sleepy trees to rest. Away over the
fields of hidden steel and white canvas
the great volume of sound seemed to
sweep before its purity the worldliness of
the past week. From a distance the bands
were massive sweet-piped organs and the
blended range of 10000 voices made the
air more pure more sweet and the sun
more bright.
Onward Christian Soldiers. Marching
as to War" And ii was as war Two of
their number had passed on to furlough
and thousand had suffered in Red Cross
hospitals. The gala hopings of the early
marches had worn off; the gliding was
tarnished. and now they were stern men
preparing for deadly conflict
And as the chaplains spoke of love and
faith in strange contrast with their own
uniforms, the men gazed away into the
blue-white horizon and saw the enemy
they fought coming battles and shud-
dered-they saw dear-faced wives and
sweet-voiced mothers at the old home
All was strangely calm and silent.
This is portion of Sunday morning at
the big camp. The place is a strange
dreamland of reality-a great living pan
Drama of fiction.
Chaplain Kiefer directed the services
for the Eighth Ohio; Chaplain Morgan for
the Sixth Illinois and Chaplain Dussault
for the Sixth Massachusetts. Capt. Greig,
Of Company G, led the singing in the
latter regiment.
The Pennsylvania regiments held SER
vices in the shade of the trees near their
section of camp and the troops down the
road also found suitable places
Much has beeen said Of late as to the
| supply of water at Camp Alger Report
had it that no more troops would be
sent here until there was good supply
of water. Each regiment now here has
good wcH or spring. Some of them
have five or six wells. as in the case of
the Twelfth Pennsylvania. Water, and
by this is meant good water, is plentiful
At the same time engines are working
night and day in all parts Of the camp
drilling more big wells so that within
week there will be water enough al Camp
Alger to furnish an abundance for 5O,-
coo men.
Despite reports TO the contrary, the
troops stationed at Dunn Loring have
| been notified that the Fourth Virginia
| Regiment will arrive this morning.
All of the regimental hospitals were
| inspected yesterday morning by the chief
| surgeon and staff. The hospitals were
found to be in very good condition
large number of troops went into
Washington on Sunday and saw the
sights. Nearly a third of the Sixth
| Massachusetts got leave of absence. The
| boys of this regiment are enjoying com
| fort bags which were presented by the
First Baptist Church of Lowell Mass
These bags are supplied with nine pock-
cts and contain the following: A pair of
| scissors, small testament. a fine comb,
shoe laces, linen bandages, needles, safety
pins and thread.
The following telegram has been re-
| ceived by Capt. Greig, of the Sixth Mas
achusetts:
Lowell, Mass, June 4, '9S.
Report wants in shoes and under
wear. We will supply. Wire, our ex-
| pense. "O'SULLTVAN BROS"
Capt. Greig will take advantage of this
| generous offer and supply the men with
one more suit of underwear and another
| pair of shoes.
Services were held in the Y. NJ. C. A.
| tent No. l. last night. Private Ferris,
of Company B. Sixth Illinois. led the
services.
Col. Albert Nourse wiz deliver series
| of five lectures this week in the various
y. NJ. c. A tents. The first viii be given
| tonight in tent No. J. and the subject viii
be DIR. JekylI and Mr.. Hyde
While a battalion from the Third Ten
| nessee were bathing on Saturday, Private
| Mays, Of Company A, met with a nasty
| accident. He dove into a pool of water
| thinking it was very deep, and came ir
| contact with the bottom of the pool un-
der three feet of water. He was badly
| shaken up and had an ankle sprained.
| The various companies are having their
muster rolls engraved and mounted to
| keep as souvenirs before leaving for the
| front.
Lieut.. G. ". Wood has been appointed
| assistant provost marshal.
Major w. P. Devow, of the Fifth Ar
tiliery, has been appointed acting ord
| nance officer.
Gen. Davis has appointed his staff g.
| follows: Adjutant general. Major Schuy-
Ter; quartermaster general, Major Ludd
Lieut.. Van Dennean, aide.
| Senator Mason and Duncan Harrison
| visited Camp Alger yesterday and spent
the day with the Illinois troops, con-
sisting of three regiments. They gave
| the senator and his friend an ovation,
| which eliminated in a great outburst of
| enthusiasm when the senator responded
| to q general demand for a speech, which
| he delivered with a characteristic blend
| ing of humor and pathcs. Mr.. Harrison.
| who has been a prominent officer for
some years in the National Guard of
| New York, had battalion turned over
to him and put it through a lively drill
He was we'll pleased with the material
he handled, and says the whole corps at
| Camp Alger is rapidly getting into eff
! fective soldier shape.