The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-20
TWO BATTERIES AT TYBEE.
LIGHT BATTERY f SENT TO THE
FORTIFICATIONs.


the IsIand-The Men Slept on Cars
Last Night, But Will Go Into Camp
To-day.
Battery F Of the Fifth Artillery did not
stop in Savannah on It's arrival yesterday
afternoon from Fort Riley, Kan, but went
on down to Tybee. This was a surprise
to nearly everyone. No one here knew
that any change in the plan had been
made until o'clock In the afternoon, when
orders were received by the railroads from
Atlanta to effect the proper transfers so
as to get the artillery to Tybee without
having It stop in the city.
Gen. Graham of the department of the
Gulf issued the new orders regarding the
camping place of the battery. They were
given in person to Lieut. Newcomb, in
command, when the battery arrived in At
lanta. Why the change was made is not
known, that being a secret that has prob
ably not reached any rank lower than that
of the general in command of the depart
ment.
The transfer of the battery from the
department of the West to the department
of the Gulf placed it under the command
of Gen. Graham. Without question the
new orders were taken and the change
was made.
The special train of fifteen cars, with the
battery and all of its arms, horses and
equipments aboard, arrived at the Central
Railroad junction at $50 o'clock. Forty
five minutes later it was at the Tybee de-
pot, a Plant System engine having been
connected and the transfer made over its
line. The train did not, as day before
yesterday, when the battery of heavy ar
tillery passed through, leave for Tybee
from the point at which the spur of the
Plant System joins the Tybee road, which
is about a quarter of a mile beyond the
depot
Mr.. J. ]. Washburn of the commissary
department at Washington, who has been
in the city several days making the neces-
sary arrangements to have the batteries
supplied with everything 1t might need,
had had coffee prepared for the men, and
this was served at the station. The train
was backed up from the junction point
with the Plant System spur, and the men
piled out. Large zinc buckets we're pro-
cured and the coffee was poured into them
from the large vessels in which it had been
brought from an uptown restaurant.
There were a number of officers at the
station to greet the artillerymen on their
arrival Among them, Col. Hasbrouck of
the Fourth Artillery, Col. A. r. Lawton of
the First Regiment Infantry, Georgia Vol
unteers, and Lieut.. Thomas H. Reese of
the engineer corps, who was down to
shake hands with old friends and com
rades among the officers of the battery.
Lieut.. Newcomb was the busiest man of
the command during the time the train
was at the depot, which was only ten min
utes. He had kilograms to read and replies
to send, and a number of little details
about the trip down and the arrangements
to be made after the arrival demanded his
attention.
Master of Transportation F. S. Jette of
the Central was at the train and rendered
Lieut.. Newcomb the use for the night of
the cars in which the officers and men
had travelled The offer was accepted, the
commanding officer thanking Mr.. Jette
for the courtesy. The acceptance of the Of
fer relieved the men from the necessity of
pitching their tents on Tybee after night
fall. They remained aboard the cars all
night, sleeping in the quarters that had
served them two nights already.
The horses were unloaded after the bat
terry arrived at Tybee All the rest of the
equipment remained aboard the train to be
unloaded to-day. There are fifty horses
with the battery. They were transported
very comfortably, travelling in six palace
stock cars with every equine convenience.
One of the cars of the train wa- Pullman
sleeper reserved for the use of the officers.
The seventy-five men of the battery travel
ed in two tourist cars. Three short fiat cars
carried the guns and their caissons. In
three more freight cars were the tents and
general equipments.
The guns of the light battery each
weighs some 800 pounds. They throw pro-
jectiles from the rihed barrels that weigh
thirteen pounds. Ammunition was brought
along, though not in sufficient quantity
to do great service. The regulation num-
Der in time of piece, $50 rounds for all
the guns, is carried.
The men and officers looked dusty and
tired after their ride from Fort Riley, the
most central point in the United States.
They wore the service uniform and did
not present the spick and span appear
ance that is made when they appear on
dress parade All looked hardy and in
nured to a life that knows but little of
the ease of the city and visits to clubs
The men looked like veterans, though all
the officers are young. One big sergeant
had an air about him that suggested
years of service and an OCCASIONAL brush
up against danger. on the whole they
were a crowd that might do effectual SER
vice if II should come to a fight with an
enemy.