Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-09-14
BACK FROM PORTO RICO.
Return Of the Second Wisconsin
Volunteers.
SOLDIERS WELCOMED,
AT Milwaukee They Get the First
Square Meal They Had Had in
Many a Day.

Chicago & Northwestern passenger sta
ton, bearing three companies of the Sec
ond Wisconsin regiment, United States
volunteers. In the Pullman sleeper Bel
glum, at the rear, was Col. Born OF She
DOygan and his staff of officers. These
soldiers were returning to their homes att
Gr a short campaign in Porto Rico. About
ten minutes later another train of min
Erie cars and the Pullman sleeper Lily
came into the depot with three more COM
panies Of the same regiment, in charge Of
Capt. Marshall of Co. b.
The third and last section of the troop
train came in at 1870 O'clock, and the
reception that the men who arrived at
this time got warmed their hearts. There
was a big crowd at the station, and it is
confidently believed hat the cheers that
went up were heard in Grand Haven,
across the lake.
The Sheboygan company left at 2:40
O'Clock this afternoon on a special train
over the North-W Western railway; the
FOnd du Lac and Oshkosh companies at
2:15, and the OcOnto men got away at
2:35 over the same road.
Not Porto Rico Weather.
1t was a rainy. dismal morning and but
few people were at the depot. Gen.
Zwietusch and other military men, as well
as members Of the Milwaukee reception
committee, soon appeared and engaged Col.
Born in conversation. He was still in his
berth when the first lot of Milwaukeeans
got at him, and begging to be excused
for a few minutes, he dOnned his brown
uniform with blue trimmings, adopted by
the officers of the regiment since it left
Camp Harvey in the spring. Mayor Rose
got down early and looked after things,
and soon after Gov. Scofield, trayel-weary,
and with a bunch Of kilograms in his hand,
was in the train shed. Col. Born greeted
the governor warmly and said:
This is the man we owe everything
to-"
The third and last section carrying the
Second regiment was expected to be in
a few hours later. There were but few
sick upon the trains and those who were
i'll were not seriously so.
At 6 o'clock the soldiers left the cars,
formed in line and marched through the
depot grounds to Wisconsin street. May
or Rose and Lieut.-Col. Solliday marched
ahead as the column of six companies
tramped down Wisconsin street and up
Grand avenue at a swinging gait, with
breakfast ahead. At the corner of Van
Buren, and Wisconsin streets Christopher
Bach's Military band jumped out Of a
street car, formed in line and the drums
began to beat. Presently the music
struck up and it was the most appropriate
of all airs which walked up the echoes on
the east side. 1t was when Johnnie
Comes Marching Home Again" This
was followed by a medley of national
airs. At the postotfice a number of men
in gray were lined up and they gave the
Second the first cheer it received in Mil
Waukee. Col. Born and Gen. Zwietusch
were in q carriage ahead of the column,
and one of the horses was SO delighted
with Bach's music that it insisted upon
dancing all the way down the street.
Presently the gay animal came to grief,
for it slipped on the wet asphalt and
came down. After that it was more Sc
date. At East Water street, West Water
street and Third street, groups of early,
to work men were on the sidewalks and
they cheered the boys.
At Breakfast.
When the dining room at the corner of
Grand avenue and Fourth street was
reached, the line was heightened out and
the men marched in by twos. n hundred
or more fair women were in the room
and they clapped their hands and looked
brighter as the traYel-WOrn boys in blue
marched in with uncovered heads. Seven
of the long tables were Immediately filled
up and the ENTHUSIASTICALLY ladies'
hustled for the kitchen. The boys had
scarcely got fairly at the pleasant work
of satisfying their appetites on something
better than army ratiOns, when the band
played America and everybody rose
and remained standing until the music
ceased.
For nearly an hour the men dallied
with coffee, roast beef, turkey. and pOta-
toes and the side dishes which go with
such a meal. After it was over Henry
Weber distributed cigars. The men fell
in line and marched back to the railway
station to look after their baggage and
separate it, SO as to be placed on the diff
ferent trains which were to carry them
to their homes later in the day. Col.
Born declined to allow the men to scatter
about town, as he was in a hurry to get
them home. He himself went right pack
to the lake shore to look after his affairs.
The officers dined with the men in the
Plankinton building. Anyone who con-
tributed to the fund with which this
that he had got his moneys worth if he
had seen the hearty manner in which the
bronzed warriors went at the victuals.
Sick Remained in the Cars.
All but four of the soldiers were able
to go over to the dining room for break
fast. The sick We're placed in berths
in the Pullmans. Those who remained
there were given chicken broth. The sick
in the Pullman Belgium were Fred Cook
of Co. D and Henry Daniels of Co.. c..
In the sleeper Lily were Edmund Warner,
Go. E.; L: Briggs, Co. B; Charles
Buchanan, Co. B; William Castleton, Co.
E, and G.. Bodle, Co. E. None of the
cases were serious, DR.. S. H. Friend said,
who came up from Chicago with the SOL
diers.
A Talk with Col. Born.
While Col. Born was eating breakfast
he said between sips of coffee and mouth
fuls of meat and potatoes:
Undoubtedly we had a very good les
son in military life. There is no question
that every one of us is glad to get home.
Porto Rico-why, l think it is Millions
Paradise Lost discovered again. The
scenery there is the most beautiful I ever
saw. [ can't describe it, but it is simply
beautiful, and you must see it yourself
to appreciate it. The climate is splendid
except during the rainy season, which is
during July, August and September. It
rains easily then and bright sunshine is
quickly followed by rain. | attribute the
sickness in the army to laying out of
doors in the wet. Why, there was one
time that we lay out of doors for two
weeks in the wet and never had a chance
to dry our clothes. | am perfectly salts
fed with my regiment. | think it did
good work. We have nine companies
here. The third section of our train,
which will be here shortly, is in charge Of
Maj. Greene. Three companies are now
on the ocean en- route from Porto Rico to
New York. They are T, @ and H from
ShkOS Appleton and ManitOwOc, and