The herald., 1898-06-12
the HEAVY ARTILLERY
4 VERY INTERESTING LETTER
TRoM CAMP MILLER
Some Of the Things That 90 to Make
Life = Burden-Camp
Pets

the battery has ceased to be snap. On
Monday last we moved out Of the brick
barracks and pitched camp near the east
entrance to the Preside. This makes our
third move since reaching San Francisco,
and we are all very much in hope that the
next move will carry us to Manila.
The non-commissioned officers have been
H. Brewer. A. G. Graham. w. R. Phelon, ].
Garvey, L. M. Turner. w. H. Grey. c. II.
Miller, B. Goodwin, r. B. Parsons, c. A.
Weise, e. L. Moore, H. G. Laux, A. b.
Ellis, Il. w. Huntey, c. D. Thorn, ]. A.
Glass, c. c. Brewer, F. g. Henderson and
w. ]. Kennedy; corporals. c. c. Thorn, b.
n. Smith jr., L. F. Rotsler and l.. H. Ding
man. The appointments were only made
Wednesday morning, but the stripes and
chevrons are already in evidence.
The daily life has suffered a slight alter
alton. Reveille sounds at flve-thirty in
stead Of quarter to six, the first drill is from
seven to half past and the second from
half past eight to half past ten, and the
afternoon drill from half past one to half
past three, four hours and half in ALL
The first drill is devoted to setting-up. or
"calisthenic" exercises, the second to squad
and company drill and the afternoon to
battalion drill under the major and between
drills every man is supposed to clean his
gun, mend his clothes and sew on buttons
If any are wanting.
The camp at present consists of three bat
teries of regular artillery and battery A
and ours of the volunteers. The fourth bat
terry of regulars Is expected in a day or so
and the command will have its full num-
ber of companies Recruiting for the reg
ulars is progressing rapidly and the regu-
lar batteries will soon have their full
strength, and recruiting to bring the
strength of batteries A and D up to two
hundred is expected to begin In day or
30. .s
mti Bill Of Fare
Our bill OF fare is the same as when we
occupied the barracks with the exception of
seasoning-in addition to salt and pepper
we now get a small portion Of sand in our
various dishes. The dining room is not
as orderly as formerly; in fact you might
say we have no dining room at all, for
every one has plate and cup and marches
down to the kitchen and gets his allowance
and then goes to any place he pleases to
eat it.
Some of the boys complain about every
thing being dirty, but they have no very
good grounds for complaint. When we
were in barracks they made the same COM
plant and one could keep fairly clean there
by washing from fifteen to twenty times
day. Now, If you go outside, the wind
picks up a little chunk of Mother Earth
and playfully throws 1t in your face, and
If you stay in the tents the gentle zephyrs
force It through the entrance and it set
ties down until you can write your name on
anything within reach. But still as for be-
ing really dirty we are not circumstance
compared to the boys in camp at Bay Dis
trict. The soil there is very sandy and the
camp so situated that it catches every
particle of wind that blows in from the
ocean.
Camp Richmond, however, is more COM
Portable when 1t Is raining. and the past
three days have been about as disagree
able as any since our arrival; it has not
really rained, but the fog and mist have
been sufficient to make everything damp,
and the ground just muddy enough to be
sticky.
On account Of the unpleasant weather we
have been having morning drill in our IA
tigue suits. Soldiers in brown uniforms are
a somewhat unusual sight. but think they
make fully as good a showing as in the
regulation dress. and overalls are GER
tainly more fitting for muddy weather than
army CLOTH
Notwithstanding the rain and change of
quarters, the health of the battery has
greatly improved and three or four bad
colds are now the only cases on the doctors
books
Harry F. Judson came up from Los An
geles a few days ago to join the battery
and will be sworn in tomorrow. He has
had several meals with the battery and has
also spent a night in camp. but seems de-
termined upon his course, although l a,
sure there are several in the battery who
would be very glad of his opportunity to
stay out.
Several more Los Angeles boys were ex-
pected to come up, but as they have not
yet arrived 1t is more than likely they will
wait and join there.
Tobacco Is Scarce
Pay day Is anxiousy awaited. The men,
at least most of them, brought very little
money with them, and not having received
any since their arrival, are broke" OF
course there is no real hardship as all the
necessary articles are furnished but many
of the men smoke. and tobacco is not one
of the items supplied by the government.
Quite lot has been donated to us at vari-
Gus times, but until one has had expert
ence it is hard to realize how much tobacco
a hundred and fifty men can use in day
and still smoke very moderately.
The majority of the men in the battery
are now fully equipped we still lack about
nifty overcoats, but that is the only item of
which a large quantity is required. There
IL considerable complaint about the quail
ity and quantity of the various articles is
sued, but about the only one for which
there is any foundation is shoes; you can
get any length from five to twelve, but
nothing narrower than an e." and the
change from an "a" or double "a" gives
q little more room than is required.
Tuesday afternoon some "cruel mon
ster" cut our dogs ears, and. while it may
Improve her appearance in the future, Mt
present there are several men In the bait
terry who would make 1t exceedingly inter-
esting for the perpetrator II he could be
found. 1t is rumored that it was done un-
der orders of one of the officers, but no
officer can be coaxed into divulging which
Il guilty.
Tho eagle has braced up wonderfully on
FAN Francisco climate and Is really q
handsome specimen Of its kind, and al
though hardly safe for stranger to ham
f3ic seams a Ia We n sort of hroth arI,, Faoi