Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-06-02
WITH THE MAINE TROOPS.
Continued from page ~

night time the rifles are stacked out
side the tents in order that the camp
may be given a more picturesque APP
pearanCe. This is not the case. Each
man who is not on guard duty carries
his rifle into the tent and carefully
stacks il With others in the center of
the tent in order that it may be kept
away from what little dew may fall.
In fact the men care for their rifles as
carefully as any young girl does for
her engagement ring before she has
worn it long enough for it to be an old
story.
So far but very few Of the men have
had the slightest touch of home sick
ness Those VINO have had a touch
have had it in the very worst
form and in much the same
manner that a man has Il lonesome
feeling in his stomach when on the
ocean during Il calm. These attacks
usually come when the man has moth
ing to 10. Then in the corner of his
tent he contrasts the army rations with
the table set 10y his parents at home.
There il; strange thing about this
home sickness, and this is the fact that
the majority of those who are home
sick are the men whose parents are
farmers. These too are the ones who
complain most about the long hours.
| The one or two college graduates in
| the regiment have been obliged to
make friends both during their college
| life. and when their college life is over,
ana have seen that if they are to have
a good time they must make it them
selves. rs they do their friends. Since
they have been used to taking things
as they come they do not complain II
the rations The long hours too are
| nothing new to them.
1t was on account Of these college
men that the people in the camp had
| one Of he finest concerts that the men
have heard for many a long week.
! Three Of the college men are uuartered
! in the same tent and below them, some
! distance down the line is 4 negro also
/ n college man.
He is one of the finest specimens Of
/ the race that any of the men have eNel
! seen. Although his face is as black rs
coal. his high forehead ana finely
| shaped head shows that he is much
I
| above the average ability.
Learning that the men above him
were from a Maine college he drifted
into the Northern boys tent last night
After the conversation had begun u
lag one of the boys began to hum
Phi Clt." that old BoWdoin song, half
to himself. In few moments the
other men picked up the air. The he
l.41t I,t
words. In a short time his heavy. deep,
rich bass furnished a foundation for
the song which noated out onto the
night air. Other voices caught up the
air and in a comparatively short time
the song had been caught up by the
other men in the camp and in a short
time even the men on guard had ston-
ped pacing back and forth long enough
to listen, and then join in the song.
This song was followed by others and
in a short time the men We're croWding
around the tent in which the college
men were located.
The effect of this song on the men
was almost indescribable. Some Of the
men sat with tears in their eyes as they
recalled their college days. Others sat
perfectly st0ical
yesterday WAS lnt IfSI TIME ina
many of the men have received any
mail, and when the chaplain and his
orderly made their rounds each man
was on me tip toe of excitement. Won
Y dering if there was any word for them
from home. More than one man Nhu
has been through enough to make him
double his years and as he receives the
word. NO mail he turns around AMI
although he pulls at a pipe, black as 4
hat. his lip quivers as he wonders il
the folks at home have forgotten him
as early as this.
Many of the men have received let
ters from people whose hand writing
they never saw before. While in Ken
l lucky many Of the men gave out pieces
l of hard tack on which We're their
= names in exchange for boxes of dan
T ties. This bread cast on the waters has
0 returned in the shape of letter. and
= while there is nothing more than to-
t ken of friendship and admiration be-
cause these men have been so wilinc
h to give up all prospects for the up
6 holding of the honor of the nation. the
t letters touch the men and give then
. renewed courage.
- There is a feeling of joy among this
q men on account of the word that has
u been sent out that they are 70 be al
!, lowed to lay aside their regulation uni.
forms for one of a light duck, more like
:, what they have been accustomed e
= call heavy drilling. The blouses ant
regulation uniforms which the mel
u have worn here have proved to be to,
| warm for comfort and the change i,