The evening times., 1898-06-11
THE BOYS ARE ALL WELL
Pride Of the District Enjoying
Themselves at Tampa.
HAVE A PLEASANT CAMP
Good Water, Sen Bathing and Fish
Ing and Attentive Ohlcers Make
the District Regiment COntented
and Effective - Ehe faymGster
Makes a Call.

Headquarters National Fencibles, in
Camp, Tampa. Fla, June I've made
the long journey to Tampa all right, leav-
ing Chickamauga on Wednesday morning,
June l. and arriving here on Saturday
evening at o'clock. We proceeded i'm
mediately to pitch our tents, after which
our company went on guard. We are
more fortunate here than we were In
Chickamauga, for We are camped on the
outskirts of the town, which can be
reached in five minutes.
Your readers doubtless will be pleased
to learn that all the Washington boys
were complimented highly along the route
from Chickamauga because of their ex-
emplary conduct. and at every stopping
place the citizens turned out en- masse
TO see the pride of the District. We were
received kindly by everyone and the most
hospitablesfreatment was accorded us all
along the4ine.
The time on the train was spent in
playing cards, singing. storytelling. etc.
The Watermelon Quartet is doing some
clever work and under the instructions
of Capt. :Domer will come on all right.
Its first effort. DE Watermelon CROWN
on de Vine" was well sung.
We have been here since Saturday. and
The Times is The only paper in camp-in
fact. we are indebted to The Times for
the daily supply of news from home. and
every night ut Is a welcome companion
for the boys. Each fellow is supplied regu-
larly, and the papers are scattered all
over camp.
While writing this. one of the fellows
from the Fifth Maryland came over to
our tent and borrowed the last copy of
The Times. / don't expect to get it back.
When We arrived here and had our
traps ready TO be conveyed to camp.
Sergts. Stott and Shepley, with Stewards
Hickey and Thorne. were detailed to
watch our food supply They soon found
a good Samaritan, n Tampa lady named
Mrs. Smith. who treated Us to a nice sup
per and invited us to spend a pleasant
evening with. her family. We have n
standing invitation to visit the home
whenever we go to town.
At Wildwood. Fla. eighty-four miles
distant, while on the way here, We were
side-;racked nearly all day on Friday.
June 8. and We passed the day in lounging
about the train. In the evening some of
the boys donned the mitts. Priva.es Sugg
and Ruggles had a three-round set-to,
and the honors were divided evenly. The
star bout of the evening. as well as the
last. was between Sergt. Shepley. Of our
company, and big fellow in Company
NJ. known as Pig Iron Pete" When
Timer Costello counted ten Pig Iron
Pete" did not respond, and the battle was
awarded to our champion Jake Lus-
key will wrestle with any man in the
regiment.
At Atlanta, Ga. Steward Hickey picked
UP young colored boy to assist in the
culinary department. He is quite a favor
ite with the boys. and he will be brought
TO Washington when we return.
Dan Cleary Capt. Domer's orderly. Is
still with us. He Joined US at Chickamau-
ga, having come down with the Emmett
Guards from Washington.
Our band arrived on Sunday evening
and was received with cheers. II is made
up of a nice lot of fellows. and II Is one
of the finest of the bands in camp. 1t
plays each morning and evening.
We are enabled to go in bathing here
every day, and we also go fishing and
a mess of catfish and crabs. AT all hours.
crowds of our fellows may be seen. plow-
ing through the sand toward Tampa.
The Fifth Maryland is camped near us.
and every night We exchange visits. We
have a sort of natural disposition TO make
friends, IL seems and no company In the
camp is so widely known as Company c.
otherwise the National Fencibles. The
camp here is In a very healthy location,
and the officers have seen to it that every
thing possible was done to make us COM
Portable.
Capt Domer and our lieutenants are
popular with the boys. because of their
kind disposition towards all of u.s. and
We can truthfully say that no company
in the First Regiment has a better trio
of officers than the National Fencib!es
n.-,
all that they should be. The camp is in
the pink of condition, SO far as cleanli-
ness is concerned.
After supper each evening, We i've
pleasant custom of visiting the various
tents and sharing the little luxuries that
fall to the lot of nearly each one of the
boys. One of our boys received his dis
charge the other day because of his eye
sight. We are in a very healthy condi-
ton, and there is not man in the camp
but can eat his three square meals-and
enjoy them. too. The hot weather here
does not seem to affect us to any great
extent. Even little Ike" the razor back
hog. is all right. and were it not for
watchful eyes, he, doubtless, would have
been lost to us long ago.
Wagner Jim Coyle had funny ex-
perience the other day. As We were leav-
ing Chickamauga one of his mules began
to the lot of Jim to corral him. Four of
our men accompanied the mule train here
from Chckamauga. They were Privates
Jones, BYyant. Lusky and Teamster
Coyle They arrived here some hours in
advance of us. and when We saw them
they were seated about a camp fire eating
chicken stew. Coyle 1t is said, furnished
the fowls. Luskey says the chicken flew
into his tent.
e of l,,,x-
were on fatigue duty and in a short time
had the company streets looking as
though they had been swept by one of
those patent machines. Wednesday, June
s. was about the warmest day we have
yet struck here. The morning hours. af
ter breakfast, were taken up with drill
ing. after which that long-looked-for
all hands were paid of and allowed the
privilege of going to Tampa. We went
in squads, in charge of sergeants.
While your correspondents were in
town last night an arrest was made which
is said to have been very important The
person taken into custody is said to be
a Spanish spy. He is said to have had n
Spanish flag In his possession and was
yelling for Spain.
We had visit last night from the reg
uIar Sixth United States Cavalry. which
is stationed below Tampa. Among the
visitors was Frank Watrous, a former
boy, and he favored us with
some clever songs, etc.
The Salvation Army. ten strong, visit
ed camp last night and after a short ex-
hortation and some singing to patriotic
airs the little band dispersed. promising
to visit us again. You will hear from us
again in a few days.
PRIVATE. WILLIAM A HICKEY.
SERGEANT JAMES E. SHEPLEY.