The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-10-14
AA<fZLZ
SAFE IN THEIR NEW HOME
Soldiers Of the Fourth Regi-
ment Settling Down at
Camp Meade.
HAVE MADE GOOD IMPRESSION
Jersey Boys Considered One
OF the Crack Commands
at Middletown.
AYE MADE GOOD IMPRESSION

1<A41A -S1iLx11 u, NllplJLEl0 w N I'd,
Oct. Il, 1Sss.-The Fourth Regiment IS
now beginning to get settled in IT'S new
home. The sudden change from the per-
1nanent facilities Of Sea Grit, and the
regiment never before realized the con
venience they were. to the open field. was
somewhat startling. but the soldiers ac-
custom themselves readily to the new
conditions. The regiment left Sea Cir.
late Saturday evening. The first section
pulled out Of the station at about eleven
O'clock, and the other three left at inter-
walls Of an hour. The men were Well pro-
vlded for while on the cars. Each man
had an entire seat and secured a good
nights rest. A Pullman was attaehed 10
each section for the use of the officers.
These sIeepers were a trine Anticipated.
but were greatly appreciated by every
one. The Journey to Middletown was uE-
eventful. Guards were stationed at each
end Of every car and these enforced 81
lenee where the men would rot go 70
sleep. The platforms of the long station
at Trenton were crowded with people,
many Of whom carried boxes for their
friends in the regiment. The regiment
received a volley Of cheers as the sections
passed, but that was little satisfaction to
the men who had expected boxes. This,
however, was the fault of the railroad
company and not the regimental officers.
The regiment arrived at MiddletGwn
about nine o'clock Sunday morning. The
soldiers marched in column of tours past
the corps headquarters, and were well re-
celyed all along the route to their camp
ground, which is situated about half a
mile from Mfddletown and a mile and 4
mile and a half from Highspire. which
Is the principal military station. The To-
separates the Second West Virginia from
the Fourth on the West; Brigade Head
quarters Immediately adjoins on the
east, and the regiment itself is situated
on two slight elevations. The First Bat
TALON on the right al the top of the IN
cline which slopes gently down to Conf
camp. From there there is a short.
sharp hill. on the the top of which the
Third Battalion is camped The Third had
the advantage Of all the others, a person
can stand In front of Major Waliace's
tent and get one of the most beautiful
views TO be found anywhere.
The entire regiment, officers and men,
Is striving hard 70 keep up the reputa-
ton which it had when it left Sea Girt.
Their camp today can compar very fav-
orabiy with that Of any of the regiments,
especially in cleanliness. Colonel Smith
is devoting his attention first to seeing
that the health OF the camp is kept up.
A large detail of men was started to work
Monday constructive a drain through the
entire length of the camp to carry off
the waste water, instead Of allowing it
to collect in pools and stagnate, as was
the case with 50 many other regiments
in the other large camps. No refuse mat
ter whatever is allowed to stand any
where. Whatever can be is burned and
the remainder is collected twice each day
and carried to a considerable distance
from camp and buried. A large number
of filters were distributed to each COM
pany and hereafter all the water will be
filtered. In many of the companies the
water for drinking is first boiled. 1t has
been discovered that munps are preva-
lent in the Second West Virginia
Colonel Smith has had the men notified
of the fact and warned against going
into the Virginia camp. The health Of
the commend is excellent The regiment
1 mosB ssa eiE tv wish o 6gt one an man MAN IN the IS
striving to maintain this high standard
of practically no sickness and from APP
pearances it will be successful. There is
little reason for a man to be i'll in Camp
Meade. except from his own neglect or
the carelessness of the officers of his reg
in1ent. The climate is a perfect one. The
warm enough to allow the men to work
and drill without their coats. Board
floors were issued to the various COM
panies on Wednesday and Immediately
placed in the tents. The floors will not
be taken with the regiment when the
corps moves South, it being found that
the cost Of entirely new floors, besides
the added benefit from the cleanliness of
entirely new boards. The first two or
three days the regiment spent in camp
the men constructed beds woven from
the twigs and boughs of trees. which
they cut in the woods near the camp.
There have been no cots issued to the
men at al.
The regiment has not been paid as yet
for the month of September, but expects
to be within a day or two. There are
some six or seven other regiments at
Camp Meade in the same position, and
it is expected that they will all be paid
off this week. PAYDAY will be welcomed
by every one, for there is not much
money left in the pockets of the soldiers,
although there is little opportunity of
spending it here. A man must ave a
and if he is not arrested on the roads by
the guards posted at every crossing he
will be by the guards, who are posted on
the owns, and of Harrisburg
Provost duty is one of the snap" as
Generally it is done by Sc
lected ~battalions, and each battalion does
twenty-one days at a time The men do
twenty-four hours duty, two on post and
four off, and then have t~wenty-four
hours TO themselves without any duty to
perform. The work while on post is not
difficult or tiresome. and the added twen-
ty-four hours off duty make it a much
desired assignment. The 202d New York
and the First Maryland are doing the
nrincipai provost work now and will con-
tinue until about October 20.
Dress parade is held by all the regi-
mentS at ABOUT sunset. he OuTtl 6tSt-
ment is badly handicapped by its parade.
On passing IN review the regiment goes
down quite a steep grade, and then up a
hill which has a rise of fully fifteen feet
In ore hundred. The companies, notwith-
standing the disadvantages, marched ex-
ceedingly well, and Ours is getting
quite a reputation as a crack regiment.
The regimental Band is earning praise.
The West Virginians, who have a ban
which more resembles a circus band than
else. are especially lavish tn
their praise of our musicians and the
bugie corps. While some regiments ex-
eel in particular lines, such as manual of
arms or marching. for all around work
the Fourth is reaching out for first place
in general excellence, and from appear
arces will have no difficulty in becoming
the best regiment in the Second Army
Corps. |
THE official blanks and ballots to be
used in voting in the coming election. on
November s. have been received. The
blanks are to be filed out as an authority
for some one to cast the ballot which ac-
it. and the ballots will be
placed in sealed envelopes. which are to
he marked soldiers vote" and placed in
the hox and counted the same as other
ballots. There has been practically nc
discussion so tar in the regi-
ment. The men having been kept too
busy to think of much except their work.
A new schedule Of drills has been order-
81 and Is working well. ReveiHe and
dress parade are now held at sunrise andl
instead of any specified times.