Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-10-07
The 35th Boys.
In CAMP MEADE, Sept. 27th, 1898


from Alma's quota of the "boys III blue, J"
l believe, was from Island Lake. Our
new camping grounds here in Camp
Meade are not so close 20 home and
friends as the old but they have great
many points in their favor. The boys
are so far away from home now that
their relatives and friends cannot come
down and make them homesick, and
that is one point III favor of Camp
Meade. We left Camp Eaton on We'd
nesday the 18th about 6:l5 p. III. and
arrived in Camp Meade the 10th at 80
D. m. AT Toledo we had about three
quarters of an hour to wait, and it was
there that we had our coffee and hard
tack served to us. As soon as each OF
us had finished his supper, he climed ont
of the end of the car, or out of the car
window and made the acquaintance of
the girls of Toledo. They were there in
force. too, and before we left, they had
pretty near possessed themselves Of
everything we had We We're served
with lunch again at Cleveland, but as
it was so late and everyone was so sleepy
there were very few of US who derived
any benefit from it. In the morning,
we awoke to find ourselves near the
border of the state we were going to
make our home. Our interest then be-
gan to revive and we were not all slow
in showing the "Quakers' what the
Wolverines" look like. About noon
on the 10th we rolled into Altoona and
we there took another resting spell for
refreshments. 1t seemed as if all the
boys and girls of Altoona had come down
for the purpose of begging either buttons
or bareback. 1t was, Soldier give me
bareback, " from one end of the switch
yards to the other, and | guess they all
got one too If they didn't it wasn't
their fault.
From Altoona, the whole nature Of
the country seemed to change 1t was
only short time after we left there that
we began TO approach the mountains,
and after that we followed the noun.
tain, (and part of the time a river at its
! base,) though the most interesting and
beautiful scenery clear to Camp Meade,
| Middletown, Pa. We arrived at Middle
town too late to be able to pitch our tents
at night and were forced to pass another
night in the day coaches with which we
were provided. About eight o'clock iii
the morning, we shouldered our KNAPP
marched three miles over the hottest,
busiest roads, and the steepest grades
and hills that ! ever saw. | can tell
you that | thought of more than one
thing in that knapsack of mine that l
wanted to shy into the ditch to tighten
my load
We finally got to our camping grounds.
They belonged to the It'll Ohio Reg't
| which was moving back TO Columbus
that day to wait until they were mus
tered out. Under the circumstances we
had no conscientious scruples about
taking the grounds as they didn't need
them any more. They might have
kept them a little cleaner, though, as
we had to work about week TO get
them into decent shape. 1t pretty near
broke yours truly's" heart to have to
take a shovel and dig bitches all day,
trying TO improve those Pennsylvania
farms, but have one consolation, there
were thousand others.
We have at length got settled down to
business, and we have all eady proved to
the 10th Ohio and lst Maryland boys
that we are the best drilled regiment on
grounds. In fact everyone acknowledges
that the Michigan boys are the best and
have the best of everything. We have
the best band, and our officers ride the
best horses. 1t is evening now. The
sun is setting and the long ranges of
mountains are taking on their evening
hues Of purple. The camp is all in a
turmoil at this time of day. There is a
dog fight going on a little way down the
line, while only IA short distance from
me, some boys are exhibiting their
knowledge of the manly art of self de-
tense" AT the other side of camp there
is football that is being kept pretty
busy trying to get out of the boys road
All over the whole camp grounds the
buglers are busy practicing, and the boys
thinking the buglers aren't making
noise enough, are assisting with their
yells and laughter in bringing the whole
chorus to Its required standard of great.
ness and power, If they reach any more
climaxes in this opera, I'll quit writing.
We Alma boys seem 20 keep up health
and spirits to a remarkable degree
Corporal Harry II. johnson of our tent,
st. Louis boy, was taken to the hospi-
tai yesterday. am puzzled as to why
l am not there, as / have committed a
good many indiscretions here 1t must
be that / am either too young and limo