, 1898-08-19

was dark We were unable to find them
an It's well We did not. Again this last
week the officers call was sounded at
regimental headquarters one evening
about 7:3O and upon reporting the Or
ficers were informed that about 100 of
the Mississippi regiment were loaded
with "~moonshine" and had broke camp
with the intention Of cleaning out the
rough riders. The troop commanders
had the roll called or the men were
checked up in their respective tents
every half hour through the night and
we were asked to be in readiness at
a moments notice. and, although most
OF us went to bed, yet scarcely a man
but had a picket pin or a f~our-year-old
club where he could grasp it in a sec
ond if he was called. And too, the guard
was trebled clear around the regiment.
The other fellows congregated just
across the railroad track and did a
good lot of yelling and hooting but
were finally persuaded by some of their
officers to return to their quarters and
a scene that would have been a dis
grace TO the nation was averted. Had
the two regiments met, there would
have been many men on both sides SER
iously wounded for the Mississippi
boys were armed throughout with dirk
and bowie knives while our boys were
armed with anything that came handy
in the club line and would have gone
into the fray with the determination OF
giving the other fellows the worst whip
ping they ever had. And too, the night
was just dark enough to have made it
next to impossible to distinguish friend
from foe. The bad feeling seems to
have quieted down now and it is to be
hoped that the two regiments will yet
be able to give each other the right
hand of fellowship and part on kindly
terms.
The One Hundred Sixty-frst Indiana
went into camp about a mile south of
us yesterday morning, but before pitch
ing their tents most of them repaired
to our regimental canteen and had sew
eral glasses of cool beer, and never be-
fore did l see such a crowd Of thirsty
men struggling to get near the bar.
A glass of beer that was worth 5 cents
at the bar readily sold for 10 and Is
cents twenty feet away and finally the
bartender had to make the men fall
in Line and come to the bar in regular
turn, and although there were three
b~artenders there were from fifty to one
hundred men in line all afternoon.
This canteen belongs to the regiment
and is under the direct supervision of a
lieutenant. the proceeds to be divided
among the company funds for the pur-
chase of extras for the mess, etc. At
the last statement there was a clear
profit of about 1900 or s125 to the
troop, and this, too, for a twenty-six
days run of business.
Nate Salisbury, Colonel Cody's part
ner in the Wild West show, also sent
Captain Stanton $25 for our troop
fund.
A few of the boys have been before
the field officers court for drinking
more moonshine than they could keep
down, and other little things. And,
too, some of the boys have rendered
their designations as non-commission-
ed officers and one went so far as to
pun off his stripes this evening.
Some %agitators in the Utah troop
have been circulating a petition among
the boys to get us mustered out and
the whole regiment is pretty badly
worked up over it. The officers to a
man want to go with Lee to Havana
and most of the troopers would like to
stay until the treaty of peace Is finally
signed and would not object to going
to Cuba, but the enlisted men nearly all
emphatically object to remaining in
Cuba as an an army OF occupation after
the war is over. So you may expect
some interesting news as to our future.
Will keep you informed.