The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-19
CHEERS FOR STANLEY
Wichita Volunteers Hold a
Ratification Meeting.
ON THE OLD BATTLEFIELD
They Are Getting Anxious to
Leave For Cuba,
Harlaa CLOUD writes the Eagle as f0I-

Harlan Cloud writes tne Eagle as AOA-
lows:
Camp Thomas, June 1S, 1898.
To the Editor of the Eagle.
The boys from Wichita. as we'll as all
over this camp. are getting restless. 1t is
scarcely true that we want 60 stay here
all summer. It's hot, phew! It's getting
boiling hot and that's all we dread Of 60
ing to Cuba. We are anxious to get away,
however, and the general expectation here
is that we will vacate the Chickamauga
battlefield within ten days.
When We heard that w. E. Stanley
had been nominated for governor the boys
got together and held sort of ratifica-
ton meeting which consisted principally
of yelling. We want to vote.
You have heard all about our bill of
fare and daily routine. Let me tell you
something about how the battlefield Of
Chickamauga looks.
The notable battlefield of Chickamauga
upon which we have the pleasure of camp
ing, is twelve miles square, and embraces
territory in both Tennessee and Georgia.
It's surface is rather rough, and covered
for the most part with heavy timber,
composed Of pine, oak, walnut and cedar
In divers places all over the field are mon
uments and tablets, and where batteries
were located cannon are mounted to show
their position and point of attack. The
evidence of the mighty battle is not borne
alone by the mHluments and tablets; the
tops of grand old pines and oaks are miss
raj aV.H
their sides splintered up by cannon balls.
Occasionally, also, the soldiers pick alp
grape and canister, pieces Of shells or
bullets which, thirty-fve years ago, were
sent on their way to scatter death among
the opposing forces.
In front of US and about ten miles dis
tant is the historic Lookout Mountain,
whose heights the old soldiers who fought
under Hooker will not fail to remember.
To return to our company, 1 will say
that they are all jovial, good fellows; the
best of feeling prevails in our camp, and
all are enjoying health with the exception
of one member from Cheney who, we are
sorry to say, lies quite sick at the hospi-
tai. All of our boys from Wichita are
we'll, not even one showing the evidence
of homesickness. We were much sor-
rowed last week on learning that our cap
tain, B. L. Snow, had resigned his posi-
ton as commander of our company and
would soon return home. Captain Snow
has won not only the love of every man
in the company but all others who have
come in contact with him. He leaves US
with the best wishes of all attending him.
While we are sorry to lose Captain Snow,
we are glad that we have a man fully as
competent in Ezra Beard, who is to take
his place Captain Beard is loved by all
of his command and being possessed of
all the ardor and vigor Of manhood, we
feel that he cannot help, with his military
training, to prove himself brave and fully
competent.
The number of men in the camp now
numbers more than 10000. The soldiers be-
longing to the First army corps are being
equipped and drilled as fast as possible
and are being held in readiness to move
to the front; some, we learn, have al
ready departed. The Twenty-first is anx-
iously awaiting it's orders to move, and is
drilling very hard in the meantime.
We fully eXpect-to see Cuba or Porto
Rico soon and have a chance to take part
in the avenging of the lives of our noble
seamen of the battleship Maine.
Very respectfully,
HARLAN CLOUD.