The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-10

count of our going home tomorrow. The
orders were read yesterday. We leave here
early tomorrow morning, march to Ponce,
a ABOUT tnirty miles from here, and load
mere: We have TO carry all our baggage.
II VIII be quite q job for some Of them, as
trey have so much of it, You never saw as
orders were read. Every one is anxious to
get home. now that there is no prospect of
night. We go back by way of New York,
and will be mustered out there. Will prob
ably 80 nome from there by way of the
New York Central and the Lake Shore
suppose you heard of our homecoming as
Frank NJ Millikan received a letter from
his son, Harry b. Millikan. The letter was
written on Monday, Aug =. and is dated
in camp near Ponce" The young man
writes:
I'VE left our camp near Guayama at 715
a. M. Saturday, Aug. q. We had a poor
breakfast before leaving. The march con-
tinued until p. M, when we went into
camp az big sugar refinery after having
gone only nineteen miles. Here we had our
second meal. consisting of bacon. gravy
spuds (potatoes), bareback and coffee. Two
meals, or rather meal and a half, and
whole day in the saddle-the road was the
worst ever saw; there is no road in the
whole United States that is so nearly no
road. At about a. m. Sunday yesterday
we left the sugar plant for here and came
over a road as bad or even worse than the
part we had gone over. We arrived here
ABOUT 6:3U p. m. and are in camp east of
Ponce. There are centipedes galore in this
camp. In one night there have been ten
hltied. 4 dld not sleep on the ground last
night, but may have to tonight. We are
all wondering what will be our next move
ana when II will be. We are hoping that
the horses will be left here, but fear that
We VIII nave 20 load them on the boat. II
this be so we will have to put them in small
boats and then use sling to get them into
the ship. This is slow work of course.
Ihen the caring for the horses en- route is
something fierce. am we'll as ever, but
the day l sight the shore OF the United
NAV aa1e b,,rst VIII v surely gain ten pounds and
to land at New York. which we expect to
reach. In about six days after we sail from
here"
WILL BRING CANNON WITH THEM.
Mrs. II. L. Heiskell, 1913 Central avenue,
received the following letter from her son
Frank:
This will be the last letter that 1 will
mail from this place. An order was read to
the battery at l o'clock to-day, ordering
and there load on the transports for New
York. We will leave camp Saturday and
L will take us all of two days to reach
home with us, so that it is not likely that
we will sail before two weeks. We are to
80 direct to New York and be mustered out
either there or at Washington. In all it will
take us perhaps month to get home. There
will be regiment of infantry on the boat
boys are all very glad to know that they
will soon be on their way home. We have
not been paid off as yet, and perhaps may
X. L
they would pay US here, as / would like TO
get few things to take home with me.
am very glad that we are going to New
York as 1t will add to our experiences, and
] have always wanted to see New York.
We will come back tough looking gang,
for our. clothes are dirty and torn.
i will write when we reach New York.
] guess 1T will be useless to write sooner.
for letter from New York will probably
Ponce do not think that we w viii iliI go bacH
on the Roumanian, though we may. / hope
II will not be a great while until we are all
at home again."
Mrs. ]. H Wilkens. 1901 North New Jersey
street. received a letter from her son Bert.
In part it follows: "Hurrah, hurrah. hurrah.
We have just received orders to leave this
island for home. They were read by Ser
geant Myers as we were lined up in company
streets We leave here Saturday morning
and march to Ponce where we will turn
part of our equipment over to officers. Then
we will board the transport and sail for
New York. where we expect to be mustered
out and sent horne. am sorry that we did
not get to fight and have to leave so soon,
but will be glad to get home"
The following was written in Guayam!a
mother in this city: "Well we are getting
ready to leave here in the morning early
for home. We tear down our large tents this
afternoon and will sleep in our small ones
tonight. We will then be all packed and
have only our small tents to take down and
roll up. Each weighs about three pounds
and will have to be carried on the march
from here to Ponce, distance of about
Ln1rty-f1Ye miles. Each man has 70 carry his
belongings, as we now have but four army
wagons and all our battery luggage will
I'LL them up. The men are wedding out
their packs, so that they may make them as
light as possible. Our trip to Ponce will
take two days 1 understand. We will leave
our horses and cannOns at Ponce, L hope,
so that it will make it much easier for us
on the boat. We have all our extra ammu-
milton here at Guyana. We will sail from
Ponce to New York to be mustered out of
the service Will be home between Sept.
j. and Oct. l. Well that is not so very long.
I am in the best of health and will close,
hoping to be with you before long,.
Among the letters was one from c. w
Pearce, who resides at No. Ill North
Illinois street. The young man wrote that
the members of the battery had the day
before received ''some awful good news TO
the effect that the battery was to break
camp that day. He gave 1T as his opinion
that should the battery have to remain in
bers would fall i'll from worry. Pearce
stated that the members were almost
"tickled to death" over the news that they
trip to the coast. He wrote that he was
very anxious to reach New York as he eX-
pected to get square meal there.
One of the letters that brought cheering
news of the Twenty-seventh Indiana Bat
terry was of later date than most of those
received yesterday. It was written by
Charles Carlisle. of this city, who is IN
friend here, he visited the battery boys and
found them rapidly preparing to embark
for home. They were happy over the pros
that they were all looking well. Carlisle had
intended to enlist with the battery, many
of the members of which were his personal
friends. but owing to his physical condition
he was not permitted to do so and later
joined the hospital corps. Several times
he has been on duty close to the battery.
Most of the battery letters received here
yesterday were written Aug. rs.