The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-04
WEEKS GLAD TO GET BACK
He Has Had More Than His Fill
of Soldier Life.
THE STAYAT CAMP THOMAS
Il Was . Very Disaereeable one-Al-
ways Some One on the Sick List
Three Deaths In One
Company.

william J. Weeks Of Anaconda, who
enlisted in Troop L Of the rough riders
in Butte last summer. has just re-
turned from Camp Thomas, Chicka-
manga park. Georgia.
Mr.. Weeks Is very well known here,
having been employed at the Montana
Meat company prior TO his enlistment.
He also prospected in mining claims up
Warm Springs creek. when a general
call for volunteers was sent out Weeks
was one of the first men in Montana
TO enlist. He left Anaconda on May i
Tor Butte. where he enlisted in Troop
u of the rough riders. 30 L. ;. voiuh-
teer cavalry. The troop numbered ~,
three Of whom were commissioned ofii-
GERS.
The bows left Butte on May % for
Camp George IL. Thomas at Chicka-
mauga park. Georgia, where they ar
rived May 30. They remained there
until Sept. S. They were mustered out
then.
When he left Camp Thomas, MT.
Weeks went TO see his relatives. He
remained for more than a month AT
Auburn. N. V. after which he came d.
rectly to Montana. Speaking OF the
stay of the men at Camp Thomas, MI.
Weeks has this to say:
.Our stay at the camp was a very
9tagreeable n in many ways. we
We're very uncomfortable. To begin
with. the tents in which We were forced
TO sleep were far from being large
enough. Imagine six men. with all
their baggage, being damned into a
tent IKE. Some of the boys became
sick on our arrival at the camp. and
i don't remember one day on which
there were not a few men on the SICK
list. Those who were in good condl-
rsfun when we arrived did not. unfor-
tunately. remain In good health very
long. The officers. II eemed wanted
TO make soldiers out of us in as short
a time as possible. They Immediately
began to make us drill, and they did
IL for six hours every day. Those VINO
were in the cavalry had still harder
work. They had to ride their horses
-four or FIVE miles to water twice a day.
This exercise was too much for the
majority OF the men and they quickly
went on the sick list. Some of the
hospitals there were very poor. The
nurses in some of the hospitals could
not get the medicine that was required.
There were two hospitals at the camp,
which surely cannot be surpassed.
They were the Letter and the stern
berg.
ION occasion John Dempsey OF
Butte was taken out Of the regimental
hospital into the Letter hospital. When
he left the regimental hospital he was
given us as a hopeless case. He had
typhoid fever. The people in the Letter
hospital put him in an ice bed and he
recovered after a two months stay.
Only six or seven of the men escaped
sickness. None OF the officers did, for
they all had a spell of sickness at some
time or other. Three Of our men died
at the camp. two from typhoid fever
and one from spinal meningitis.
THE food that was served TO Us was
fair. The meat which was received on
several occasions was declared as not
being good. and in consequence the
men had to go with very little food,
Is nothing was substituted in the place
bf meat"
Mr.. Weeks says that he Is very glad
10 be home again. although the stay
at the camp was not as ~disagreeabl'
to him as IL was to some Of the others
Mr.. Weeks intends TO remain here OF
in Butte during this winter. Mex
summer ne will go up the creek to de,
velop some Of his mining claims, which
are situated In the vicinity Of Moos'
Lake.