The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-24
GRAHAM In CHARGE.

pate. 1t is suspected here that the
matter of equipping the camp of Alger
troops will be disregarded until the
department has finished the equppng
of the troops at more southern points,
who are, it is said, TO be FASTENED
across Florida straits.
The Thirteenth is having a very lazy
time of it. doing only enough drill
ing to keep the stiffness out of their
bones; eating fairly good rations since
Sunday, fixing up their tents and COM
pany streets and securing the woods
and fields for wild Strawberries and
some that are not wild make up the
routine of the day,
EASY GOING CAMP.
An instance of the happy -go-lucky
way in which this camp is being run,
or rather is allowed to run itself, is
found in the fact that Lieutenant Da-
Vid j. Davis. the Thirteenth's advance
detail, located and staked out the regi-
ment's position, without advice or in
struction from any source. When he
arrived on the ground Thursday morn
ing he went to headquarters and in
quiring for the officer in charge was
directed to General Geunther. Lieut.
tenant Davis made known his busi-
ness and asked for instruction as to
where his regiment was to be located
and what steps had been taken to lay
out the camp. General Geunther did
not know that any arrangements had
been made for the regiments recep-
tion, but told Lieutenant Davis he
might inquire from some of the other
officers as to what was best to be done.
Diigcnt inquiry failed to discern any
one who. had or cared to assume the
authority Of receiving and locating the
regiment, so Lieutenant Davis proceed
ed on his own responsibility to pick out
camp ground and with the assistance
of Lieutenant Wellington, an engineer
of the District guards laid it out. The
Thirteenth is encamped where Lieu
tenant Davis stationed it,
There is no open complaining, as
| said in a previous letter, but quietly
! the men and officers are having their
| little say and if the powers t-be
| heard it, they would not be highly edi-
| fed thereby. IF we were out on an
| active campaign and at an inconveni-
| ent distance from a supply station
| this sort of treatment would be ac-
| Cepted without a murmur. but here In
| permanent camp, only a few miles
| from the national capital, there is No
| reason for such neglect"
| some of the men have no shoes at all
| and no money to buy them. There
| have been instances of where the mar
who was assigned to picket duty hat
to borrow a pair of shoes from a com
rade until his tour of duty was full
| filled.
ARE ACTING NOBLY.
The old guardsmen are acting nObll
under the disagreeable conditions
| They keep their discomfort to them
selves and when a recruit is heard tC
! mutter some complaint, silence hin
with a derisive laugh and question
as to "what'ell do you expect custarC
pie and rice pudding The recrui
remembers that he hasn't heard th'
veterans making any complaints anl
| walks away, pretty well convinced
that everything is all right and that
on second consideration, he is reall!
being treated like prince.
1t must be said for the United State
army officers on the ground, and par
ticuarly Captain Little, the commits
sary, that they are doing all they can
| to relieve the distressing conditions
| by offering to exchange fresh mea
and baked bread for the field ration
of salt pork and flour, he saved tn
Thirteenth and the other Pennsylvani;
regiments from furnishing, for no or
dinary mans digestive apparatus coult
put up for ten days with salt pork o
the kind that the government issues.
Mrs. Flanighan's famous interroga
tory is being hourly applied here. l
was understood when the Thirteenth
was FASTENED from Mt. Gretna that
was coming to a camp of cquipmen
and instruction. In fact it was s.
stated by the war department Moth
ing has yet occurred, however, to in
dicate that the regiment has reached
it's prescribed destination. There Il
no equipping going on and the onl,
instruction received is what the regi
mental officers give and that is neces
sarily of a limited nature because o
the lack of the first requisite Of mill
| tary instruction, q suitable drill
ground. There hasn't been a regimen
tai drill since the arrival in camp an
there cannot be one until a drill groun
is made, and as far as a layman ca
Judge, no drill ground can be made O
this particular plot Of 1,5OO acres lease
from the influential Mr.. Campbell, O
Washington. Y. ]. Duffy.
ance1n nr rII, aaRn