Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-07-07
The Soldier Boys In Blue.

FRIEND CHRIS.-I received a COPY
OF the journal last evening, sand from
what my father said in his last letter 1
suppose you sent it. 1t was Just the
same as meeting an old time friend. 1
was awful sorry to hear that Mr.. Guern-
sey had died. His death will long be
felt in Extra, as he was one of the first
to help keep the town to the front.
Well, the weather is hot and sultry
here and has been very dry until the
last few days, when it rained very
hard. On the 18th instant we started
on our first march and went about
thirteen miles the first day. Next
morning at $40 reveille sounded, after
which we got breakfast and marched
to the Great Falls which was about
eleven miles from where we started,
we took bath and returned in the
afternoon, tired, dustier and dirtier
than before we started. The march
was to get the men in shape for heavy
marches--not for bathing purposes.
That night the Major took about fifteen
hundred men with candles, using
the candles as torches, went up on the
side of a steep mountain and formed
the men into the initials of the regi-
ments which compose our brigade. 1t
was the prettiest sight | ever witness
ed. The next day we marched back to
camp. Onr regiment, the Fourth Mis-
souri,, stood the trip better than the
other regiments, proving that the
western boys are made out of the prop
er stuff to stand the army life. Our
brigade consists of the Sixth Pennsyl-
vania, Seventh Illinois and Fourth
Missouri. Yesterday we got ready to
go on outpost duty, but just as we
were ready to fall in we got orders to
stay at home. This morning the
Washington Post says that we will be
sent to Puerto Rico or Santiago as
soon as the transports can be secured.
Every soldier, that is nearly every
soldier, is glad of the news, but few
of the boys are wanting their discharge
as they didn't expect to go into the
field or even do fatigue duty in camp,
they actually thought there would be
men to do their work. The health in
this camp is very good. One thing
that seems strange to me is that some
who looked strong and healthy
when we enlisted are not standing the
camp life as well as some of those who
did not look so strong. AS for myself
| never felt stronger and 1 weigh more
by fifteen pounds than [ ever did at
this time of the year. This is our
menu: Bacon, beef, beans, tomatoes,
bread, bareback, canned salmon, pota-
toes, onions, sugar, molasses and coffee.
OF course we don't have all this at any
one meal. We have in addition to this
"slum f" soup, gravy, and on Sundays
we have opium duff" The last arti-
Gle is the compliments of the Quarter
M Sfo MT
Keith is first cook and Ed. Elicit is
second cook. Both of these boys are
from Audubon and give the best of
satisfaction; Gus is considered the best
cook in theregiment. Our mess is not
cooked like our mothers used to cook,
it can't be done in camp, and therefore
after week or so he can eat enough
to shame a hog. This is our daily ro-
tine of life: First call, SIS a. M;
assembly, $50; mess, 5:45; sick and
police, Gals. drill and school for the
soldier, $50 to 7;3O: company or batta-
lion drill, $3.50 to HOO: mess, 1900;
guard mount at 1870 D. M; company
or battalion drill 800 to 4:3O; mess
5:45; dress parade, $3.50, tattoo, 9:15;
taps, $50. At the sound of taps all
lights are put out and the soldier is
supposed to go to sleep. Everything
is as regular as the clock striking the
hour OF the day. We are signing the
muster and pay roll today, tomorrow
we have regimental inspection. Has
any of the Extra boys except me en-
listed yet? If anyone expects to tell
them not to expect summer picnic
or happy vacation, as he must obey
all officers and do whatever duty is
assigned him. All the delicacies that
soldier gets he buys at the stands, at
first they came pretty high but one
night we bombarded these stands and
now you can buy their truck at one
half the former price Well, I will
close, hoping this will find you well
and ready to enlist if they need YOU.
Good bye. Your friend,
WILL ANDERS.
OF Company "Cn Fourth Missouri
CAMP CUBA IIBRE, JACKSONVILLE.
FLORIDA, JUNE 20, 1898.
DEAR MoTHER:-Well your letter
was here when got back from Saint
Augustine, the Oldest city in the Unit
ed states. 1t is thirty-siX miles south
Sets'o VI AiSAS <SiAS iOOll
of us lads had been down there and
had swim in the ocean; it took six
teen cars to take us there. 1t is the
finest city | ever saw and I had a CAV
time rambling over an old Spanish
fort that was built in 1868, and then 1
visited an old church that was erected
in 1885, there are many old buildings
down there and it was the greatest
treat of my life viewing them and
strolling through their wide halls.
Well l was out and had drill this
morning for the first time since COM
ing down here, and | tell you it was
but there are several of the boys here
that are i'll. One man tainted, this
morning, on guard mount, and one
man died last night of typhoid fever,
and another man was killed yesterday
by lightning and another man stun