The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-06-30
FROM CAMP !. THOMAS,
Company NJ One Of the Most Profit
p
Gent and Eager for Active
Work.
High Praise From Its officers-No
Trutf, in the Report of
Poor Provisions.

CAMP THOMAS, Ca, June 24.--The
same old dull routine still obtains in
camp with but little to break monot-
ony The new recruits began to come
in Wednesday but our allotment has
not arrived yet. The boys are getting
anxious to know who of their friends
Willscome to join us.
Company NJ has made wonderful i'm
provement and is already looked upon
as one OF the crack companies OF the
regiment. at last Saturdays inspec-
tion our company received a mark of
966 general average tieing for first
place in the regiment Company G, of
Duluth. company which held a rank
IN the he Minnesota National Guard Sec
.ond.st none. .@On uniforms and ap-
pearance we were marked 100. Our
boys are willing and hard workers and
have received favorable mention at
headquarters several times.
Bntwhat is to be said of WILLINGNESS
to work and eagerness to learn of any
company may be said of the whole
regiment. The boys of the Fourteenth
came down here expecting to fight and
they want to be in condition to do good
execution and at the same time take
care Of themselves. There were those
who left Minnesota thinking the trip
would be one of pleasure, but they are
as anxious now to get at the Spaniards
as anyone.
The following written by newspa-
per correspondent now in our camp
will give our readers fair idea of the
work being done by the officers and
men: The Fourteenth regiment will
be known as fighting regiment when it
gets to the front. All the prepara-
tions now being made, and most of the
drill given the men is with the sole
object of increasing it's efficiency in the
field. Fortunately for the future well
fare of the men, the commanding Off
GERS have no ambition to make the
regiment one fit for exhi bition5 puc-
poses. only, They want fighters, and
they are confident they have got them.
Zone OF the officers whose long expert
ence in military affairs entities his
opinion to considerable weight, said
on this point to-day:
II have never seen. in my nine wears
of service, a body of men that COM
pares with the Fourteenth Minnesota.
They are eager to learn, willing to
work hard, obedient and can be de-
pended upon. If the officers do their
duty when we get into service, they
will fight like devils. I don't believe
there is a man in tho regiment who
knows what fear is, and when they get
next to several times their'number OF
Spaniards, something will drop. Pos
sibly there are other organizations
that could excel them in exhibition
drills on the floor of ap armory, but
that isn't what we are here for. We
came out to FIGHT, and all our work is
being directed toward making our
men efficient on the field of battlefront
on an armory floor. We are teaching
them how to take care of themselves,
and how to be of most service. We
have signal corps that is not sur
passed by any in the regular army, and
they drill every day. They are able to
communicate with one another and
with the main body of troops by signal.
Our scouts have been carefully chosen
and in the field work they are doing
every day they are proving themselves
so efficient and apt that when the time
comes for them to do real work they
will only need the command and will
know what to do. In other respects
we are equally we'll off, and we can
take the field to-day and do as good
service as any other regiment in the
army, regulars not excepted
This week Capt. Stang, represent
ative of the Norwegian army, visited
our regiment and yesterday afternoon
witnessed the battle formation and
maneuvers. Our battalion was formed
on the right and the regiment was
ordered to form for battle, each bat
talon in echelon. We deployed and
were picking off the imaginary enemy
before, the other battalion had got
out of squad formation. The Norwe-
gian rode up and remarked to Major
Scheffer: ST can't criticise your man
euvers but. tell mf how in lido you
do it 50 rapidly" The Fourteenth
can get into action quicker than any
other regiment in the park and our
battalion is always at work first.
B Guard duty is at presenta hardship
for the officers. An order has been
issued for both commissioned officers
I fO sStau snt the c,,ard houca an tIa q ont