The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-16
Description Of Camp Life
A PEN PICTURE OF THE DAILY OC.
CUPATION OF THE VOLUN-
TIERS AT JACKSONVILLE
With All Its Faults the Soldiers Love Camp Cuba Lbre-
There Are 1000 Men in Camp and it Costs
$4,000 Day to Feed Them.
Especial War G orrcspondencc)

! stationary bench running along either
side. Here the evening meal is eaten.
! Yarns are snapped i'll the meantime,
! jcsts are exchanged and the latest camp
gossip rctailed. Now, with satisfied ap'
petites. the men begin to Sift along the
row of tents, pipes are lit and sounds Of
| merry masculinity arise from the tents.
, But it is the hour of dress parade and
the regiment passes quickly into mass
of scurrying, orderly soldiers. FIRST
cali is sounding from the bugle. The
men fall in in the company streets.
The bugler adds the sequel to his story.
| Words of command are heard and files
| of blue uniform streak in and out the
| lines of white tents. Around the parade
ground is Il fringe of spectators in which
| feminine faces predominant and bright
colors blend with the blue of sky and
white of tent and green of far-away
meadow. The commanding officers gal
| Top by on handsome horses. Commands
bound and rebound over the parade
ground. -Four men form IN front of the
colonc's tent and bring out the celors :;
| first the Stars and Stripes, then the regi-
mental colors.. Solemnly they are taken
| by the two men in the centre. with an
armed man on each side as Il guard of
honor. The drums roll and the regiment
| moves to its drill.
| You have time to moralize bit-while
| the regiment is forminS. This is the
| beginning of war, that which Sherman
| described in one dread word. Hell =
and the definition has never been inn
| proved upon. 1t means that hundreds
of North Carolina homes have been
| rel bed of their faircst AMI best; that
tanX;ous parents and loving women are
praying, even on the very eve of de
parture, that the War God may not
ask our volunteers to exchange Camp
Cuba Libre for Cuba or Porto Rico. And
all sorts of homes and classes OF people
are represented here. But that makes
little difference now. and will make less
in battle. Human nature is at its clt-
mentals here, and veneer and snams are
to the windward. For the once again
mans a man for n that. Courage ana
manhood have become the test
Meanwhile the thin blue snakes the
companies of the rcgiment-hav, been
filing over the parade ground The
tramp. tramp, tramp of many feet have
fiattened the ground raising Il thin. white
dust that settles upon everything. Now
all is still, what Il beautiful picture the
uniformed men make with cleaning
rifles and solid front.
To the left stand the band and buglc
corps. Then some companies. then the
colors. then more companies. Before
them all. mounted and with sword in
hand, stand the officers Behind it all
is IL blue-black pine forest against "A
gray sky, shot with the last lingering
rays of sunshine.
the breeze. Hoarse words of command
float over the meadow. The tramp Of a
thousand feet. rs one man, begins again.
The thin. blue lines depioy and counter
march and wheel. Officers advance be-
fore the commander. salute and retire
to their positions More words Of com
mand, and the parade is over.
Soft and clear sound the bugla uatos
over camp and meadow-rislng now 10
full crescendo, then falling, falling until
they die among the pines With tEia
sounding of retreat the colors diD and
til, great garrison flag flying over the
ralade ground drops like II birI with
foided wing. The band plays the Star
Sp%nGled Banner" soldiers standing n :.
attention and spectators with heads
uncovered.
Now the blue snake Of soldiers unwird-
itself, breaking up among the whitn
tents. pickets begin to challenge and no
enlisted man without Il pass can 40 ~
or out the lines.
This is the most enjoyable part Of the
day and the camp is mt It's brsc. As
darkness settles over the landscape cool
breeZeS come uD from the sea. Men
gather in small knots about the fonts
PIPES, cigars and cigarettes glow through
the darkness. while candle and campiirc
make the camp, at q distance. look ike
Il huge living coal or, on Il rainy night
iii q lake Of light on which the sba1
osrS seem to float. The songs and hal
los of the soldiers, trumpef calls and
twinkling lights, the moving shadow and
Silhouette, the glowing cones of canvas
lend to the scene Il romantic charm and
picturesqueness such as only Il military
camp can possess.
Laughter and song and merry Jest are
heard everywhere. Now ana then tn,
soft tinklc of II mandolin or the thrum-
II rum of a banjo accompanies the song.
Occasionally the hoarse chail ,p@e of n
sentry is heard.
81 . O'Clock tattoo" is blown, calling
| troops to their quarters. At o.1J the
| hugler sounds .'taps'' This is the sol
dier's goodnight and farewell and is The
prettiest of the bugle calls Swce. and
sad and waiIing, it is always blown over
"A dead soldiers grave. "Go to sleep 20
to sleep, go to slecp"-how distinctly
| how lingeringy the bugle speaks the
words. Low and wavering il begins.
then pulse by pulse the long sweet notes
swell and mount until they cIeaye thei.
way into the far heavens and echo in tn
distant reaches Of the wood. Then back
from the wall of pines ont over the
moonlit meadow floats this food Of
melody, calling the soldier to his rest
Then musicians in other regimen, s take
il up. Trumpet answers trumpet until
far down the plain you hear it, faint ms
blast in fairy land.
But before the last note has did on,
among tho tents. lights are out and The
men are in bod-if wrapping oneself IL
n blanket and lying down on pile of
sand or straw or on n rude cot may be
called going to bed
But are they asleep? Many of them.
yes. Wearied by the days duties. Tic
great majority are quickly wrapped IN
SIMMER With satisfied atop,ocbo al M