Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-11
SOLDIER BOYS GONE
Happy louisville Legion Has
Started RcmeWaTd.
COULD NJ HOLD TIL NJ IN
THE bluegrass Blu. coats Are Now on Their
Way to Luu:sv!ils Where IA GreH,
ksc-p Ion Awaits Them. vh+y
Tnuk iu the Tnwn.

The brave and gallant Louisville Lee
gion is now speeding west toward
home. mother. and happy hearts.
AS the time grew near for the bows
t" depart, not even the splendid disci-
Lime OF the regiment could hold them
BACK They wanted to go home. and
were as restless as Wild horses in curb.
as early as 2 O'Clock in the afternoon
hundreds of the men had rugged them
selves up in heavy marching order. and
We're nervously pacing up and down the
Dig NO. Pier, awaiting the exasperat-
.hsif slow order to march to their
trains-the order that did not reach
them until nearly : o'clock. and which
was issued then because kind hearted
colonel Castleman was tired OF seeing
the homeSick fellows standing around
the wharf burdcned with their euuip-
uiehts. ana ready to break and run for
the much desired train if something did
not turn up to break the grating mo-
hotory, which was setting their teeth
upon edge. and wearing their tempers
To frazzlings
In the morning the men were given
permission to come ashore and go
where they would within the city limits.
Il permission of which they unanimously
awaited themselves. The order to land
was received by the citizens with almost
as much pleasure as by the soldiers
themselves. for the many friends of the
crack organization were anxious to
see the fellows. and those who did not
have personal friends aboard had
enough patriotism and curiosity to be
on the qui vive to see the regiment
ashore. Nor were the pretty girls OF
Newport News less anxious to have the
louisville Legion-brass buttons. uni
forms and all-once more where. they
could get free and unrestrained
glimpse OF their bronzed faces. The
fhnH- a
"here they would, unhampered bv
orders. and where they could satisfy
their troublesome appetites with some
thing else besides hard-tack. bacon and
beans.
Tho conduct OF the LOO men. released
from their long restraint was marvel
ously good. and was the subject of gen
eral comment. Yet, it was no more
than the people expected of an organi-
cation which in times past they had
round to be composed of gentlemen. 1t
was to be expected that men just from
a climate in which the mercury was
bursting out Of the top of the ther-
mometer tube. suddenly transferred to
country where the quicksilver had
cur!ed itself up on the bottom OF the
slender cylinder, would naturally in
cHlse IN something warm" and they
did. but had each one been a Ken
lucky Colonel. instead of a Kentucky
PRIVATE. he could not have done his
H.
man system. There were possibly in
all that regiment half a dozen men
who were real drunk. but, even then
they could navigate; there may have
oeen a dozen who were drunken than
was advisable for good marching: there
undoubtedly were quite a number who
were more or less in a state OF gentle
manly hilarity." but in the main, the
Louisville Legion got back to its ship
as sober as a judge.
or course. nearly all OF the men
went to restaurants for q square hot
meal. or even better. a whole fry of
oysters. Some times combination OF
the two was effected, and the results
we're gratifying.
at one of the restaurants there APP
Feared a gentleman from Louisville
here on business and eventually bound
for New York. This individual was a
true son of old Kentucky and he did
not propose to see any OF the soldiers
from the Blue Grass State pay for any
thing while he had money left. Ac-
cordingly. he took his place at one OF
the tables and remained there until
the last Kentucky boy came in And
as they came by twos, and tours, and
SKIES. the valiant Kentucky gentleman
he must have been Colonel-asked
them what they would have and saw
that they had it; not once. but as often
as they wanted it. The boys looked
a him as though he were an Aladdin
and had some precious lamp concealed
about his person.
But the morning passed all too ran
IDLY. and almost before the happy fell
lows knew it. the provost guard was
out on the streets. and they We're be-
ing hustled down to the wharf. BY
20 clock there were very few soldiers
to be seen on the streets. and those
were mostly officers, or men who held
SiN"r:al permits
Then came the long, dreary. shiver-
ing. wretched wait at the wharf. Sol
diers were everywhere. crowding the
deck OF the transport. swarnng over
the great pier. lounging about in the
yard, and but poorly contented In
deed. they were not contented at all,
for they knew that they were being
conspired against. Their cars were on
the track ready for them; the railroad
cou!d start them away at short notice:
ct the other end was home--the home
they had not seen for 30 long. the
mothers, the wives. and the sweet
hearts. ready to make heroes of them
als--yet, here they were, huddled to-
Sether in space all too narrow, ready
t. Go desperate things to get to that
Tt N. yet no order to march came
The reason why. they had all found out,
and that is the secret OF the martyr
like patience they did dispiay-the Sec
rotary OF War. at the earnest request
Of the committee which came to meet
parture OF the men until such a time as
would permit them to reach Louisville
Monday morning.
Finally. after what seemed an eter-
nifty. at $50 o'clock came the order to
fall III line. and move to the cars.
which were stationed at Twenty eighth
street. The command was received
with cheers, and obeyed with remarka-
BILE alacrity. In fifteen minutes, the
hrst battalion was en- route,
headed by the regimental band
closely followed by the second
and third battalions, In order. The
route lay up Twenty-fourth street
thence up Washington avenue, then
down Twenty-eighth street to the rail-
road.
The progress of the troops through
the city was like a triumphal march
The streets were lined with people, and
everybody cheered. the men in blue re-
spending with will. Some one up In
a second story window yelled What's
the matter with Kentucky" as each
battalion wsTt BY and every time there
he