Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-20
TIRED OF |NACT|ON,
Members Of The Third Want to
Be Mustered Out
PETITIONS IN CIRCULATION,
And Many Signatures Are
Being Secured.
MEN OFFERED OLD PLACES.
An Amusing Anecdote-A Dodge
That Did Not Succeed-The Second
and the Fourtli-Camp DesoIntion-
Personal Notes.
MEN OFFERED OLD PLACES.
1c,orresnondence of The Dispatch)
Personal Notes.

CAMP ALGER, August 1S.-A paper,
prepared and put in circulation in Com
pany + (Aexandria), to-day, shows very
plainly that many OF the men are get
ting worn out with life at Camp Alger
and with army life in general The paper
is addressed to United States Senator Mar
tin, and in substance requests him to use
his influence in having the Third Nir-
ginia Regiment mustered out Of the ser
vice as soon as possible. The petition is
in charge of Private Minton, and it is re-
ported that he has so far secured a large
number Of signatures in Company T.
amongst them several non-commissioned
officers. 1t is rumored that a paper on
the same order is also going the rounds
| in G Company Petersburg, and this one
also is said TO have been quite generally
| signed. Before many days go by like
papers may be prepared and circulated
in every company in the regiment. The
| petitions are the result of the statements
published in the newspapers TO the effect
that the War Department will consider
the wishes Of the different regiments 10
! a great extent in determining those 10 be
| mustered out. The men hope by this
means to secure enough signatures to de-
monstrate that it is the desire Of the
regiment to leave the service.
AS TO THE OFFICERS.
1t is hard 10 ascertain the opinions or
wishes of the officers generally in regard
10 remaining I'm the army for two years,
|
Der Of them are anxious 10 return to their
homes and business, while others like
army life. and would be glad If the oppOr-
tunity should arise 10 serve in Cuba or
Porto Rico. it IL probably safe to say,
however that the number Of officers de-
string TO stay in would be. i'm proportion,
! much larger than the number of enlisted
| men. Most of the men In this regiment,
! as i have learned by three months close
| association with them, are used 10 earn
ing much larger salaries than those paid
by the government. and the board and
clothing obtained does not in any manner
make up the difference In dollars. Not one
officer of the Third Regiment has resign
ed since the war broke out, but it is near
| ly certain that some of them will do so
in the near future unless the department
decides 10 muster out the regiment.
| THEIR OLD POSITIONS.
Letters were received here to-day and
are being received every day by men in
the different companies from their for
mer employers at home, Offering them
their positions back. and in several cases
| Offering at the same time 10 get them
discharged from the army. The fall sea-
son is approaching. and the absence Of
1900 young men in the three Virginia regi-
ments makes clerks. book-keepeTs, etc. in
demand all over the State. The Virginia
congressman are apt 70 be kept busy in
a short time answering letters from men
anxious TO get back home. The men turn
10 their congressman as the man who can
help them most, and as one who will be
likely TO exert his efforts i'm their behalf
Lieutenant Cooper, quartermaster Of the
Third Regiment, to-day received from the
Quartermaster's Department at Dunn
Loring 200 pairs OF canvas trou-
sers for the use Of the regiment
| They are of better quality than those
which the Sixth Massachusetts, took TO
| Cuba with them, and which we had a
chance 10 see when that regiment camp
ed next 10 us I'm old Camp Alger. The
trousers are light in color and weight,
and are extremely cool. The issuance Of
them commenced to-day, and will be con-
tinued until every company Is supplied.
No blouses accompanied them, but the
latter will probably arrive In a few days.
AN AMUSING STORY.
An amusing story is told to-day on one
Of the boys out on provost duty last night,
and runs about as follows: He is a pri-
vate. and was stationed at a farmhouse
which is situated just beyond the Sixty
fifth New York Regiment. Near him was
another sentry, and the two becoming
thirsty and dry. determined TO get a pint
OF "Old Rye" How 10 get il was the next
question, and many plans were gone over.
but only TO be dropped as futile. One of
them at last lit on an idea. which they
| resolved TO put in execution, and neither
doubted that all would be well. Producing
| 20 cents they secured a messenger, and
| gave him a note TO one Of the surgeons
| az the Sixty-hfth's hospital. at the same
| time enclosing the 20 cents and writing
| that a sentinel had been taken sick and
| needed a little whiskey. The messenger
departed. and they were quietly awaiting
his return, when they were horrified 70
see the surgeon appear in person. He at
once enquired for the sick man, and one
of them had 10 answer. After doing so
| he stated his imaginary ailments to the
doctor. and the latter. instead of pre-
| scribing the longed-for whiskey. at once
made him take a dose consisting OF three
pills. The patient will send to- the Sixty
fifth no more.