Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-07-20
A Kandiyohi Boy::in Georgia.
In Camp Fort MCPHERSON, Ca,
July Is, 1898.

In Camp Fort McPhersOn, Ga''
July Is, 1898.
To the Willmar Tribune,
Willmar, Minnesota:
EDITOR AND SUBsCRIBERS:-A a.
soldier in the Third u. S. Infantry,
thought that I would let you know the
life Of a soldier down here in Fort
Mcpherson. I left the Willmar VOL
unteer company the 5th of June and
enlisted in the Third q. S. Infantry
the 18th. MY reason for leaving the
company up in Willmar was that 1
Thought they would never be called to
the front, so I enlisted in the regular
army, as I wanted to 60 to the front
as soon as I could get a chance TO
go.
left St. Paul June 18th and arrived
at Fort Mcpherson the Goth. The DIS
lance Travelled was 100 miles. We
went through many miles of very fine
country; also tracts of land that were
not fine, especially in Tennessee and
Georgia.. We passed by LOOKOUT
Mountain and saw the fort on top OF
| it. The soil down here is OF reddish
brown clay, mixed with a coarse gilt
tering sand, and requires very much
rain to produce crops. The farms
little improved. The people look
sickly and poor, especially the whites.
| There is any amount of colOred peo-
pie down here.
Fort Mcpherson is tract of land
covering II square miles. Most OF it
! is covered with forests of pine and
oak. I was out and saw a battle field
where 10000 men were killed in 10
hours. An old 'rifle-pit still remains
to be seen, and large number of old
| lead bullets have been found in al
most every shape and form. We are
about 5000 regular soldiers in camp
and about 300 in each barrack. Each
| barrack cook their own meals and
serve three meals day. For break
fast we get coffee without sugar),
bread and "soup,' or what the SOL
diers call "slum.' For dinner we
get boiled meat, potatoes, bread and
soup; for supper, coffee, bread, meat
and beans, or hash. We drill three
times a day. We get up at 5 in the
morning and attend reveille at SIS.
At 5:45 we get breakfast. We start
drilling at and keep on until 8.
Then we rest until 10, from which
we drill until II. At 1l:45 we have
dinner and at 2 p. m. we drill until 3.
We have supper at 5:45, and then we
have retreat at shutdown, when the roll
is called. We have our uniforms and
rifles now. We. use the Jorgenson
rifle. 1t is a six-shooter and is capa-
bic OF sending a bullet 1900 yards at
a deadly aim and will penetrate Is
inches Of solid oak at a distance of
200 yards. The rifle with the bayonet
weighs rs pounds and uses smokeless
powder.
Last Tuesday about 300 sick and
Some were terribly wounded. talked
with one soldier who had been shot
seven different times and still he
stayed in battle until the Spaniards
were driven back from their block
houses and riae-pits and trees. The
soldiers say that the reason why they
suffered so heavily was that the vol
unteers used the Springfield rifles,
using common powder which produced
smoke at each discharge and gave
the Spaniards target at which they
could fire with great effect. The pris-
oners which we're taken in the destruc-
tion of Cervera's feet will be sent here
and this place will be changed into a
hospital and military prison. The
soldiers from Cuba say that it is not
any hotter there than up here in Geor-
gia, and don't find it any warmer
here than in Minnesota. The chap
lain here conducts religious service
every evening and three times day
on Sunday. The Y. M. G. A. have a
tent here, where the soldiers find pa
per and envelopes free of charge for
writing letters.
There is a great deal of sickness
here. I was sick for one week. The
water is not cold and it does not agree
with a northern man for few days,
but we get used to it. 1 must close
for this time. Good bye to all who
read the TRIBUNE.
ERNEST O.. MORINE,
3rd U. S. Inf, Company B.,