The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-07-15

central part OF camp Merritt, Inc only
objection we have to our encampment
is that the ground is covered with
about six inches of fine sand. This we
have to wade through all day long 1t
is regular flea incubator. The drill
ground is about mile from the camp
upon hill. This hill we have to climb
twice day. 1t is not good drill
ground, for it is at no place level. Be-
sides, it is covered with dry grass, and
after we have drilled awhile on it our
shoes get so slick that we can hardly
walk at all. However, we will soon
wear this grass out.
Yesterday morning Major Bayless
carried us out for battalion drill, and
also for skirmish drill. We formed
regular firing, scouting, skirmish and
relief lines, and charged to the top of
hill mile distant, though sand, low
bushes and kind of weed full of
thorns, Three men fell out on the
charge. We then formed, lined up and
charged back upon the hill we had just
left. We were tired when we got to
camps.
There are more than ten thousand of
us here. We are not far from "rhe
Golden Gate,' where Uncle sam has
his big guns. Should the enemy's
ships pass through this and get around
in the bay, they could annihilate San
| Francisco and the other cities on the
| bay.
Don Martin and Bond Ream, my
Indian boy friend at Wall IL MoOney's)
came in with the recruits from Tonnes
see. They are in Co. G, next to us. l
was glad 10 see them, and felt they put
me in closer touch with Tennessee.
The people are good to us here. They
sew for us, give us eatabes. furnish
| lots of blankets, clothing, knap.sacks,
stamp letters, and wait on our sick.
| But you will see the reports of their
noble work in The San Francisco
Daily Chronicle" have ordered sent
| to you for awhile.
! The e Dple here who wee in the last
war say hat they are not afraid but
what we will do honor to our country, in
| battle, for they had a little eXperienC e
with our fathers One man down town
said he could take the Tennessee Regi-
ment and whip any regimentin Frisco
Some old (age) Yankees heard us yell
ing dow at the ferry the morning we
arrived. They did not know lDtO it was
but said they knew it was familiar
sound they had not heard in 80 years
We have many visitors in our camp
men, women and pretty girls. l will
send sister our daily duties, and also d
piece of poetry about us written by 3
man here and printed in the evening
Bulletin" She can send it to the HER
AID so everyone can see it,
We are now under strict military dis
cipline. Coats have to he buttOneC
closely whenever we 60 out of the Com
pany street. Clothes have to be brush
ed, shoes shined, and then you go be
fore the officer of the day and be in
spected before you are allowed to 20 L
town. Our tents are inspected to SEE
, if they are well kept.
Revelle is sounded at D a. m. anC
every one must be i'm line for roll-cal
If he fails to be in line, he has eXtr
work to do, or else has the abOminablt
task Of mark ingtime," with a big sticl
of wood on his shoulder, and his feet il
sand six inches deep.
We are free to 90 where we pleas
between drills and roll-call, but woe
to the man who misses rOll-call or
drill!
We left Nashville with several case
f of measles, but most of them are u
I now. The health OF the boys is good
| think the majority of us are fatten
= ing. We have all enjoyed several dip
, in salt water in Sutro's Baths. We d
not have to take saltwater from doc
tors, for we got several big dose
I
San Francisco is quite as hilly a
Nashville. Things are not so high
priced here AS | first supposed.
Utah we found high prices. There the,
,, asked 40 cents for little apple pie. w
didn't buy any.
CATHOLIC Truth SOCIETY.
July Hh.-I am too tired to attend tn
! fireworks tonight, and shall finish m
letter. We were up bright and earl
this morning; had early breakfast, an
were in the march to town by o'cloc
to take part in the parade, We wake
about p miles to-day. To say we wer
tired when we got back, does not hal
r express it, Every bone in me acheC
We were on the march nine hours. TIL
I roughness of the streets, beside whic
' Nashville's Church and Cherry streets
are pavements, with their cobbles mad
( marching so tiresome.
e over 10000 people were along the lin
!. of march, and the First Tennessee IT
/ ceived by far the greatest applause, an
Gen. Otis SAID Co. f. was the finest an
, best drilled Co. of the entire corp
4 Capt. Gillem challenged any other c,
in California to drill against us, but wa
;. not taken u,.' Gen. Hughes said TIA
v | Mai Bavless was not only tit for a NJ;
iOr, but would do honor to the title {
Major General Maj. brags on the ha
tallion and tries to make it the best
California.
S On hearing of the destruction of &c
= vera's fleet last night, our band assen
hled in front of Maj Bsyless's tent an
y PLAYED Dixie (you should have hear
the boys yellD "Sewanee River" NJ
Old Kentucky Home" and "Star Spar
gled Banner" Capt. Whitthorne an
other officers made speeches. Cap
Whit horne said he had been invited
a be one of the speakers of the day, bJ
that he did not want anymore hon'
II than that of marching through I'll
u streets with the First Tenn. Regimen
: to the tune of Dixie We yelle
= again.
! A photographer came around la
u week aud took some pictures for pape
among the number a picture of on
culinary department" | have been
y the kitchen this week. My arms, to Il
{ e'bow, are bisted over the fire. /, vii
six others, cook, wash dishes, ct
y Imagine what il must be to cook for
81 hungry men. | WAS washing dishe
one was peeling potatoes, one holdin
e. up big piece of steak and another sti
, ring the soup. A hind quarter of be
II wont run us three meals We use
loaves of bread each day, q box
Z crackers and about 30 gallons of coff
and a large dish. pan full of sugar, al
- other things in proportion. We get
1--we need, and with nice things given