The Forrest City times., 1898-06-17

Good Long Purses.
ST. Louis, June l6.-John Jacob As
tors famous mountain battery. the on
~ one of its kind in the service of tho
United States, passed through st. Louis
Wednesday morning en- route to Ma
Mia. II numbers 30 men and three of
ficers
The battery looks like the work of a
millionaire, contrasting all to its ad-
vantage with MANY other troops
that have passed through st.
Louis since war began. II also
looks like q lot of college athletes
logged up in soldier clothes and out for
lark. The members do a lot of lark
ing, too, but they are ready for serious
work, whether it be fsticuffs or real,
bloody battle, whenever the opportuni.
ty presents itself.
The battery came in at tbs a. m.
from New York. Its train consisted
Of chair car, three rather old
and dilapidated sleepers and
three baggage cars, one loaded
with commissary stores, another
with the six guns, and the third with
feld provisions. The last two named
ears were kept securely locked, and
nobody got glimpse of the wonderful
Hotchkiss le-pound mountain guns
that came all the way from England,
and are the only ones in use in this
country.
Before the train came to full stop
Che artillerymcn filed out and made .
rush up the platform like they were
chasing football instead Of a break
fast
Mr.. Astor's name and millions at
tracted q fine lot of men to his battery.
Most OF them are six-footers, 20 per
cent OF them are trained college ath-
letes, many Of them are sons Of rich
men, and probably all of them have
had some sort of military experience,
In the militia mostly.
But according to First Lieutenant
Clarence c. Williams, who is West
Pointer, and therefore disdainful of
the militia, this sort of experience
doesn't count. There are seasoned
fighters from Asia and Africa in the
battery, regular army men and fighters
from the southwest. This hetero-
geneous company of men is expected to
prove problem that Uncle Sam has
been puzzling over for some time.
They form the pioneer mountain bat
terry of the United States. If it stands
the test, permanent branch of the
service will be established Mountain
artillery has long been valuable part
of Queen Victoria's army in India and
other European countries have used
them effectively. 1t remained for John
Jacob Aston to introduce it in America.
He offered to equip battery through
out, and Uncle Sam accepted the offer.
One of the artillerymen is Lieut.. Gar
dan, Canadian, who belonged to a
company at Montreal. He resigned
there to get into Astor's battery. He
is married, and n special order from
the war department was necessary be-
fore he could be enlisted. There are
TWO or three fellows in the battery
who could tell marvellous stories if they
could be induced to talk about them
selves. They are Englishmen who
have served the queen in India. Her
majesty didn't tell them they might
leave her service, so their names are
closely guarded from publication. They
are supposed TO be younger sons of
titled Britishers, and are game ones.
The battery is commanded by Capt.
Peyton c. Marsh, formerly lieutenant
IN the Fifth artillery. The lieutenants
are Clarence c. Williams and benjamin
III. koehler, formerly of the Sixth ar
tillery. DIR. Williamson is the surgeon
and DIR. Watterson the veterinarian.
With the battery are several news
paper men. regularly enlisted. Among
them are Frank Seymour, who is en-
gagged to marry the daughter of q rich
Onion, and Otto Koenig, who repre-
scnts the Westliche Post, Of st. Louis.