Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-12-08
Letter From Camp Haskell.
The following is the major part of a
letter received by Butler friend of the

The following is the major part of
letter received by Butler friend of the
writer:
CAMP HASKELL, ,
ATHENS, GA, Dec. ,, 1898.
have been wanting TO write to you
avar since we came down here, but
somehow have always been putting 1t
off.
We are very comfortably fixed now,
there are six of US in mess. we nave
three A wall tents connected, you
know. and have a wood stove IN the
middle one which keeps them nice and
warm,
As vou have probably heard we have
had unite a number of changes among
the noncoms. Seargt Moore Is now
first Sergt. John Martin is commlssary
sergt, and the other day Hardie Hepler
was also appointed sergeant ana To-
night the Captain announced the ap-
nointment of Chas McElvain as ser
CANT. The Corporals are Frank Plerce'
w. Collins, Heineman, Mckee, Hazlett,
Morgan, John Jackson, Christie, hrug'
Harrington, McClung and Fenton.
Harrington is now regimental clerk
and Will Ritter assistant. So you see
there have been quite few changes
since you left
They are kind of putting the screws
on us now since they got us down mere
Guard duty Is getting to be very strict,
Yesterday a fellew was put IN the
guard house for not knowing the gen
eral orders We are not allowed TO
leave the camp without written pass
and we also have a check roll call at
taps to see whether we are all IN our
tents or not an order was also issued
Yesterday requesting everybody 10 give
mn their pistols and revolvers TO tne
regimental ordinance officer, hut L
hayn't seen anybody give theirs up yet
There are only five of them IN our mess
and | think they will stay there TOO.
Another order prohibits the use OF pro
fame or vulgar language. Ihls tnlnK
will also be pretty hard to enforce.
We were all vaccinated yesterday
morning and | think there will be some
sore arms here in a few days. The reg
iment now has a cracker jack football
team. They played the University OF
Georgia team on the college ground
here Yesterday and our fellows trim
med them IA to O. Reynolds was the
only fellow out of our company VINO
played in the team, they were mostly
Co. F. fellows from Grove City, they
play the Bird New Jersey team IN a
few days and they will show those tel-
lows up too. There is very little SICK
ness in the Regiment now. This seems
to be very healthy place and we all
like it better than anywhere that we
have been yet.
Orders were issued last week ordering
the 18th to proceed to Cuba at once, we
were to be there according to them by
Dec. 1st but they must have been re-
yoked. as we are still here and L don
think, now that Spain has accepted our
terms, that we will ever go no Cuba.
The whole regiment was out in the
field this morning pulling out cotton
stalks so as to get drill ground ready,
this is another indication that we won
leave here for while yet.
They are also going to drill us three
and half hours a day from now on.
Dave Ensminger returned to camp on
last Monday eight days before his fur
Tough expired He thought we were
going right to Cuba. that is why he
came back so soon. A Quarter Master
of the 202nd New York Regt. which is
here in our Brigade yesterday shot and
killed another soldier. He is TO De
taken to IA military prison in Florida to
be tried; he will likely be shot.
we have been hoping now that more
troops are to be mustered out that we
would be among the lucky ones but
Capt. McJunkin this morning said that
we were to be retained. Where he gets
his information from do not know, but
we hope it will turn out that he Is
wrong.
We have had bean soup for dinner
now fourteen days out of fifteen, don I
you think that's pretty good. We had
| turkey for dinner on Thanksgiving
it was bought out OF the com
nany finds.
We had rabbit for supper tonight
Vance Stroup has shot gun and ne
goes out and gets game occasionally
which we cook up in fine style. Do
you ever see Sam Scott, L have heard
from him but once since he left us. l
hope you are well again i saw by iasl
weeks paper that you had another at
tqsf IF otbeu eum sEiipppjtv Se5s9p ha@ s1ek
John Alexander before this.
Well l guess this is all for this time
Dave sends his regards to yourself and
sisters and the other fellows all want to
be remembered to you, write again soor
Sincerely Your Friend