The Princeton union., 1898-06-02
FROM CAMP THOMAS.
Company M Took Part in Sham Bat
tie at Camp Thomas Last
Thursday.
The Princeton Boys the Neatest Look
ing Company in the
Brigade.

Gno sunny SOuth" |" at last and sunny 1t
is, too If it we're not for the shade
the Minnesota boys would not be in it
long. No matter how hot the day may
be in the sun when one strikes the
shade he can cool off, for we have a
splendid sea-breeze which springs up
every morning and lasts all day.
My last letter was mailed before we
were fairly on the way therefore a few
words concerning our trip will prob
ably be of interest to our friends. Our
first stop for a meal was made Monday
evening at Chippewa Falls, Wis. The
whole town was out to welcome US and
speed US on our way. Coffee was fur
nished the men and the officers went
to hotel. The best citizens of the
town were sightseers at the depot
and the ladies all came we'll supplied
with flags and flowers. These were
soon in the possession of the boys, but
some Of the soldiers overcoats we're
minus buttons as result of the ex-
themselves particularly popular by
supplying the smokers with clay pipes
and tobacco. All through Wisconsin
there were crowds at the depots, camp
fires being lighted to enable all to see
the train At one station, which we
reached after the boys had retired and
most of them asleep, a salute was fired
in our honor and there was hot time
in Pullman's palace sleepers for few
minutes. the sleepy ones imagined that
Spainards had run battleship up
some brook and had opened fire.
The boys were up betimes in the
morning and found themselves passing
through the beautiful farms of Illinois.
The train soon entered the numerous
suburban towns west of Chicago and
at 9:3O we we're at the stockyards,
where the train stopped for As minutes
for breakfast. There was no time for
sightseeing but the greeting we re-
celved made the boys feel good. We
ran through the manufacturing part of
the city and every shop and factory
blew whistles to beat the band. The
residents of that portion must have
thought the great fire was to be re-
peated, If one could judge by their
looks as they rushed out of stores and
houses to see what the noise was all
about.
The first time the boys were allowed
10 leave the coaches was at Sheldon,
Ind. Our train stopped about mile
out OF town, the battalion was formed,
and headed by the Fourteenth regi-
ment band we marched into town.
Inc streets were lined with people and
again the boys were supplied with
pOsies.
We reached INDIANAPOLIS Tuesday
night and here we saw the first s'coon
settlement. All along the canals
dusky Dinahs and ebony Joes waved
towels and bandanas while pickaninies
galore cheered in their childish trebles
and chased the cars. It was dark bv
the time we reached the bes;, mart of
the City and we saw nothing but the
oepot. cincinnati we also missed. as
we passed through it during the night,
wednesday we went through the fa-
nous blue grass region of Kentucky
ana from the windows we could see
hundreds of thoroughbreds feeding in
tne pastures. The cattle and sheen
also showed considerable improvement
and the farms showed that the ownars
were prosperous There were few
fences, the divisions being made with
walls built of stones.
When we struck the highlands trav-
cling became more dangerous, there
oelhg numerous steep grades, trestles
ana tunnels. Every trestle was
guarded by secret service men. a. fact
"nlch we did not know until we had
nearly finished our journey. Wednes.
Gay our train passed through thirty.
one tunnels some of them BEING moro
than three miles long. Coal mines
became numerous and coke ovens free.
quently warmed the air in the vicinity
of the train.
We reached Chattanooga at 6 P. M
Wednesday and felt that our iourne,
was nearly at an end. When we were
taking siding in the yards our first
accident occurred. The first car O.
Company I, the company following US
caught in the frog and in an instan
the drawbar snapped in two with a re-
port like 13-inch Krupp. Private
Mitchell was on guard on the platform
and was talking with him at the time
1t all happened so quickly that we hat
no time to be frightened, but yo,
should have seen the darkey porter
disappear. The accident shook u,
every one on the train but no one wa
hurt The accident made it impossi
BILE for US to go to Chickamauga tha
night.
We were taken out to Battlefield
Station early tho novt ,,oon,;,oc . -