The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-07-29
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Bears the HIhs Kind You Have Always Bought
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ILLINOIS IRISH REGIMENT.
The Seventh Illinois Fine Body of Men.
YIN. C. A. Doing Good Work.

lhS intcuoc hcdt VI Tile SOUTHERN cOun-
try induced me to 90 north and to visit
this camp.
Falls Church is an old camping ground
of the civil war. No one without expert
ence can realize the large extent OF terri
ritory covered by camp occupied by
10000 men. 1t is about as large as all of
Owosso. Some of the regiments are en-
camped on billy ground, others in valleys,
still others choose dense woods.
While going with party of Irish girls
from Chicago to visit the celebrated Irish
Seventh we passed party of Pennsylya-
MIA troops who very cordially announced
that dinner would be ready in fifteen
minutes. The Seventh Illinois is en-
camped on billy ground in the woods.
We went directly to Col. Kavanagh's tent.
In civil life Col. Kavanaugh is a lawyer
of large practice in Chicago. Dressed in
a blue flannel shirt and high top boots,
and plain blue trousers, without either
coat or hat, The looked like an athlete, as
indeed he is. He was very cordial.
Father Kelley soon came up, dressed
like the colonel except he wore pri.
Yates hat. He went over the entire reg
mental camping ground with us, show
ing the hospital lodge, the guard house,
and the corral for the officers horses.
1t was dinner time and the men were
lined up by companies to receive their
cooked rations. These consisted of pork
and beans, boiled potatoes and soft bread
with some companies and in others sal
mon took the place of beans, and mash
ed potatoes potatoes with the jackets on.
We were next shown the mass tent,
for ninety-five per cent of the regiment
are Catholics and it is most proper that a
piest should be chaplain. The altar con-
sists of a long steamer trunk with detach-
able legs. The men stood up during SER
vice except when all kneel. The men
stand outside the tent.
1t was now dinner hour for us, and we
went to the dining log cabin of the Off
GERS, where we had swell dinner of pork
and beans, canned corn, veal fillet, served
on tin plates and eaten with iron knives
and forks.
No difference was perceptible between
mems and officers mess, except that we
sat at a table surrounded by mosquito
netting. The men stood up or sat down,
and washed their own eating utensils
when the meal was finished.
The taste of the men was displayed in
many ways. The walks were lined with
moss and ferns and the signs, "Our Pleas
ant Home," were placed in few places
You will surely hear from the Seventh
Illinois. 1t is fine body of men.
then went over to the Indiana regi-
ments and saw the operations of the Y.
M. @. A. The Association has erected a
large tent, and during the day it was fill.
ed with soldiers playing innocent games
l learned that religious meetings were
largely attended, but that there were few
christians among them. Let the chris
tian people everywhere contribute liber.
! ally to the cause. While men are at lib.
erty and are about to face certain death,
to some it is an exceedingly favorable
time to think on religious truth. Unfor.
tunately many army chaplains are politi.
clans and not good men. Father Kelley
seemed to me just the right man in the
right place.
| Life in camp is not as idle as one would
suppose. Drills are held all day long in
an open field, so that some companies
are alternately occupying it. witnessed
finely executed cavalry charges. Col.
Kavanaugh took his regiment twelve
miles from camp and bivouaced on the
banks of the Potomac, making the letters
of the regiment by holding candles 80
| that it could be seen for miles. Evolu.
tions were executed such as occur in bat.
tie. Some companies march down the
road, meet the enemy and fall back to be
reinforced by other companies coming
down another road. At evening the men
assembled to hear lecture by the colo
mel on the movements of the day.
Some of the boys confess they are tired,
very tired, with such days work.
Think of the other boys of 81 and '64,
who are looked upon with 80 much hon
or in Owosso. At Gettysburg these boys
marched twenty-three miles day over a
hot, dusty road to get into the battle. A
three days fight after such march and
no rest except to the dead.
saw the boys paid. They marched
in lines, their names were called and
each received $3.50. l did not see a
smiling face, not one, as they drew their
little stipend. The fact is, that except in
few cases, pay day brings to the men
what they are sacrificing. Soldering is
not playing even in fixed camp.
E. A. BARNES.
How's This?
We offer One Hundred Dollars reward