Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-05-21
LETTER FROM CAMP LEE.
Correspondence Alexandria Gazette

Correspondence Alexandria Gazette
This has been hard day for some OF
US on account of false reports circulated
in regard to the way We are living. We
are very comfortable. We do not g,s
home food, it is true, but it is good
enough for anybody to eat. We do not
Expect to have our meals in courses. l
will mention the bill of fare. We had
to- lay: Breakfast-Eggs, beef, pickles,
coffee, bread, milk and butter. Dinner
Pork and beans, roast beef, bread,
coffee, onions, and milk. Supptr-same
as dinner, and plenty Of it. OF course
he first day we arrived things were q
little hard. do not think anyone suf-
fered for anything to eat. If he die it
was his own fault, as the boys were
willing to share with one another.
Some of them seized that for an oppol-
tunity to 90 home. They thought they
were coming on picnic. They raised
more disturbance than the rest of the
company put tog, tier, but when
the time came for them to
show their manhood they back
ed out. Not satisfied with that,
they went home and circulated incorrect
report about their treatment. Not
all OF those that came back did 30, as
some I, f them cried when they lett, as
uey were willing to go but tailed to
,mss the examination.
As said in the first part of my let-
ter, this has been hard day for us.
Tremendous pressure has been brought
0 bear on the boys from their mothers,
fathers, wives, sweethearts aud others
ON early morning until late at night.
Letters and kilograms have been re-
:eived begging them to come home. 1t
Is like tearing out their very heart to
refuse them, but 70 men-and they ar.
men-are holding out finn as rocks. l
Jaw big men as we'll as game little del
icate youngsters cry like babies as they
read their letters aud kilograms, but
every man standing like q rock to duty
before everything else. No man can
point the finger of scorn at US and call
Us towards. Rather thousand times
would we die than go back home until
he war is over We are Vireinians
,efore anything else. No one shall say
We Virginians did not do our duty.
Webster occupies his time drawing pic
ures OF Spaniards on paper. He says
ne wants TO be the first man to land in
Guta so he can bring one of the enemy
nome to the boys. He says he will
never come back without one.
The boys are delighted with Captain
Atkinson. He looks after the comfort
If the boys the same as their father. He
Is kind aud considerate to all, showing
no partiality to any one. The boys will
stand by him TO a maD, and follow him
anywhere in the world. One word for
our first and second lieutenants. Both
are fine men and no man need fear that
they will fail in their duty. There is
perfect harmony in the company. All
the boys send their regards to the Ga
zette and watch for it when mail time
comes.
In speaking about the food DR.. Smith
(Major Smith, should say) eats the
same food as we. He eats from a tin
plate, and drinks out of tin cup. If
he is satisfied We should be. Give our
thanks to George R. Hill for his kind
ness. We have his gifts in the morning
with coffee before breakfast. We are
running very short of them.
There is no possibility of the 3rd regi-
ment being ordered out of the State, as
it VIII take q month to equip it.
There are not over ty9 companies that
are uniformed or drilled, so you can see
it will take some time to do this. Some
do not know how to handle gun. II
will take two months before they will
be able to take the field.