Evening star., 1898-09-05
District Regiment il il Homesick Down
to Its Boots
The DANGER OF RECEPTIONS
Col. Harries is NOT Ashamed of
Its Men.
THE ESCORT QUESTION
Special From a staff Correspondent.

| CAMP WIkOFF,
| Montauk Point, L. l., September 6. 1893,
| Saturday there was a rumor around the
District regiment camp that the start for
| home was to be made at once 1t went
| through the company streets like wildfre
and was enthusiastically received. 1t was
| believed because the men wanted to believe
| it. Col. Harries promptly. and vigorously
smashed the life out of the rumor and ex-
| pressed his opinion strongly about the start
ing of such stories as demoralizng to the
| men.
| The improvement in the regiments spir-
| its and health outcome of the an
| nouncement that it would start for home
| Thursday has been marked. The men were
| ready to jump at every idea of an even
| earlier start, and if they should be told
| that there had been a postponement from
| Thursday the effect would be deplorable on
weak and debilitated bodies. The fact must
| be borne in mind that more than one has
| died of homesickness through this affair.
| not primarily, perhaps, but the homesick-
| ness has been the straw that killed These
men ought to come home am satisfied of
| that, and no details of q reception should
stand in the way of their wish being grant
| ed. l have talked with the officers and 7
| have talekd with the men, and ".Home
homer is their cry. Those who can are
getting furloughs leaves Of absence and
goirg home. A large number of the regi-
| ment are already away from here In the
reg1mental hospital furloughs are given TO
every man able to travel In the resimentaI
camp three and four days leaves are deci-
| mating the ranks. This is the policy of
Gen. Wheeler and those in command. They
want to get men out Of the hospital to
oth o,,I
good enough to get leave for a we'll man.
Put the departure of the regiment off long
er and the men, through one means or an
| other, will get home anyway and only the
entirely well and the friendess will he left
You may say Col. Harries should not al
low them to go, but Col. Harries has noth-
ing to do with it. The moment a man goes
10 general hospital he Is out Of Col Har-
ries control and he is furloughed right
from there. Numbers of others have been
ana are being furloughed by direct order
from the War Department.
Inc men here know that others are go
ing, offlcerst of the regimental staff. even
ana they want to goo too- Then, again.
these men are weak debilitated broken
down, chills in their systems fever in their
| plooo they are getting things to eat: every-
thing that can be gotten for them here.
out things to eat are not all they would
get at nome, and the nursing and coddliny
and eating of home is what these men need
and want. The idea that WASHINGTON is
too hot for them after Cuba seems laueha
Bile to these boys in blue. Then. again. thev
are sleeping on the ground here without
tent trenches. A few DAYS hard rain
would add materially to the varied assort-
ment of chills and fevers in camp. These
men are not kicking, they are not com
planning; they are not Joining in the ma
tonai Mysteries; they are soldiers and are
going to obey whatever orders their Off
GERS give them. There would be no thought
of home-going If there was work or fight
ing to be done, but there is none The
work is finished, the fighting over and
nothing stands between the growing long
ing for mother, wife and sweetheart. De-
paftment red tape has starved stomachs
of late. Reception committee red tape
must not starve hearts. The fact of cut
ting down reception programs does not
affect the thinking men up here. All the
programs in the world are nothing to them
in comparison to the kiss of mother or
wife. Then. bear in mind another thing,
the soldiers coming back from Cuba now
or ten days from now are not in condition
ceptions The list Regiment marched into
New York the other day. They were en-
Enthusiastically received and there was an
elaborate reception. and since then men
have died in that regiment and dozens of
convalescents are back in their BEDS and
the doctors-mind, the doctors, and not a
pessimistic newspaper man-say the deaths
and relapses were due to the excitement
or the reception. The citizens of Chica go
were preparing some monster ceremonies
FOR the 1st Illinois, but Col. Turner has
wired them that the only reception he and
his men want Is permission to go to their
homes from the train and meet their loved
ores.
The excitement of long and elaborate re-
ceptlons to sick and weak men has a good
deal the same ring to 1t insisting on hos
pitai patients getting drunk. The patients
are, likely, high spirited during the drunk,
but they stand good chance of dying next
day. The men in this regiment arc as one
man in not wanting any escort. A fine
tooth comb will not find another opinion in
the regiment. They want to march back as
they marched out. That is the opinion of
the men and 1t ends there. Beyond the ex-
preston of this opinion they feel they have
nothing to DO. 1t Is Il matter for the peo-
pie down home to settle. Outside Of the
wishes OF the men, however, there is some-
thing to consider in this escort business
The regiment is not in shape TO stand much
waiting about in line and If a heavy escort
and long parade is going to mean success
sion OF halts 1t is going to be a bad thing
for this lot of men
In short. and in brief the regiment is in
shape to swing up the avenue, it is in shape
to receive the welcome Of its friends along
the way, it is in shape to 81 through brief
ceremonies at the White House, and 1t is
in splendid shape to break UP into indi-
viduals to be taken to 300 homes, and fed
ana nursed and petted. A goodly proper
ton OF it, moreover, is going to be in posi-
ton to receive from Washington the Kind
OF welcome chat will do the most good, the
welcome news to individuals that places
and opportunities to eara bread are open to
them.
understand Col. Harries is quoted in
Washington as saying he was ashamed Of
fnor 49, >l,o