Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-12-04

TON. PA, BOY WRITES FROM
FAR-OFF MANILA.
The letter is dated Camp Conrad,
Columbus, Ca, and says: Camp Po-
land, situated at Knoxville, is fast be-
coming thing Of history only. But
two regiments are left there now.
These are the Thirty first Michigan
and the Fourth Tennessee. The Sixth
Ohio left there yesterday.
Our regiment left there on Saturday
noon. Amid the cheers and music and
good wishes of the Sixth Ohio regiment
we boarded a. train at a place called
Lonsdale, which is four miles from
Knoxville and about three miles from
, the camp. We were escorted to the
cars by the Sixth Ohio regiment, and
they cheered us company at time as
we passed them. We are called the
twins" of the war; but we are now
separated. and it was as the breaking
of home ties.
We came through in three passenger
sections and two freight sections. We
were twenty-four hours on the road.
The third section, containing the col
onel and Second battalion, was de-
layed several hours on account of hav-
ing a bad engine that could not pull up
the grades with the heavy train. All
the West Virginia men who were in
the hospital corps were returned to
their regiments for duty. They num-
Der about seventeen in all. We had a
fine reception here. The Sixteenth In
diana boys treated us to dinner, each
i,,;n tho onrpQCn0nd-
ing company of the other regiment.
We then took supper with the Thlrd
Kentucky regiment in the same man.
ner.
There is a detail of men from the One
Hundred and SiXtieth and Third do
ing provost duty in town. We are not
allowed in Columbus without a pass
from our commanding officer. Several
West Virginia boys have been caught
and arrested 1t has been very dis
agreeable here in camp for couple OF
days Constant rains have made mud
almost knee deep, but now the sun is
out and it is thought that we will have
a few hours of pleasant weather.
1t is very hard to get pass to visit
the city Your pass must be approved
by the first sergeant of your company,
your captain, colonel and then you are
sent to brigade headquarters to be in
spected, and if there is any dirt found
On your cl"thes you are sent back to
try it over again the next day.
There is some talk of the brigade
commander not allowing this regiment
to have a canteen where beer will be
sold. 1t will be a good thing, because
here is where most of the boys get in
trouble. Neither of the other regl-
ments have a chance to sell beer, but
if we are not allowed to have canteen
we will not have any company fund
to buy extra ration, as we have been
accustomed to do. Each company has
had about four hundred dollars from
the profits of the canteen.
We now have guard mount in the
morning at o'clock. We have chang
ed it from p. m. to this time. We
have not had any drills as yet on &C
count of the rains We have no stoves
as yet, but will have them some of
these days.
While the boys never expect to hnd
as good a camp as Knoxville, they are
generally pleased with the conditions
here at Columbus. We are now again
/ III Tie cOIlOu DSIl. w arc IGIAilpOu va
an old cotton field. We cannot tell
how long we will be here, although we
expect to be in Cuba by the first day of
January. We will get our new rifles
in a few days. They are here, as is
also the ammunition. We are also to
get some target practice with them.
The One Hundred and Sixtieth Indiana
regiment were at work on rife ranges
last week.
Eleven of our boys We're sent to the
hospital here. These are cases that
the doctor has been holding off for
some time, but IL has non sent the
worst ones up. All who are physically
or mentally incompetent for the ser
vice are to be discharged and the
brigade gotten ready for active service.
Nurses and hospital attaches are ar
irving here every day.
Capt Moore, of our regiment, had a
purse of 5000 taken from his tent while
at Knoxville He has not recovered
the money as yet, but he claims to have
clue to the guilty parties.
Major Baguley is again with the
West Virginia regiment.
Columbuss chief industry is cotton
mills. There are several here. One
is very large. There is some pretty
scenery here along the river We are
on the line between Alabama and
Georgia on the Chattahoochie river.
There are some vast improvements be-
ing made on the river. An extensive
dam is being put in. We can look for
July weather one day and March
weather the next.