Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-06-16
OUR BOYS IN CAMP.
Co. T., 10th Regiment, Camp
Hastings.

10. Ey Iotn hGE IhChts ShnP
Hastings.
CHAUTAUoUA p. o.. LEBANON Co. PA.
Everything is hustle and apparent
confusion in the Is tn to-day. We are
breaking camp and at six this evening
expect TO be in the cars and on our way
| to Washington whence we will proceed
| to Fort Washington few miles down
| the river We are half afraid the same
thing will happen to us that did to the
| three cavalry troops Thursday In the
| morning they received marching orders,
| broke camp hauled their tents and bag
| gage to the railroad, loaded it on cars
| and lay there till evening waiting Tor
| the train to pull out with them. In the
| evening the orders were countermanded
| and they had TO unload and carry their
| stuff back and set up again on their old
camping ground, where they are yet.
| The Governors troop is being mount
| ed on splendid gray horses.
| Wed nesday last Co. Z was the recip-
lent ofa large basket of bologna from
| Geo. Krug the Butler meat man.
| Thursday Sumney and Stroup were
| Col. Krepp's orderlies, Friday Watson
| and Waters were selected and to-day
| Allshouse has it. Co. E gets nearly as
many of the honorary positions at each
days guard mount as the other seven
companies of the 18th all together.
| Yesterday instead Of the regular mo
notonous afternoon drill, Capt. McJun-
kin led us on a three or four mile ramble
through the woods. We went tearing
| through the underbrush deployed as
| skir1nishers, but while doing so our line
was not nearly as straight as it Is on
dress parade. We rested in valley
| and lunched on wild Strawberries which
| were growing there in plenty. June
berries are ripe here and in few weeks
more huckleberries, of which there is a
great abundance in the woods, will be
ripe. The woods are full of blackberry
bushes and wild grapes, and theprevail-
ing tree is chestnut. If possible we
would like to stay in this beautiful
place till cold weather comes next fall,
everyone leaves it with feeling OF re
gret.
FORT WASHINGTON, ND. JUNE ID, 9e
The 18th regiments tents were all
down by four o'clock Saturday after
noon No supper was prepared, but
Co. Fl of the 1S invited us into their
mess tent and nearly all of Cos. E and
G ate a good full meal there. About
Z o'clock escorted by the 14th and 18th
regiments, the 18th marched to the sta
ton and forty five minutes later we
pulled away from Mt. Gretna. the
ideal camping ground. Our train took
rs up to Harrisburg where a great
crowd greeted us, and then on to Wash
ington via York and Baltimore We
reached the latter city at one o'clock
Saturday morning and stopped in the
Nations capital about two hours later.
Early Sunday morning we were march
ed down Seventh st. a mile to the wharf.
| Although SO early in the day the sun
came out very hot and, loaded with our
heavy knapsacks and accouterments,
| our clothes were soaked with sweat
| when we reached the Potomac river.
Six companies of the regiment were
| loaded on a steamboat and taken to
| Fort Sheridan, thirty miles below
Washington on the Virginia side. Cos.
E and c of Erie were marched onto the
boat Harry Randall and taken to Fort
Washington in Maryland just opposite
| Fort Sheridan. This short steamboat
| trip lasted one and half hours and
was very pleasant and refreshing.
FROM the boats decks we could see the
Capitol. new Pension building Depart
ment Of Printing and Engraving build
ing, Washingtons monument and the
buildings of the Smithsonian Institute.
Many other noted public edifces may
have been in sight, but those named
were the only ones we could locate and
identify. Far up the river we could
see the historic Long Bridge
Beside us soldier boys, the Harry
Randall was loaded with many Wash
ington people who were making a pic
mic of the Sabbath The boats saloon
did rushing business. At Blue View
park, which lays across a wide inlet
from Ft. Washington, band played all
day Sunday and a rollercoaster and a
| merry go-round were in full blast
On our way down tie boat stopped
at the old town of Alexandra, Va.
| where Col Elmer Ellsworth was killed
early in the Rebellion.
The next stop was Blue View and then
Fit. Washington. The fort stands ON a
| steep hill about one hundred feet higher
than the river. Most of it is old and
overgrown with ivy which makes it
look very pretty, but additions and i'm
provements are being made as rapidly
as possible. The walls are made partly
of masonry and partly Of earth piled in
around the wicker-work slaves. There
are some ten-inch breechloading rifles,
some old fifteen-inch muzzle leaders,
and many smaller guns in the fort.
We will be drilled at handling these
guns every day, and so well be artiller-
lists before long.
After the Harry Randall tied up to
the wharf, we marched off and unload
ed our baggage Then under a sun
whose heat was almost unbearable,
we marched or staggered up the hill
| past the regulars barracks to our camp
ground in field back of the Fort, we
had dinner of coffee and hardtack and
then put up our tents and laid floors in
| them.
This morning guardmount was held
| at half past eight and a detail under
Corporal Martin was taken over to the
fort for artillery drill.
The only drawback to our camp here
is our poor water supply. The river is
about quarter of a mile distant but
| its water is not good to drink Near
camp is pump which can be forced to
eject thin little stream of muddy
waiter. Half mile distant from camp
is a large spring, the nearest good
water. A mule team will haul us
water from this spring twice day.
Del Hindman started through the
woods to the spring last evening, lost
his way, slept under tree all night
and this morning was directed back to
camp by two colored citizens.
In the surrounding woods are many
trees of ripe wild cherries as large as
the cultivated cherries which are
| brought to market at Butler Part
ridges are calling Bob White" from
| out the thicket all day long. We are