Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-05-31
WITH THE MAINE TROOPS.
Continued from page -

With the exception of guard duty
and the manner in which the nights are
passed there is nothing monotonous
about the journey. The rushing train
carries the men through a country that
presents ever changing scenes. The
fears that the men may take cold Whit
on the journey have proved to oe
groundless. The warm weather that is
being experienced has overcome all dis
comforts from dampness and were 1t
not for the fact that the men have bur
small quarters in which to move about
the trip would be very enjoyable.
The difficulty that some Of the men
had in sleeping the first night is now
a thing of the past and was left be
hind with the cold disagreeable wealth
er which we see by the papers you peo-
Pile are having. The men now find that
the blanket roll makes very soft pill
low and While man may have stiff
neck when he wakes up he finds that
preferable to an all tired out feeling
that the loss of sleep would give.
There is but very little change in
duty even though the troops are not
under tents. There is the regular
guard duty but without the pacing
back and forth. Each man has two
hours on and four hours off the same
As though in camp. 1t might be
thought that with so many men in the
cars the apartments would become
rather dirty. This is not the case
Each car is swept and cleaned every
day and some several times day. This
w nj h.,
being HON, sick.
With the moon increasing in size
every day the nights are one of the
ple2slntcst parts Of the trip. That
which would seem harsh and severe
during the day is softcned and beauti-
fled by night, For this reason alone
The guard duty becomes genuine
pleasure.
tp to the time the train reached
Cincinnati the three sections were to-
%ethrr. Then an Iowa troop train ran
in and the section We were on the first
section became separated from those
following. During a brief stop made
along the way Wc learned that there
were Maine men aboard the Iowa
train and among them is Col. Iiumphy.
formerly Of Natciville.
During the few moments we met
these men we had slight change in
fare. Many of these men had with
them boxes of dainties sent from home
and these they gladly shared with us.
1t was through these men ,hat our
boys learned what a vast difference
there is in the tobacco our men smoke.
and that which is smoked Ivy the
loWan& MI the tobacco received from
these men was decidedly mild While
that which We took with us was of
the strongest kind. The change was
V,,y welcome to some of our men as
some are iuNeterate cigarette smokers
ana the ligh; tobacco given us could
be inhaled without difficulty ANA fur
nish a very gond substitute for a
cigarette.
Each moment brings US nearer Chat
tanooga and we are now counting the
time by hours Whrn we shall be ia
camp. Tonight. Monday night. VIII he
the last night we the men Wiil suvud
on the ears. We expect to arrive in
Chattanooea late in the afternoon ana
as it will take some time to pitch
camp We are to stay on the train
The boys are in the best of spirits,
as the journey draws to a cloae. The
hospital steward has had but very lit
tie TO do ana the only dscomforts are
those resulting from colds.
1t is probable that ny the time the
most of the people are reading this
the men viii be at work pitching our
tents. All are looking forward Ia the