The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-01
JUST AS IT APPEARS
Wichita Boys Picture of
Chickamauga.
MEASLES IN THE CAMP
Question of What to Do For
the Sick Boys

w. J. Boulton, an Wichita boy, who
went to Chickamagua, writes this letter
home:
Chickamagua, Ga. May 27. 1898.
Dear Mother:-I received your welcome
letter and was glad to hear from you. Il
found me well and hearty and good hu-
mored. You wanted TO know when L sent
any clothes home. 1 didn't send them
home because they were full of lice and
sold them. Talk about weather. 1t is all
right here. We are in a park ten miles
square, an old battle field. l found an old
piece Of bomb shell this morning and an
other piece the other day. 1 got part of
my new suit this morning and will get the
rest tomorrow. The coat IS dark blue and
the pants lighter blue. The shoes are a
kind of a lead color. 1 am going to have
my picture taken some of these days and
send some of them home just 20 show you
what change clothes will make in a
person. You wanted to know why weare
on guard so long. We have to go on
guard in turns and "a hours is the time.
We have been here a week today and 1
have not been to town since l came. l
expect to spend the summer here but
some Of the boys think We viii go TO
California. For my part hope we will.
/ want to see all the country We can now.
There are oneor two of the boys little
sick but outside Of that we are doing first
rate. There are about $1,000 soldiers
here and more coming. Some of the boys
are writing and some are reading, some
are shaving, some playing cards and some
are asleep, some washing dishes and some
washing clothes. When I get the rest of
my new clothes I am going to put them
in my grip and save them and wear the
second hand suit 1 got in Topeka. You
spoke Of our being so far apart. I will be
home from here Just as quick as from To-
peka. I guess will have 10 serve the most
of two years. l hear the bugle boys prac-
ticing. They are away out in the timber.
Papa asked me how liked Colonel Fitch.
l have hardly seen him yet. That pocket
book 1 sent home is one I found. Speaking
about what the boys art LONG, I forgot 20
tell you that some of them are hunting
lice.
There is lots Of good feeling among them
WHO sldN6 UGW CiOLueS. II makes IuEIn
feel like soldiers. but for my part I
have got my old ones on yet and expect
to keep them on, too, only on dress pa
rade. I expect you can hardly get the run
Of my letter on account OF changing the
subject so often and the poor hand writ
Ing. But you must excuse that when you
know what poor hand I am TO write and
especially since 1 have TO sit on the
ground with my back against a tree and
write on a board. This letter is to all,
so please pass it around. Yours truly,
VIM. ]. BOULTON.
The Eagle IS in information the source
of which, for obvious reasons, 1t cannot
divulge. which viii be Of vital interest to
all those having friends or relatives in
the Twenty-first Kansas regiment now at
Chickamauga. This information says that
several Of the boys are sick-measles be-
ing the principal complaint, not a light
disease in adults. In the regiment there
is no hospital fund as yet and no way
to provide delicacies for the aihng SOL
diers who cannot eat the regular army
fare In an attempt TO surmount this
difficulty aid was asked of the superior
officer. This officer sail that in similar
difficulties IN other regiments canteens
had been established and the profits from
the sale Of liquors were used to purchase
proper food for the sick. This officer adj
vised Colonel Fitch to start a canteen.
Fitch promptly refused. Now, some sort
of aid should be sent the sick boys from
home. Address 20 anyone Of their friends.
This information is not furnished by any
one connected with the army. Under
present circumstances il would be perilous
for either officer or soldier to write homo
about this matter.
4 private letter from Chickamauga
says:
Lieutenant J. Z. Brown Of the Twenty
first Kansas volunteers. said that at the
officers school on Thursday last, the
question Of a regimental canteen came
up, and that Colonel Fitch expressed
himself in very firm language as being op-
posed to the sale Of any liquors, and that
be had decided it should not be done
His remarks about the regiment having
the moral support Of the state OF Kansas,
were nicely put. and were manly. His
position was strongly sustained by Lieu
tenant Colonel McCrum and Major Brown
and backed up By the unanimous vote Of
the commissioned officers. Lieutenant
Brown says that Colonel Fitch IS very
popular with tae regiment. and II the
Twenty Kansas IS not a success Il
viii not be the fault Of the regimenta!
officers"