The evening times., 1898-09-01
THE IMMUNES.
Gossip About Washfngtonians in the
Fourth Volunteer Infantry.


Jacksonville, Fla Aug. 30, 1888.
Camp Cuba Libre,
To the Editor OF The Times:
1t may be of interest to many OF your
readers TO hear something Of the Fourth
United States Volunteers, familtarly
known as the "immunes," four compan-
les Of which are composed largely OF
Washington boys.
Well, after two months and ten days
sojourn al the ancient city of Fredericks-
burg, Va, we were transferred 10 this
land Of flowers. This part of il was mis-
named, however 1t might more appro-
priately be called the land of sand, sand
flies and sand fieas. Still, we like it bet
ter than the mud of Fredericksburg.
Here, when il rains which is every day,
the sand absorbs the rainfall, no matter
how heavy, and ten minutes afterward
one would not think for moment that it
had rained at all. Though we have had
The Times regularly. We have never
seen anything, except possibly a line or
two, concerning the immunes. Now
though l know somewhat of the regiment
in general, / am going to write Of
Company in particular.
First of all must be named our captain,
Charles z. Newberry. Though not a
Washington man, strictly speaking. he
is known to many of the Washington
people. He is, the boys say, ALI
right" If the men of this regiment had
their way, "Grandpap," as the boys call
him, would have more than half the
regiment in his company. He is a strict
diaciplinarian, but kind with il, and he
has gotten many of us out of the hole,
not once, but many times. His failing is
his good-heartedness. Just think of a
man who would bring a lame dog, a
common brown little mongrel, from
Fredericksburg, and care for it as if 1t
was most valuable animal, and you can
form some idea of his good-nature. He
is considerate about his men, and if one
of them gets in trouble he is worried un-
til be gets him out of it.
Now about our first lieutenant, William
w. Parker. Many of the people of Wash
ington know him, and we all hope may
know him again. He doesn't say much,
but he does a whole lot of quiet think
ing, and though he is big and burly in
frame and austere in demeanor, we are
not afraid of him, and his good-humored
chatting we all take in good part. He is
a good soldier.
Our second lieutenant is Richard T. Ell
lis. He is from Ohio, and came to us
at Fredericksburg. He is young man,
and has some military knowledge. A
thorough gentleman, and in keeping with
the captain and first lieutenant in his
consideration for his men. We all like
him, and will stick to him under all cir
cumstances. Our first sergeant, Dalton,
" Two raay in -l1a o1y,-
of the service, part of which time he
was located at Fort Myer, has done
much toward the efficiency of Company
b. With a thorough knowledge, from
practical experience, he has labored hard
to make his company one of the best
drilled in the regiment
Now, to mention Sergeant Reid Riley.
will bring smile to many face. Sol
diering is a trifle out of his line, but he
holds out manfully. When peace was
declared his name was placed on the hos
pital report. The blow was too much
for him. He wanted to fight.
/ cannot for.et to mention Sergeant
Robson, another Washington boy. an
old boy, though, and trihe gray.
We have been unfortunate in the way
of sickness. Corporal Paxon, a Wash
ington lad, who before the war was with
the Baltimore Mutual Aid Society, Wash
ington branch, had quite a severe spell
Of typhoid fever and only last Saturday
returned Is us from Washington where
he had been on a furlough during con-
Valesence. Speaking of Paxon reminds
me that there are three of tfNse BOYS,
all brothers, in the Fourth. One besides
the corporal in our company a bugler.
ana another sergeant in Company F.
Then we have Coporal Latimer, of Hy-
attsville, son of the county surveyor of
Prince George county, Md, who is full
of good nature.
l could fill columns of your paper with
| narratives of the boys, and the many
| skirmishes in and around Fredericks-
! burg, in which many well-known Wash
| ington boys figured. And George
| town, too. was well represented. Ed
: Stanton, than whom no one is better
known across the bridge, has made a