Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-06-09
A Letter From Rev. KreIl.

N sra regiment, camp Nlchlnley.l
DeS MONIES, Iowa, June D, 1898. !
We were rendered a reception by Col. A. B.
Shaw at the Grant club rooms. Judge Towner,
OF Corning; Judge Granger, of Des Moines;
| Mrs. Macomber, of Des Mones; Gov. Shaw,
our Capt Pearls and the writer made remarks.
Senator Mitchell made some very practical re-
marks on soldier life and character. They
| served light repast OF ice cream in form and
| color of ''old glory" with cake and coffee. The
dinner given to the 3rd regiment by Des
| Moines ladies was a beautiful one indeed and
| heartily appreciated. The writer was called on
| to make remarks of appreciation which was
| gladly done. Frequently friends from some
soldiers home brought vctuals. These are
generally shared with some or all of the boys.
| There is no selfshnese here. On last Saturday
| the ladies presented every soldier in the Iegi-
iment with pillow case made out OF white and
blue checkered shifting. They also gave each
soldier a''hOuse wife, this is made of oilcloth
| IA by inches, lined with flannel, bound with
| braid and has three pockets in which are pants
buttons, [self fastenersl small paper of pins,
needles, court plaster, fine comb, [they say we
will have lice to fight thread and three saftey
pins. This is just the thing for lis.
All last week the boys We're nervous as they
knew we were to move somewhere soon. Peo-
pie asked us during every hour of the day
where are yoa goiag?" We would have been
glad and relieved if they had told us where
When we were first informed on Friday that
we were to 90 west il was discredlted 1t SEEM
ed almost too good to believe. All wanted to
move. Move anywhere rather than stay at
Camp Mckinley. We had a nice time there
But we did not enlist to stay there. All hoped
to go to the front. Now that our most ardent
desires to 90 west are to he realizedwe are hap
ply. On Sunday morning the rain poured down
till near 10 O'Clock, yet not murmur was heard
At Q we had our blankets rolled up into Il long
roll 1.-THE width of the blanket with under
clothes, towels, handkerchiefs, books, paper
pillow all wrapped up in it. Four strings tied
1t together then the ends were tied together
and it was hung on our left shoulder An over
coat was given me. This was put on then the
rubber blanket was thrown over it. The gun
was carried at secure arms under the armsl
because of the rain. We had to March to 18th
street where the North Western train waa wait
ing on the Great Western road We were al
most roasting. My under clothes were so wet
you could ring water out of them, they were
damp yet at 5p. m. At 10 the tram moved.
How the boys cheered as we started from the
barracks where we have had such delightful
camp. All along the march we cheered. The
people cleered us heartily. At1p. m. we ate
dinner at Boone consisting of beans, pork
bread aud coffee. Our train is made up OF
eight sleepers 1.-TWO for each company one for
the officers, two baggage and one other making
twelve cars IN all Our sleeper is an elegant
one. My bed is one of the easiest to sleep on
- m natf ip,r ri
went to bed, slept well, and got up at 5 and
began writing as the train sped along.
All along the route in city. village, home and
road side we were cheered. We have num-
Der of flags. have one that was used to deco
rate the Ross church the last Sunday / was
there. God bless them for that last meeting
He will. The flag shall go to the front. At
Carroll there was very large crowd and the
band discoursed music and the little cannon
was fired repeatedly. We appreciated all this
We were met at COUncill Bluffs with vast
crowd OF people at 6p. m. They brought us
supper in baskets and gave us all the coffee we
could drink. 1t had cream in it too. The sup
per consisted OF sandwiches, bananas. orang-
es new onions and radshes. We ate all we
dared and have enough left for several meals
Many came in to shake hands, then to say good
bye, wished us safe voyage, victory and a.safe
return. Some laughed while some Especially
among the olderl shed tears, God bless them.
Just before we left. The End battalion which
went over the G. X. 1. & p. arrived Just after we
did. 1t left just ahead of u.s. Yesterday when
our owed l0nes at home would be going to
church took some song books which brought
from home, and which had been used i'm revival
meetings, distributed them and we sang "Near-
er my God to thee, "What a friend we have in
Jesus" There's sunshine IN my SOUL" etc.
A short halt was made III Omaha with a warm
greeting. The Missousi river is up and the
Platte river is overfiown ond looks larger than
Missouri because of that At lis we were in
Fremont where the train halted about five min
utes. The people cheered heartily. Yet they
could not equal Iowa cheers. You know we
are Iowa boys, Iowa dear Iowa, will be all the
dearer to us from this on. God keep our loved
ones and friends. We hope to see their faces
again. But we shall not all get back
This ride up the beautiful stretch OF land i'm
the Platte valley as the sun is lowering, as
nihgt Is gently falling about us, upon this one |
of the most beautiful evenings of the most de- |
lightful of the year is the most enchanting i'm |
aginable. At IL p. m. was awakened by the |
Of the people at Grand Island they ,
knew we were coming and waited for us. One
small boy called out "Iowa boys are all right
but Nebraska boys are better" II made us
laugh as we raised up our heads while lying
down to look out of the windows, how the peo-
pie laughed. Up at five a. m. all that could be
seen was two small houses and green prairie.
soon not house was to be seen, not tree or
shrub or anything but the grass and sky. There
seems to be little hills or mounds OF sand all Ov-