The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-21
SAVANNAH'S BOYS AT TAMPA.
THEY ARE ALL IN GOOD SPIRITS
AND MAKING THE BEST OF LIFE.

screven an Old Veteran - Private
Tom Morgan Now Known as the
Champion Ditch Digger-sergts.
Thomas and Bond the Fishermen
for the charlottesville Regiment
Under Orders to BE Ready Within
Four Hours When Called On.
Mr.. William R. Leaken, private of Com
pany 3, Savannah Volunteer Guards, 9TH
erwise first battalion, Second Georgia Reg
lment, United States volunteers, is in the
city on furlough of seven days, and will
remain here until Friday night. Mr.. Leak
en-, though still In ranks. is on detached
service with Lieut. Col. William Garrard,
and has a splendid opportunity for observ-
ing the entire camp life of the men in that
command.
Mr.. Leaken says the Savannah boys are
now in splendid shape, They are all uni
formed and well equipped. Each man is
now provided with two uniforms, the
brown canvas service uniform. and the
blue dress uniform. Both are of light ma
terial and quite comfortable. The boys so
far have been provided with only one blan-
secure another within a short time. They
have two, however, having carried their
own blankets to Tampa with them.
The men have oil been furnished with
Donchos, the small rubber coat which fits
over the shoulders. The knapsacks have
been done away with. and each man viii
carry the blanket roll, with one half of a
shelter tent. No trunks will be allowed
when the men are ordered to move, and
this applies to officers as well as to the
men. Only go pounds of baggage will be
allowed for the three officers of each COM
pany. This does away with cots and ham
mocks, and leaves only room for blankets
ana clothing.
The men in the Second Georgia have no
idea where they are going to be sent, Mr..
Leaken said. The command is under or
ders to be ready for marching on four
hours notice, and the men have to keep
in shape to get on the move at any time.
When IL VIII be or where they will go is a
matter unknown to both officers and men.
Vaccination appears to be the chief diff
Guilty the men have had to contend with
recently. The surgeons in their rounds
of the different commands recently reach
ed the Georgia men and took them up by
days the men experience no Inconvenience
from it, but in the second week 1t gets the
best of most of them, and nearly every
man Vaccinated has had to lay up in his
tent for a day or two before he could get
in shape to drill again. ....
1.-THE members of the regiment will take
their own rifles" Mr.. Leaken said. This
is the regular Springfield rife. but the Off
GERS and men who know anything about
shooting and craftsmanship, prefer it to
the Krag-J orgensen. 1t Is not at all i'm
probable that a company of sharpshcoters
will be formed from among the officers and
men who are expert with the rife. Capt.
w. G.. Austin of Company A, Lieut.. f. G.
Wilson of Company b. Sergt. Dreyer and
several others are anxious to form such a
company for field work and 1t is likely it
will be done. OF course, there are more
sharpshOoters among the Savannah bat
talon than anywhere else in the regiment.
Some of the officers carried with them
their Winchesters a special make Of the
gun, which an officer can carry en- mis-
back, ana the time may come when they
viii be able to use these 10 great advan-
tage."
AIr. Leaken said there is no truth in the
report sent out about the attempt
of some Spaniards to poison the
drinking water Of the men. A
Spaniard who lives near the enca mpment
furnishes water from his artesian well to
the SiXty-ninth New York, First Florida,
Fifth Ohio and Second Georgia Regiments.
He has entertained the officers of these
commands, has turned over his bath rooms
60 them, ana has given the soldiers a
whack at his cigar factory.
The reports of riots and disorder be-
tween the white and black soldiers, Mr.
Leaken said, are also unfounded. There
have been enc or two scraps between
whites and blacks in saloons or gambling
dens, and at one time this rough element
started IN to do a great deal of damage in
YbOr City. The Second Battalion of the
Georgia Regiment, under Mai Armand,
was called out. to assist the civil authori-
ties, and they We're relieved later by Com
panies B and NJ, under Capts. Screven and
Austin The appearance of the Georgia
boys and their determination to bring an
end to the row, settled il, and nothing
more has been heard of the matter.
Capt. Thomas Screven, Mr.. Leaken says
is proving himself a captain equal 10 any
regular His men are devoted to him.
even those most recently enlisted in his
company. In his United States uniform he
has the appearance of young veteran.
Capt. J. F. Cam of Company c has been
appointed judge advocate of the camp
while Sergt Dreyer has been made clerk
to the court martial. Lieut.. Harry Blum,
recently arrested Maj. Ramsay and Lieut.
Leary of the SiXty-ninth New York Regi- |
ment for some disorder and interference
with the guards at one of the saloons. and
q court martial followed, in which Capt
Cam appeared as judge advocate for the
government and also represented the de- |
PENDANTS as they had no counsel.
Private Tom Morgan Is making an ex- |
cellent soldier, and has recently become
known as the champion ditch digger of the |
camp. lie is acting somewhat in the ca |
pacity of an orderly to Capt Screven. |
Private Morgan, il is said, has made an |
international reputation through several |
stories that have been written about IT.
The English correspondents there could |
not ndorstand how he could be a colonel |
in private life, and private in military
life, and they wrote the London papers |
an attempted explanation of it,
Lieut.. II. Newell West It Is said, Is one
of tho most popular officers in camp. He
knows more OF the officers of the different
commands there than any of the officers in |
his regiment
The camp is well situated Mr.. Ieaken
says, except In times Of rain The water
soaks right in and the men find it a most
difficult matter to keep dry. But for the
rain everything would be as nice as could |
be desired. The fishing near the camp of
the Georgia boys is good, and Sergts. Alb