Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-07-22
A Letter from Camp Thomas

CAMP THOMAS, July Is, 1898.
Dear Editor:
From what ] understand from the
Cresco people, | was in the Santiago
battle, but to the contrary was not,
although l wish | could have been
right among them. From the way
things look just at present, l don't
think we will ever see llfle smoke at
all. 1t seems rs though now the way
we are fixed, Uncle Sam has got most
of us fellows down here to shoot
away all the old ammunition at the
target range. Here each regiment
has three targets, at these the men
line up and shoot ten cartridges, at q
distance of $50 yards, but Il man cart
make decent shot with these rifles,
some of the fellows don't hit it at all,
but can't say much for myself
All the boys in camp here at pres.
ent are very busy. we were paid off
but short time ago, and most of
them spend their time playing cards
There is only two things that will
stop a game of poker; first mess,
second drill calls, and sometimes they
don't .stop in time to get on their field
equipments to fall into ranks, so ihey
get from to 3 hours police duty, this
is something none of us like very
well, know from just what little
experience have had since L have
been down here.
This is great climate and country.
very hot in the day time aud cool in
the evening, but in the night ard
early morning, Moses but id's cold.
We have roll call at S:45, taps
lights out) at 900, and roll call in the
morning at 4:35, breakfast at 500
drill at 5:45, recall at $50. guard
mount at $50, nothing for us to do
from this time but eat our dinner at
12m. until 2:45, recall at 500, supper
at $50, SO the only thing that is hard
on us, is to get good, square meal,
but we hardly ever do.
We get fresh wheat bread and
meat issued to US once every day,
the bread is baked at small station
called Lytle, this bakery is the largest
in the world they turn out 10000
loaves every "a hours, and keep so
hands gong day aud night.
Our regiment is fully recruited now
and it is kind of nice thing too,
you see we don't have to go on guard
quite so often. | was on guard at the
division headquarters yesterday, here
Gen. Sanger has his camp and you
bet it is nice. Yesterday it rained so
we had no drill, and we laid around
camp until about o'clock in the
afternoon the news came into our
camp, Santiago Has Fallen" this
made all the boys set up hearty
cheer, and our Colonel ordered the
band out, they played some patriotic
pieces, the First South Carolina band
came through our lines playing
Dixie Land" and our band chimed
in with them. After few pieces had
been played the word was sung out
for speech by the Colonel, this he
did although short but fine, then our
Regimental Quartermaster, Mr.. John
Lind, also made an excellent speech,
next Senator Tillman from South
Carolina, now Colonel of the First
South Carolina, gave short but fine
speech, and our boys went almost
wild, next our Lieutenant Colonel.
Mccoy, made speech but was too
short to hardly mention, next our
Chaplain made al interesting speech,
the crowd including their officers
went to Brigade Headquarters and
se:enaded the Brigadier General,
Wiley, and there the time went by
making everyone feel like yelling,
and guess they did.
Most everyone here in camp is
enjoying good health considering the
way things lay, but the idea of the
yellow fever scares everyone here,
we are more scared of sickness than
Spanish bullets. Well | will finish as
it is time for roll call, inclosing the
bill of fare for day after tomorrow,
Sunday. This day we all have Il good
meal.
BILL OF FARE.
Stone Soup Oyster Soup (nit)
Boot Leg Soup.
MEATS.
Cannon Mule Mosouito ron,,ua
Sow Bosom.
PASTRY.
Hard Tack
One Small Pudduky.
BEVERAGES.
Cold Water coaee
Cherry Wine (nit.
One 20p spike 2ozs. Hemn Rome
One Tallow Candle.
| hope my friends will hear no
more false reports about my being
killed until they hear it from good
authority. Well | will close this time
as it is time for drill, SO bidding you
short farewell, l will close.
Yours respectfully,
JAMES E. GRAHAM.
Co. q, 18th Minnesota Vol. Infantry,
Chickamauga Park, Georgia.
Ksuuuuuzur,uzz.u<u.rz.