The times., 1898-06-20
THE WELCOME DAY OF REST
How the Troops at Camp Alger
Spend Sunday.
SERMONS IN TIE OPEN AIR
Preparing for the Move to Fernan-
dina and Porto RfcO-Gen. Miles
to Inspect the Whole Camp-More
Equipments Served 0ut-Locatfon
of the Camp Not to BE Changed.

of the Camp Not to he Changed.
Lord God of Peace, this day is thine
To soothe the ruptured strains of love,
When martial brass sings hymns divine
And cagled helm makes cote for dove;
Our hidden steel this day is blessed
Our arms are stronger fer thy rest.
Lord God of War the six are thine
To gid old History with thy power
To cheat hated foes design;
With tramp of rflyniing feet each hour,
Our FURNISHED steel adds clay to ciay
Our arms stronger for the fray.
Lays of Camp Age.
Sunday is long day at Camp Alger.
The well-known routine of march and
drill and mount are all expected without
the realization, and the troops seem
strange TO their quarters But once dur
ing the day does shoulder touch shoul-
der and feet move in unison. and that
is but on an errand of peace-to attend
divine service.
The day is spent in writing letters TO
dear ones, In sleeping lazily in the shade,
in sewing fractured seams or ragged
patches and In discussing the probabilities
/ Vi ACTUAL ISIliliS Will tiit E1ltlliy.
Early in the morning the troops are
reused by the bands. which parade
through each company street playing glo-
rious old hymns There is some strange
exhilaration in returning to conscious
| ness after sweet slumber TO hear the
| stirring beauties of Onward, Christian
Soldiers" "Oh Come Let Us Adore Him,
and Nearer, My God TO Thee that
makes the man new, that gives the day
an unknown pleasure, that adds zest 10
life and the soldier rises with every It's
sue tingling and his heart full of joy. 1t
is a glorious experience and blessed is
the man who first conceived the idea of
beginning the day of happiness at the be-
ginning.
| Many large tents have been erected in
the various camps where the chaplains
hold morning service. Where these tents
have not yet been completed the old
method of sitting in ring in the open
| is still observed. Many of the chaplains
referred 10 the move to the front soon
TO be made and urged their hearers to
| try and live such lives as might enable
them TO have no fear of death from sword
or bullet
Behind and below the outward rough
ness of all these thousands of men. deep
er than their seeming carelessness and
stronger than they care 10 show is an in
ner beauty of affection, fellow for fellow
How may man live with a dozen others
of like temperament, sleep beside them,
eat with them, suffer beside them and
share pleasures without finding a
strength of liking grow up? Little bonds
of friendship have sprung up here and
! there where two or three are sworn to
care one for the other, to die together or
to stay together. Therefore, 1t is hardly
strange that the approaching departure
of many of the troops brings sadness and
gloom TO hundreds.
The regiments which will move are
| now in readiness for the word Every
thing has been issued except rations and
| they will not come till the last minute.
Overcoats, knapsacks and Marion packs
will all be left behind and only blankets,
eating utensils and direct uecessarfes will
be carried. 1t is expected that the boys
| will be moved TO Fortress Monroe from
which point they will be shipped TO Fer
nandina and thence to Porto Rido.
Gen. Miles is expected at the camp with
in few days to review the fun Second
4 AiIlig 1OIpS DelDAS tNt SGiGClGQ regiments
move. This will be a great farewell from
regiment TO regiment and as there viii be
nearly 10000 troops in the parade. the af-
fair will be worth going hundreds of
miles to witness.
Lieut.. NJ. C. Butler, jr., who is inspect
ing the regiments has already inspected
nine of them and expects to complete the
work before Thursday The First and
| Third Brigades have been issued clothing
Gen. Sternberg inspected the camp or
Saturday and gave instructions to the
medical officers. He also visited the d.
vision hospital and as a small army haC
been at work on the place all day fount
it in splendid condition. Mosquito net:
have been placed over each bed and il
place of the dirty blankets taken from
quarters sheets and pillows have beer
supplied.
1t is now certain that the location o.
Camp Alger will not be changed. The
lease of the property has been extended
from three months to one year, with tn,
privilege of renewing for five years
Plenty of water has been obtained, bath.
are being erected and the sanitation il
fine. But one obstacle lies in the way o
Camp Alger being the most delightful
site for mobilizing troops in the country
This is the roads leading to camp. Thes,
crude relics of the same highways owe
which Henry Esmond often spurred hi
horse are all but impossible. The fin
powdered dust lies two feet thick and on
| ly buries great loose rocks and boulders
Within a very few weeks the road from
Falls Church to the camp will be impas
sable. The officers at headquarters seen
to be unable to obtain any other form o
relief than that afforded by "cussin,
OUT the roads, but If the camp is to re
main here the roads must be repaired a
once.
The regimental band of the Twelfth
Pennsylvania will arrive today and the
boys are Dragging over what it can do.
Each of the various regiments has es
tablished regimental funds for the benef
of their members. Each private or office
places so much per month in the fund
so that when in need of a certain sum
they are able to obtain it at once.
The Third New York and First New
Jersey will begin accommodating exercise
today Both regiments will be treated
practice will be given the troops Will
en- route.
Sergeant DAILY Of Company, D, Thir
teenth Pennsylvania, went home on
furlough and was married. This is tn
third Pennsylvania soldier to marry sine
being stationed at Camp Alger.
Congressman Butler of Pennsylvani
| visited the Pennsylvania troops yester
day. A large number of people from Car
Isle, Pa, were also in the Keyston
camps.
t The Sixth Massachusetts have the rep
utation of being the jolliest crowd /
| camp. They find a Joke in everythin