The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-16
Camp Cuba Tibre,

Walter King. of the Raleigh company
was today dishonorably discharged and
sentenced to hard labor for three months
FORGETTING all pay and allowance. He
was tried by court martial for drunken
ness and disorderly conduct. He will be
sent to st. Augustine to serve out his
sentence.
"A descrter from both First and See
ond North Carolina regiments was ar
rested here this morning. He is also an
escaped convict from Tennessee. The
sheriff of Cooke county, Tenn, arrived
here tonight and will tomorrow take
him back to New Port. Tenn, to serve
out sentence. He enlisted first in the
Second Regiment at Raleigh, but was
soon recognized and taken back to Ten
nessee; escaping second time he enlisted
III the First Regiment with Lieut..
Christian. On his way here he deserted
and was arrested in Savannah. For
some reason the authorities there re-
leased him. and he came here and Sc
cured position as civilian teamster in
the First North Carolina Regiment. This
morning he was recognized and arrested
and Sheriff Gates was notified. lie
gives two names. William Sullivan and
Ulysses Grant Wilson.
The remainder of ordance stores and
band instruments for First North Caro-
lima Regiment arrived today. The instru-
ments cost eight hundred dollars.
Ones eyes ache in the white glare of
this old sea bottom, while the deadly
heat of the sun upon the marshy earth
breeds typhoid and malaria. But with
all its faults we love Camp Cuba Libre
still, and many year will pass before
the soldiers who have been encamped
here will forget it.
That is why so many regrets were
expressed the other day when the or
der came for certain regiments to move
to higher and healthier ground. One
could not help feeling a certain sort of
regret at the breaking ND of the old
camp. The picture it made would have
been too pretty to spoil had not human
lives demanded it.
Riding northward from the city to-
ward the camp you pass busy stores.
handsome residences and small shops
without number. Then comes a stretch
of country. with now and then house
set like a gem in the middle of broad.
spreading lawn. The meadows on either
side wears a coating of green slashed
with gayly-colored flowers. Here and
there is a palm or orange tree or live
oak Clumps of old-feld pines dot the
landscape. blotting the hot sunshine
with green shade This is Springfield.
To the right. in the distance. is 81
white sea. its oam-crested pillows roll
ing in from long-leaf pine forest and
breaking upon the edge of the meadows
before YOU Presently these pillows
al intn nf
white-the tents of Camp Cuba Libre.
Drawing nearer you see the blue-shirt
ed volunteers( coats are seldom worn
in this climate) moving about the COM
pany streets and parade grounds. 1t is
early eveningthe close of a perfect In
dian summer day. The carnation of sun
set is changing the purpling clouds and
sea-bIue sky like a chameleon. a scene
to make a poet of even Il common sol
der.
But it is not the landscape or cloud
effects YOU have come here to study.
Man. the greatest creation of an All
wise Providence, is before you in new
and most interesting phase.
The lines Of the camp are already
drawn. Pickets pace up and down, up
and down. Orderlies rush about, So
civilian world is left behind. You stand
in the midst of sodierdom. You are
bewildered How confused everything
seems. yet how orderly. The tents Of
the men crouch like white camels, in
long rows In front of each row is the
vacant snace known as the company
street: at its head the captains tent, at
its foot are kitchens, lighthouses, sinks
and the like.
A band is practcing i'll the distance.
Six-mule army wagons and four-mule
hospital ambuances rattle by. At the
lower end of the camp the cooks are busy
over pots and ovens preparing the eve
ming meal. Smoke rises laZily through
the still atmosphere and hovers above
the white tents. At another place men
are putting straw into tent for the
nights lodging. Further on are soldiers
Frightening up their guns or cleaning
some article of clothing. Others are
splitting wood. carrying water or erect
ing new tent. Wonder are half a dozen
playing a game at cards, while as many
more sit around watching the betting and
excepting an eye skinned for any officer
that may happen along. On the parade
ground a squad of recruits Is beng drill
ed Some in uniform and some In civilian
dress, they present quite Joseph s-coat
appearance. Commands of the drill SER
geant sound clear and very business like.
Quite different from State encamp-
mept this. 1T is the serious side of sol
diering with vengeance. Not yet tragic,
but individually serious. 1t is living IN
the damn and cold of a marsh: sleeping
with only straw between ore and the
eliI, meadow and only tent 10 keep
our wind and rain and dew. Il is eating
only the coarsest rations, drinking warm
water and wearing sucT clothes ana
shoes as the Government chooses t) give
YOU: and worst Of all realizing that you
are no longer an item IL "A home or II
set, but only fraction Of a hinge mon
stcr, n machine Of destruction and ~
such you must serviclf ooey the com
mands Of II man PERHAPS your inferior
in every particdIa". THIS soldering in
earnest
II IN the latter part Of the day. The
evening meal Is being prepared. 'fhe
smell If coffee and frying onions flnats
over the meadows aud makes yon awful
~ hungry. Presently long lines Of sol
diers form in the company streets Wild