Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-06-17
OFF FOR WASHINGTON.
Capt. Buffers Signal Corps Break
Camp, Thursday Morning.
Post Powers Presents a Much Deserted Ap-
pearance al Present.

Half suppressed sobs drowned by the
putiing of the locomotive. the crunch
ING of the car wheels, and the cheers
OF the crowd on the platform for the
SiSnalized the departure of the Signal
Corps on the 1902 train, Thursday
morning, for Washington.
Hardly had the day began to break,
yesterday morning, before the men in
the Signal Corps who were camped at
the top of the hill were reused from
their sleep and given orders to prepare
to break camp. The men at once COM
mcnced their work and for several
hours every man in the corps was hard
at work packing away the goods in
shape for transportation to Washing
ton.
In the meantime the company cooks
were busy and before the whole Of the
work was done the aroma of strong
tc11tt illlCh lllc ali, llllilS!iHS VIII tHe
odor of fried bacon which With hard
tack constituted the breakfast of the
men.
Breakfast over the men fell to work
washing the camp dishes for the last
time at Post Powers. Before O'Clock
everything was packed securely away
in the boxes and the rumble of teams
on the pavements on Water street, told
the tale of the last departure Of troops
from this city, until more men are
called to the front.
Before o'clock, the line of march
had been formed down Western avenue.
As soon as the men reached the station
they at once went to work storing
away their goods. The blanket rolls
and carbincs which had given the boys
such military appearance as they
marched to the station were laid aside
in order to give greater freedom of
movement. The men had been at work
but a very short time before the in
terror of the baggage car where the
goods were stored presented as COM
pact an appearance as q cooks galley.
Long before the train from the East
had arrived at the station the platform
was filled with women and children
l.t.- Il -. Ir
maybe to the boys who volunteered to
sacrifice all that is dear to them that
the honor of the nation might be up
hold.
Many of those who were on the plat
form We're people from out OF town.
who had come 10 say last good-hy to
he men. More than one man who had
swung a box into the baggage car With
case trcmbIcd as he picked up his lit
tie child and pressed it to his breast
while he wondered what changes would
come before he should again hold The
dear one.
the boys off brought with them boxes
in order that the men might not be
came tired of government rations on
the route. These boxes Were not OF the
eize of the ordinary box in which a
SUNDAY school picnic lunch is stored,
but were of Il size 10 contain dalnt'es
enough to last them until they arr in
the nations capital.
As a rule it was the women WAo
| brought the packages of that stamp
| while the women were thoughtful Ike
mon were not less so and more than
one box of pipes and tobacco with I'M
| told matches was placed aboard the
train to while away tho weary hours
Inside the cars the men We're storing
away their blanket rolls and arrang-
ing things so that they might be as
comfortable as possible. Down IN the
and noxt t. the baggage coach was
"Cbip" the once white dog of mongTe
breed that has cndearcd himself to the
baa3t of every man in the company
| 40 man in the cars felt more restless
than he as he tugged and scratched tc
p,lll off the blanket, cnblazoncd WITH
the Signal Crops chevrons on one slde
and the stars and Stripes on the other
nat covered the semi-tan shade OF Ms
! dirty white skin.
Stationed at each end of the car was
a man with q carbine, who prevented
the men from leaving the car When
once they had entered. In fact no one
| had n desire to leave. The most inc
! men wanted to do was TO lean out OF
the car as far as possible in order that
they might get last glimpse OF those
/ whom they had left behind. Women
otherwise timid, took unhcard OF
risks to say last good-by as the train
started to move. When the train was
moving faster than Il person could