The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-19
ARTILLERY MOVING EAST
A SPECIAL TRAIN FROM FORT RILEY
STOPS IN THIS CITY AN HOUR.
Several of the Enlisted Men from
This City-Captain Curtis Meets
the Omcers.

About the Union Station yesterday after
noon there was a good deal of warlike atti-
tude when a company OF United States ar
tillery from Fort Riley Kan, on it's way
to Fortress Monroe, Virginia, stopped here
for all hour. The company contained sew
enty-five enlisted men and three commits
stoned officers. The company travelled in a
special train of twelve cars, including three
fiat cars that were used for transporting
cannon and two cars of ammunition, three
sleeping; cars for the enlisted men, Pull
man sleeper for the officers and a caboose
for the trainmen. Aboard the special train
were seventy-five enlisted men and three
commissioned officers. Captain Taylor was
in command, with Lieutenants Sturgiss and
Keffard under him. The train had three
cattle cars, containing fifty-four horses
used on the guns and caissons The field
pieces were Of three and 210 calibre. In the
ammunition cars were 500 pounds of pow
der. $50 shells and 275 schrapnells.
Among the enlisted men were three from
Indianapolis, E. r. Wilson, Griffin Tyre and
Harry HUMPHREYS. At the station Wilson
was visited by his mother Mrs. F. S. Stin-
son, of the Empire block, and his sister.
Wilson did. not appear to apprehend any
danger. He enlisted eight months ago, and
was soon after Joined at Fort Riley by Tyre
and HUMPHREYS. Wilson is just past his
majority. He said that the army life Of
fered opportunity to those who did not care
how they passed their lives. He said that
there was considerable excitement last Sat-
urday when the company received it's
marching orders, until Lieutenant Treat re-
turned from Washington, where he had
been in consultation with army officials.
Lieutenant Treat assured the men and off,
that there Of W. =
with Spain, and no one seemed to think
there would be any danger. Wilson, who
standing guard over the guns, kissed his
mother goodbye when the trumpeter
sounded the assembly call and resumed his
place as sentinel over the guns.
Sergeant Widell, who was one of the nom
commissioned officers on guard, explained
that the sentinels over the guns consisted
or one noncOmmiSSioned officer and three
enlisted men during the trip They stand
on watch two hours. or until the special
train stops, when the guard is changed,
the sentinels standing two hours off duty
and four hours on in the twenty-four
While in Indianapol the train took on a
supply of hot coffee for the enlisted men
and the officers had dinner here meeting
Captain Curtis, of the Indiana Light Ar
ttllery Enlisted men carried great cans of
hot coffee to the train, after which the
mess call was sounded by the trumpeter
and a hearty meal was enjoyed by the
privates.
John Fritz, & private. showed a. reporter
through the train. He said that it was no
unusual thing for an artillery company to
be ordered into a different field Such
changes are likely to occur at any time.
Still, when the company received march,
ing orders for the seaboard last Saturday,
it was generally accepted that it was a
demonstration against the Spanish. The
present movement was regarded as a pre-
cautionary movement. All the men had been
lying idle all the winter and were spelling
for scrap" In the last few days all the
artillery companies at Rort Riley have
been moved eastward. This left at Fort
Riley eight companies of infantry, sixty
five strong each. Each artilleryman of
service is provided with side arms consist
ing Of saberS and pistols. The company is
due at Fortress Monroe Saturday night or
Sunday morning. 1t started from Kansas
City last Wednesday morning at 1870.