Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-05-23

camp the mourn1ul SOUND OF the last
taps, rang softly through the camp.
No straw, cots. other sleeping ac-
commodations, or hospital facilities
were provided for the 9th Illinois in
fantry,, and Friday night they were
compelled to sleep upon the ground.
They had not been provided with any
fresh meat or bread, and water is
scarce. and the only thing done by
the war department officials to make
them comfortable was to furnish
them with tents. Only about two
thirds of them are uniformed. and
they are living on meagre army ra-
tions. except when they patronize the
suffers, which has to be done at their
| own expense.
Mrs. Electa Smith visited the camp
Friday evening after the arrival OF
the infantrymen, and found this con-
ditiOn of affairs to exist. and late in
the evening called upon Senator Cul.
lom and acquainted him with the
fact.
Bright and early Saturday morning
the senator drove to Camp Alger, and
found that Mrs. Smith had not exag-
gerated matters in her statement
He Immediately sought the regular
army officer in charge of the camp.
and endeavored to have their condi.
ten relieved at once. Senator Cul.
lom saw Col. Foster, of the 9th. and
! made some inquiries of him, but the
colonel did not care to make com.
plant, as they had Just arrived, and
the failure to provide for them was
considered by him an oversight on
the part of the department.
In looking over the camp. Senator
Cullom came across the tent in which
Private Bledsoe. who had been suffer-
ing with typhoid fever since leaving
Springfield. lay dying upon the damp
ground, with nothing between him
and mother earth but blanket. The
senator, who is sympathetic. was in
dignant at the treatment accorded the
invalid. and Immediately started out
to have him transferred to the hospi-
TAI at fort Mver. near Dv.
Before the senator returned to the
tent where the suffering soldier lay
he had passed beyond all human aid,
and died upon cot which was Dor.
rowed from the Ohio regiment.
Senator Cullom was deeply moved
by the death of this young man, and
said that the BOYS had started out fol
lowed by bad luck.
Saturday conditions were improved
and the commissary department fur
nished little better food. Senator
Cullom took dinner with them, whic h
consisted of beef, stewed tomatoes,
fresh bread and coffee.
Camp Notes.
Trooper Wvckofr, of Troop NJ. is i'll
| with camp fever in the hospital al
Springfield.
Three more of the Illinois soldiers
at Camp Alger were sent to the hos.
pital Yesterday suffering from pneu.
monia. They are: p. 2. Stevens,
Company NJ. Galcna: Howard Davi.
son, Company &. La Noble: j. j. Bur.
rel, Company l.. Freeport.
Myron Jordan. IA private in Com.
pany F. of Moline, telegraphed hi.
paper this afternoon of the arrest Of
three spies with poison in their pos.
session in Camp Alger. They were
it is suspected. bent on contaminat.
ing the water in the wells on the
grounds with poison.
In postal to his father. Jonas
Bear, received this morning, Sergean,
Allie Bear speaks of the general health
of the company rs good. and he re-
lates briefly the experiences of tn,
company enroute to Virginia and OF
the raising of tents in rain storm
but on the whole alludes in a cheerful
manner to the actual hardships of tn,
| volunteer in the field