The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-12

Terrible Two Days Experience of the
One-Hundred-and-Fi

Correspondence of the Journal.
HEADQUARTER ONE HUNDRED
AND FIFTY NINTH INDIANA VOLUN-
TIERS, in camp at Thoroughfare Gap.
Aug. 10.-The last night at Chapel Springs
was spent in a rainstorm which lasted until
early morning. When the bugle sounded
Ieveille in the morning it was a bedraggled
crowd of soldiers seen in the camp. A
night IN the leaky little dog tents had wet
every man to the bone. Undaunted they
swallowed a hasty breakfast, and, Shout
dering their packs, n ade doubly heavy by
the moisture, started off on apother march
of fifteen miles About two miles out it
was discovered that the pontoon bridge
over Broad run, which had been erected the
day before, had been swept away and it
was necessary to wade the creek. The
water was up to the average waist, and
each man of the ten thousand who crossed
the run that day removed his clothing and
carried it over on his head. Many of the
men, having carefully loaded their personal
effects, lost their footing in the center of the
swift water and went down, clothing
and ALL to the amusement of every one in
sight. The laugh did not last long, however,
for a few miles farther along a driving
rainstorm came up and for the next two
hours the men splashed through the rain
and mud until every man was as wet as
the fellows who dropped in the creek The
roads of Virginia, so well described by the
late Bill Nye, were experienced in all their
glory of mud. The same men who so care
fully picked spot to walk over IN the
morning went splashing through mud over
their shoetops with the abandon of bare
rooted SchOOlbOy
It was O'Clock in the afternoon when the
present camp was reached. The men UNI
rolled their tents in the rain and were soon
wet and miserable under the tiimsy shelter.
TIE rain continued all night and to-day,
and, to add to the horror of the situation,
the ground on which the One-hundred-an and
h1ty-ninth is now camped is on newly
plowed field of yellow clay, in which the
feet sink several inches The long, wet
march had a depressing effect upon the all
ing men of the regiment and the doctors
had more than they could handle in striv-
ing TO keep the sick men dry during the
night. The regimental barber shop was up
in the evening ana it was loaned to the
list found shelter under the tent. They were
able to stand up in the dry at least. Hun
dredS of men preferred TO stand under the
SHELTER Of the trees and risk the weather
rather than the tents. stand up and watch
yourself drowned" said one of them with
The weather did not stop to-day, and
every man was busy all day trying to keep
enough fires to cook their meals The state
ment that there was an abundance of water
at Thoroughfare Gap is now readily be-
ieved. 1t is not the best water however.
DIS lHey Will dlSO CHe0TIully testify. 1HcIS
are many small springs in the vicinity, but
the water is not good. The water will be
hauled and later on piped to the camp from
a large spring about two miles away. To
the west of the camp is a chain of large
hills, called Bull Run mountains by cour-
tesy. The place takes its name from gap
between two of these mountains" just
west of the camp. A branch of the South
ern Railroad runs through the center of tile
camp and the nearest postoffice is Thor
oughfare, q small village about one mile
from camp. The site selected seems to be
very desirable one al present, although it
will be necessary to rearrange the camp
as soon as the large tents are secured. 1t
be forwarded from Camp Alger at once, but
it is not yet here, and there is no telling
when it will be. In the meantime the men
will soak ins the small tents and soldier
in the regulation way.
The government mail service is the most
prompt thing to be noticed about the camp.
The first mail delivery in the new camp was
made within an hour otter the division
reached camp, and to-day the United States
mail boxes were put up among the regi-
ments.
Lieutenant Hutchings. of Company H.,
who reported for duty Monday, stood one
day of the weather and is worse again at
Manassas.
Lieutenant Wood returned to-day from
Evansville, where he has been on a leave
of absence. He sported in nice new uni
form, which was sadly soiled before he had
eaten one meal in the new camp.
Captain Starr, of Company l. joined his
company last night, after a short sick
leave. He came over from Camp Alger by
rail. G. w. B.