The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-12
ARE NOT FILTHY
Sergeant Mahaney Describes
the Kansas Boys Camp
WAGON LOAD OF TOBACCO
Distributed Scenes of a Day
at Camp Thomas.

Sergeant John Mal1aney writes the fol-
lowing letter to the Eagle from Chick
smauga:
Chickamauga, June s, 1888
To the Editor of the EagIe:-As have
nothing to do for a few hours, I Will write
a line for your paper to inform the clll-
zens of the Peerless Princess how her pat
riotic sons are serving their country down
here in this southern climate, which IS
very. warm and dry.
All the men Of the Twenty-frst Kansas
regiment are enjoying good health. There
is one thing Kansas people can be proud
of, and that is she sent out the healthlest
and best looking regiment Of men that
has come into this camp. Not man out
of our regiment, which contains 1.026 men,
has died from any cause, while in nearly
every other regiment they have lost
man or two from some cause. The men
are all happy just nova wagon load Of
sample tobacco has been distributed and
as each company receives their share they
give three rOusing cheers
Here is about the routine we are re-
CURED 10 go through every day:
At AS a. m. reveille sounds and every
man is aroused from his slumbers, dresses,
folds up his bedding, places it in a nea-
pile and fifteen minutes later, which is ;
o'clock, The rou is called and then break
fast is served. which generally consists
of bread meat, coffee and boiled potatoes.
After breakfast there is what is called
police du.v, or in other words II means
general clean up of camp quarters, and
after that is done the camp is clean
enough for king to live in. but of course
we have no kings so we occupy our own
camp. At Z o'clock we have company
drill, generally lasting an hour. Then
comes battalion drill, which is composed
of four companies to the battalion and
three battalions to the regiment, and after
that drill we have about two hours to our
selves, which is put In by writing letters.
going swimming and having a general
good time. a p. m. we have dinner,
which is about the same as breakfast,
excepting we have canned tomatoes or
rice as a dessert. and after dinner we
have until $50 p. m. to spend at our own
will. We have battalion drill with recall
at o'clock and supper at 5:15 p. m. with
the same bill Of fare as at dinner, and at
ten minutes before sunset the bugle
sounds the assembly and then the roll is
called and the company is brought to
parade rest by command of the captain
and is held in that position until the
bug!e sounds the retreat. As the last note
of the bugle dies out. the regimental band
formerly the Second Regiment band Of
Hutchinson, Kansas, takes it up and plays
the Star Spaugled Banner" and when
they finish playing the company is brought
TO attention and receives its orders for
the following day.
Then the companies are dismissed for
the day, and at 9 o'clock p. m. the call to
quarters is given and fifteen minutes la
ter taps are sounded, which means the
lights all out and everyone in bed, ex-
cepting those out on passes issued by the
captains and signed by the commanding
officer of the regiment Those out and hay
ing no pass and trying to enter the guard
lines after that hour are captured and
taken to the guard house where they re-
ceive their sentence next day by the
commanding officers. which is generally a
few days confinement and hard work in
some cases. In nearly every other regi-
ment they have a canteen where station
cry, tobacco, fruits and beer are Sold but
the men of the Twenty-first Kansas regi-
ment are still prohibitionists.
our colonel will not allow a canteen.
which is a very good idea. for the men
that have canteens in their regiment are
always drunk and fighting. We are in the
Second brigade. Twelfth New York.
II
Kansas.
We have the finest place in the country
to camp on accOE OF the shade and a
running stream, called Chickamauga
Creek. All the monuments erected by
the different states in honor OF their he
roic dead who fought in the civil war are
insight. Also the old guns used by the
different batteries mounted in the sup
posed position they held while in action
with a placard attached telling who COM
manded and when the battle began and
when the forces were captured or with
drew.
Forty-iive thousand men in camp makes
an interesting place.
Major Brown of Kingman has gone to
recruit another company at Wichita and
Hutchinson.
There was published in your paper a
letter from w J. Bolton. He is a jolly
good feliew, bur he is mistaken when he
says the men are filthy. or course there
are a few men sick but none Of them so
sick they do not eat all that is given
them.
You know the regulations which re-
Quire 4 soldier to keep clean.