The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-08-30
WIKIDAL AT CANTON.
Topeka Boy Talks of Army Life While
Visiting Friends.

Visiting Friends.
The following interesting bit of gossip
about army life in the Twenty-second
Kansas, appears in the Canton (Ohio)
Repository:
Lewis Wikidal, of Topeka, Kan, who
IS an orderly on the staff of Col. H. c.
Lindsey, of the Twenty-second Kansas.
ana nephew of R. S. Shields, Captain
W. 5. Williams, and is connected with
the Hurxthal family, of North Market
street, is in Canton spending a furlough.
He seems to be enthused with army
life and says he would not have missed
his experience for a great deal. In an
interview with a Repository reporter,
he said: Yes, my experience in the
army has been a gratifying one. We
have not seen active service at the
front, but we have gone through some
hard marches from camp to camp. I
nrst enlisted at Topeka in the Twenty
second Kansas, company L, but was
soon oetached as permanent orderly for
COlOneI Lindsey. We were nrSt located
at Camp Alger where met a number
of the boys of the Eighth, whose COM
pany l enjoyed very much.
I'VE were glad to leave Camp Alger.
The ground was devoid of grass, hav-
ing been scraped, and when the sun
Shone upon it we could hardly see. No
matter how hard it might rain, the wa
ter would sink into the ground in te2
minutes so that a dress parade might
be given. Our part of the camp was
one of the cleanest places on the
ground. There was not scrap OF pa
per to be seen anywhere, for all the
boys would turn out and sweep it when
ever it was needed.
Before we got used to the water,
there were three or four hundred of our
men sick at one time. Just a few days
before we marched to Camp Thorough
fare where the regiment is now located,
we had one hundred men
ON THE SICK LIST,
but when I took the orders around to
the camp the number was reduced to
thirty. Everyone wanted to move. The
first day we marched from Camp Alger
to Burke Station, a distance OF ten or
fifteen miles. 1t was terrible march.
The thermometer registered up in the
hundreds and our men suffered accord
ingly. One division had over nine hum
dred men drop out, being unable to
carry their luggage. For several days
they could be seen stra ggling into camp
after we had reached it. We had twelve
drop out of lines, but they and their
baggage were loaded onto the wagons
and carried in. At one time two boys
in another regiment dropped out, and
their colonel took their knapsackS,
slung them over his horses back and
walked along with the rest of his men.
After that there was not a man IN the
entire regiment who would not sacr1hce
almost everything to serve that officer.
From Burke, we marched to Bun
Run. Here we camped upon the famous
old battlefield, and many were the rel
les we dug up from the ground. From
this place we went to ThOroughfare,
which. as said before, is the present
location of the camp. We have nne
place, the headquarters ping IN a 1OreSC
of pines I remember, while on our
march, of coming upon a convent Where
a large number of young women We're
on the watch for us. Before reaching
them we had to ford a stream, and,
while the remainder of our troops were
crossing, our band, which was now sta
toned before the convent, struck up a
few patriotic airs, which was answered
by cheers of soldiers and spectators.
Off in the fields to our right was an OLD
confederate soldier, dressed in the suit
of grey, coming towards waving a ban
ner to the tune of Dixie, which the
band was playing. When he came up
to US every man in the lines sent up
a cheer such as I never heard before.
When Colonel Lindsey and his staff
came up in company with another oth-
GERS staff, every one dismOunted, took
off his gloves and shook hands with
the veteran.
Our regiment has had few deaths.
We have lost only two men, one Of
them being captain. Other regiments
and companies have lost men almost by
the score, but we have been particularly
fortunate.
yes, I expect to have fine time be-
fore returning to my regiment. My
friends are very kind to me mere ana
are doing their best to make the visit
a pleasant one Our regiment is on the
slate at Washington as being one Of
the number which is to do garrison duty
on the island, and we expect to leave
about October l. So expect to see
Cuban soil after ALL
ISince the above was published the
Twenty-second has been ordered mus
tered out