The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-28

mote favorites, and discriminate against
the soldiers from Democratic States.
Witness the Seventh Army Corps with
Lee and Bryan, and soldiers from North
| Carolina Virginia, Illinois, Iowa, Mis-
sissppi, Louisiana, Texas. Alabama,
| New Jersey, Wisconsin and Nebraska.
|
peacc-and now what? Are the boys
coming back? This is Il question that
| has been asked in many Tar Heel
home. these past few days
| And not in the homes alone, by anXi-
Gus mothers and wives and sweethearts;
but in camp also has it been discussed
by men and officers.
The enlisted men, for the most part
wish to return home; the officers natur-
ally want to keep their commands in
tact. The one gets $15.60 month; the
other receives a salary f $1,000 to
81 800 a year. Perhaps this in part ac-
counts for the difference in sentiment.
Though another equally powerful rea-
son, no doubt is that officers being re-
sponsible for their respective commands,
desire that they make as honorable Il
record as possible to the very end.
The First regiment. we know, will go
as want to go-as part of General Lees
army of occupation. The fate of the
Second is less certain. In all probability
it will be mustered out at an early date.
At any rate that now seems to be the
programme and the men of the Second
are hoping and praying that it may be
carried out.
On recent visit to st. Simon's Is
Wi ISlo nd Of ntS
where the various companies of the
Second regiment are stationed, l found
the men sick and tired of garrison duty.
"When do you expect we will get back
home?" "Now that peace is declared
why should they keep us here" Don't
you think we will be discharged soon?"
These and half dozen other questions
were always fired at me by the inmates
of every tent.
Garrison duty. unless it be in well APP
pointed barracks, is the most irksome
service Il soldier has to perform. 1t
means an everlasting stay in camp, Il
ceaseless grind of guard duty and drill,
sameness and monotony of life that
the outside world knows nothing Of
Then there are memories of home, and
letters from friends, and the activity of
trod lines. These things corrode the
spirit and wear away the life.
War with the volunteer is not n pro-
fession: it is patriotism. He offered his
services to his country as fighter, and
he wants to fulfill that mission or go
back home and resume his more peace
full avocation in life.
To be sure the camp is safer spot
than the field. but for the volunteer
soldier it is not always the pleasantest.
Man wants to be externally doing some
thing. At the front there is activity,
| lfe-and death. Men see their comrades
| drop without a cry. They hear the
| whizz of bullet and burst of shell, but
what matters it? Glory leads the way.
| Mems hearts are pierced by the sword
and bullet as worms bore the earth
But on--on they rush to madness, whose
only balm is death-or fame. Fame
such as Hobson, a Blue or a Baglcy
| has won.
! Santiago was not necessary to show
| that the American boy will fight. and
that he is ever willing to die uselessly
and unjustifably provided only that he
can see old glory waving ahead.
| While they may have to sleep in mud
at night; sit in the sun during the day
and eat bareback Gf anything mt alb,
! they are saved the everlasting do moth
| ing of camp-life, the foul od0rs and
choking memories of long days and end
| less nights that come to those in camp
Then there are the hospital tents, with
pitiful, emaciated faces in long rows,
their wanness accentuated by fever
scorched eyes glowing like Goals under
the dim canvass.
Do you know it is this place and vast
ing of disease that men dread more
than they do the crash of battle and
the bite of bullets?
If any soldiers in the world ought to
be content it is the two companies at
st. Augustine in their comfortable quart
ers; and yet many of them told me the
other day they would be willing to give
up all their comforts for the First regi-
mcnt's chances of going to Cuba. Then
there are the six companies (Ruther
fordton, Asheville. Nantahala, Will
mington. Lumber Bridge and Murphy
at st. Simon's Island, under Colonel
Burgwyn. They have high camp
ground, right on the seashore; but they
are not happy. The wind is cool and
| invigorating, the air is clear and bril-
| liant. Over all hangs the summer sky
brilliant meteors flash across the night
and the hull's of huge vessels are seen
| against the shadowy sea, but the scene
has become monotonous. The sun shines
again and fair visitors come again with
merry prattle and eyes look star-sOngs
into eyes that speak agan.A nd at night
| there is music and dancing, song and
laughter in the big hotel on the beach,
and groups of roguish girls in the porch
es flash dark eyes and white teeth at
officers, who smile back and love it all
and yet even the officers are not happy
and contented with staying in camp and
never hearing a hostile bullet fired.
Because the ''boys" are coming back
home without having fired hostile gun
| they are no less deserving of credit and
| praise than if they had scaled heights
! glistening with bayonets and roaring
with artillery. They volunteered to do
! these things, theirs not the fault they
did not do them. Baking in tropical sun
and dying in miasmatic camp is little
better than advancing through Cuban
| jungles and fighting Spaniards. Beat
L