The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-14
THE CAMP 4 SEA OF MUD
The Montana Volunteers Get a
Dose Of Real Army Life.
IT GAVE THEM A SOAKING
Work for the Hospital Corps-No Orders
Have Yet Been Received to Go
to the Front-A Regi-
mental Fund.
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Helena, May 13.-Colonel Kessler
gave orders tonight to break camp
at $3.50 o'clock Tomorrow morning.
The first regiment of volunteers will
not start for the Philippines. as might
be inferred from the order, but will
seek a camping ground hat is not the
sea Of mud that Camp Smith has been
to-day. When reveille sounded this
morning the city Of tents appeared to
be afioat upon q muddy waste of water
and all day the volunteers have been
guessing whether they enlisted in the
army or h navy. The rain storm Of
last night, supplemented by the return
engagement that Jupiter Pluvius
made the camp as disagreeable a place
to-day as could well be imagined.
Breakfast found the men standing in
water and mud eating with the rain
descending in veritable torrents. With
occasional intermissions, the rain fell
all day until this evening, when at 10
o'clock IL has apparently ceased. The
nature of h soil. loamy and swampy.
combined with an unusually heavy fall
of rain. has rendered further exist
ence at the present site of Camp
Smith beyond question. Several large
trenches were dug through the camp
to-day which carried off considerable
of the water, but not enough TO pre-
vent giving the beds of many of the
boys a soaking.
With no arrangements for fires in
their tents, the boys who remained in
camp put in a very disagreeable day.
The usual daily drills were suspended
and there was a general relaxing of
rules. Those Whose tents were located
in the lower parts of the ground, where
the water settled, moved out and
sought quarters in some of the build
ings in Central park. Four companies
will sleep in the large pavilion tonight
and others have sought shelter i'm
other buildings. Some remained in
camp Drawing the worst, although pro-
vision was made to secure dry quar-
tiers for any who feared the water
might v their tents tonight.
The guards were cut down and privi-
leges to come up town freely granted.
Camp fires in front of tents. and in
some instances inside the tents, were
resorted to in the endeavor to dry
clothing n bedding. If to-day's ex-
perience does not have an appreciate
effect upon the work of hospital corps.
everybody will be surprised. Colonel
Kessler has selected a spot at a higher
elevation and about a mile nearer
tONn, WHeIt tIt tdInp Will Dt pllcHtu
tomorrow morning.
Nothing was received from Wash
ington to-day in the shape of an or
der or telegram of any sort that would
Indicate when the regiment will cav
Montana. Everybody has been so en-
crossed with the battle with the ele-
ments that they have given little
thought to that question. Colonel
Kessler said tonight he believed that
to-morrow's mail would probably bring
detailed Instructions about the future
Of the regiment. The fact hat one
battalion of Oregon volunteers arrived
at San Francisco to-day Is taken to
mean that the time for the departure
Of the Montana boys is about at Inc
Orders or no orders, the present camp
ing place will be evacuated tomorrow
unless the rain should too seriously
interfere.
Colonel Kessler to-day announced his
assignment of four companies, COM
prising the three battalions of the
regiment. BY the order. James w.