The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-13
INFANTRY ON THE MARCH.
FIRST BATTALION or THE ESD
REGIMENT TAKES THE FIELD.

It's Camp Pitched on tho Croft Farm After
| Dusty Tramp-In Peril of Night Attack
by Neutrality-suspicious. Experimen tnl Fca-
lures of tho Trip-An Artillery Drill.
STATE CAMP. Peskskill. Juno 1.-THE boys OF
the Second Battalion OF the Twenty third RsRi-
mont are wondering tonight whether 1t would
not be the proper thing to send lot OF mos
| quito netting to their comrades Of the First
| Battalion. who are encamped along gurRlinR
! brook the Croft farm. four miles away.
Here there are nothing but gnats red spiders.
| caterpiars and bugs thatdrop down your neck
| whom you sit under the trees in the daytime.
! and which do not como Drowling around at
! night to stab the unsuspecting victim while he
| sleeps. but out in the district whore the Sec
| ond battalion is the gallant soldier dosssnot
| know what fell monsters OF the night may de-
| scend upon him and sting him beyond recog-
| milton.
The men In camp are also wondering how
they themselves looked at evening parade to-
night without any coors. for the regiments
! stand has gone with regimental headquarters
| (which means Col Smith and his STAN into the
| field. They have done the best they could by
| getting the Third Battery to parade with them
! and they think that with the batterys red and
their own white trousers and the blue coats Of
| all they at least had the. national colors in one
shape or another.
| The First Battalion. which has been the
cause OF all this mental exertlon. left camp
about half past 8 this morning. an hour late.
They sent their baggage train of six wagons
and convoy from Company &. In command
| Of Lieut.. q. Frank Stringer. down the hill and
around tho creek road. considering that the
| easiest way for the horses with heavy loads
20 draw. Themselves and their forty pound
Merriam packs they took out the Mccoy road.
which IL not quite so easy. but which offered
advantages In disposing the advance guard
and hankers which tho other road did not.
The dis position was not as quickly made as it
would have been had the troops been moro ex-
perienced. but they got out after little. al
though Corporal in command Of a squad OF
hankers was lost in the greenwood and could
not be found. Whatever became Of him no
one seemed to know UP to the time cam D was
reached. but it was supposed he would turn
UP all right.
Once started. the column moved along east
hour to rest tho men. But those halts were
not necessary as they would have been
week ago. for the sky was clouded over and
However. it did give the men chance to get
the dust out of their mouths, and for this they
were grateful
The first camp was reached at IL O'Clock.
and AS the battalion debouched upon the open
guries as to the locatio OF the brewery.
Threats were parched. and something cooler
huu more cutting tnan tne warm water car
At the north Of the field. lust over tho stone
wall. there was a. tent but it was too far off
to see the printed matter on tho signs. scouts
Hho were not chained down lv duty were sent
put to investigate and they brought back word
bologna sandwiches with promises of Peek
skill ues and country made ice cream later in
the afternoon. Very few besides the scouts got
Ii chance to investigate for themselves until
late In. the afternoon. after camp had been
pitched and dinner cooked Then the men
G Gfa ap'e'i'' only for the ''' and cream and
The camp is beautifully situated in fertile
with the Croft farmhouse the only habitation
in sight. The tents used are conica except
Ing a few Rice shelter tents taken along as an
experiment, and the men are almost as com
Portable as they would be at peekskiIt. To
morrow morning early they will leave for Lake
Oscaw and on the way Major Case. who is
IN command Of the battalion. expects TO meet
the enemy. Then he is going to explode a
ton each man is supplied with and consume
the remainder In skrmishes on his return to
Camp on Wednesday.
which this is the first. will probably decide
whether the state camp will be used another
donei excep: as base OF supplies. regiments
being brought here only 70 be sent out on
Governor on his first visit here expressed It
as his opinion that mon learned more in the
ed than IN capP a9a said he hoped to see
more OF actual ield.work az tho years went on:
The marches are experimental in several
ways. They will determine as to the reten-
ton ofsths Merriam pack and will test the eff
cieacy of.the Rice shelter tent and the value
OF Surgeon Major Bssell incinsrators, The
packs we're carried to-day. and 1t was discov-
cred that few Of the mon were carrying them
properly. They were strapped too high on the
body, letting the weight como upon. tho sides
instead Of upon the hips. where 1t should rest.
This fault Of the men was corrected as far
possible The Rice shelter tents came into
use for the first time o-riGht. Major Bis
sell; who intended to accompany the battalion
to. DAY. decided 70 wait for the Second Bat
talion's march when he will have moro in
Generators to take with him.
Alter the Second battalion departed tho
Third Battery made things lively with spirit
ed dr.ll. which IL will repeat twice a day during
the week. The drill before breakfast will he
dispensed with. and drill preceding even
ing parade substituted.
Col. Robert Emmett OF the First New York
was visitor at camp to-day. He rode out
with Gen. Roe. Col. Sanger andsMajor Greer
to inspect the First Battnlions camp. Lieut..
Cleveland Of the Seventh Regiment. an aide on
the Governors staff. has also been an inter-
ssted observer Of the march and camp as'hs
regiment is to 10 over the same ground next
week.
The officer OF the day for to- morrow Is First
Lieut. De Witt C. Weld Of Company A. The
officer Of the guard is Second Lieut.. &. Her
bert Potter OF Com pany II.