Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-01-01
70 the Editor of the Register:

TIERS
To the Editor of the Register:
Camp Conrad, Columbus, Ga, De-
cember 31-Christmas day has come
and gone and another year is fast
drawing to a close We are still in the
service, but we can not tell what they
are going to do with our regiment. We
may be sent to Cuba in very short
time, but we cannot tell. 1t is possible
that we will never get away from this
camp until we are mustered out OF SER
vice. What gives strength to this re-
port is that West irginia is one State
that furnished more than her quota of
troops and has not had either regiment
mustered out. This may be accounted
for by the fact that we have one OF the
finest regiments in the volunteer SER
vice.
Christmas day Sunday was not a
day of idleness for our regiment. Inc
first thing we did that morning was TO
get ready for an inspection which took
place between and II a. m. We were
inspected by the Colonel of the One
Hundred and Sixtieth Indiana, who is
now in command of the brigade here.
Sunday inspection has become a hxed
feature here. In our other camps,
nothing was done on Sunday except
what was a matter of necessity. In
this camp we would not want Sunday
to come more than once week, as IL
is our hardest day for work during the
week. One of the regiments have had
target practice on Sunday since we
came here. We hope the time will
come when we can return to civil lie
and have some regard for Sunday as a
day to attend religious service and not
of work.
Many of the boys have received boxes
from home and have enjoyed cakes,
pies, ETC., as mother bakes them.
The express company here would not
deliver the boxes out TO camp. A
wagon has been sent from the resl-
ment every morning to get the boxes
belonging in our regiment.
Most of the companies had extra
dinners here on Christmas day. They
drew from their Company fund an
allowance to foot the bills. Turkeys,
cranberries, cakes, pies, potatoes, po-
tato salad and candy and nuts ana
other things too numerous to mention
were included in the bill of fare.
Monday was recognized as holiday
here. Nothing was had except morn
ing's first call, reveille at a. M, and
retreat at 4:30 D. m. Most of the boys
were out on a pass or with permission
to attend the foot ball game. The
First West Virginia regiment team
played a picked team from the State OF
Georgia and from the other two regi-
ments here. The game was good one
West Virginia won as usual. The
score was is to 6. Our team has been
organized since September and has
played many match games, but they
have never been beaten.
We have received our new guns, the
Krag Jorgesen model of 1898. Many
of them have been taken apart and the
boys are becoming familiar with all
their parts. They are a 80 calibre
magazine rifle. The magazine holds
five shells. The cartridges are loaded
with smokeless powder.
The provost guard have an old jail
where they lock up the soldiers whom
they arrest. And from the description
given by those who have been confined
there, it would be matter of attention
for the health authorities if they con-
fined animals there. 1t is built of
sheet iron, and has the poorest of ven
tilation. 1t is not heated at all and
upon the floor is the slime. filth and
vermin which has accumulated there
till it is now like hog wallow'' and
the slime is about an inch thick. If
anyone is arrested by them he is lock-
4 tn ctaU
send for him the next morning. They
do not furnish him any food at all.
Corporal Sweeney, of Co. NJ, has re-
ceived from the Governor a commission
as Second Lieutenant. He succeeds
Lieut.. Chas. Conner, who has been APP
pointed a First Lieutenant, to succeed
Lieut.. A. L. Hooten, who has been com
missioned a Captain. Capt. Hooten is
detailed with Co. X now. He succeeds
Capt. Taylor who resigned some time
ago. We can not tell how much long
er we will be in this camp. We are all
anxious to leave it as soon as possible.
We are not caring much where we are
to be sent If we are to do service in
foreign country we will always do our
duty as we always have done. We
would like to go and do what we have
to do and then go home. About West
Virginia doing her duty, we have one
of the strictest if it is not the strictest
disciplined regiment in the service now
and this point alone has made of us
fine regiment. 1t has been noted fact
in every camp that we had guard line
that it was almost impossible to run.
We always have an extra large guard
detail as compared with other regi-
ments in the same camps. At Chick
amauga Park among fifty thousand
soldiers West Virginia guard lines were
a noted thing If soldier was so I'M
fortunate as to get inside the lines he
always had lots of trouble to get out.