The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-03

The clear, sharp notes of officers
CALI floated out from the parade
ground at Fort Douglas at little after
3 O'Clock yesterday afternoon. There was
a hasty assembling of the little group
of commanders in Major Thompson's s
Office few minutes later. Then, while
the soldiers were still wondering what
was coming, the bugler sounded the
assembly. Less than six hours after
they heard that assembly, 120 picked
men from the two companies of the
Twenty-fourth at Fort Douglas were
on their way with their officers to
Wardner, Ida, to assist in preserving
order among the striking miners of the
Occur d'Alene country.
The order to march was almost a
complete surprise to Major Thompson
and his men. They considered the call
as being within the range of probable
ity. but they didn't expect it yester-
day, especially as the day was so far
gone before the telegram came. The
message was from General Merriam at
Denver. 1t instructed Major Thompson
to pick sixty of the best men from each
OF companies A and G., and proceed
with all possible dispatch to Wardner
The commander called his officers to-
gether and held brief consultation
with them.
Lieutenants Keene and Van Dyne
were designated to take charge of the
garrison of 120 men to be left behind
while Captain Leavell and Lieutenant
Nelson of A and G, respectively, under
took the difficult task of picking the
men to take to Wardner. So far as pos
sible, veterans of the Santiago cam
paign were chosen. The men We're lined
up on the parade ground and instructed
to get their equipments together in the
swiftest manner possible.
Not since the day the regiment went
to fight the SpaniardS has there been
so much hustle at Fort Douglas. In the
officers semi-circle valises were packed
with all the necessaries and some of the
luxuries of camp life. Hurried dinners
were prepared and hurried were the
leavetakings that followed. The men
were as busy as their commanders
They had to get out their heavy march
ing order; they had to pack their am
munition, their cooking utensils, their
blankets and other equipments. They
also had their geodbyes to say.
1t was not as serious a time as the
other departure. There were some
tears, but they were not so continuous
or so numerous. While the soldiers may
be treated to some fighting, they did
not feel at parting as though their
work was to be very serious They got
ready with alacrity, but there wasn't
as much spirit about it as when they
went a year ago last month. An of
flcer said: I'VE go because we are or
dered to go, but l don't like this police
duty a little Bit
Major Thompson fixed o'clock as
the hour for the companies to depart
Every nerve was strained to come with
in this limit. A special train of bag
gage car. four coaches and a Pullman
was prepared by the Short Line. 1t was
ready at S o'clock. The troops came
down from the fort on street cars, ar
irving at S:30 Their equipments had
preceded them in mule train, and
were loaded into the baggage car as
soon as they arrived.
The departure was so sudden that
the townspeople had no notice of it. 1t
was a case of silently stole away"
Only a small crowd was at the depot. 1t