Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1899-02-04
HIS LAST
Col. c L. Smith Writes for the
Last Time
Regiment Will be Thing of the Past
In few H0urs-Men viii be Home
Shortly-Snow Storm in Camp Great
Excitement Among the Natives-i'rep-
parati0ns for Home Coming.

ShOrtlY-Sn0W storm Ill tamp-Great
Excitement Among the Natives-i'rep-
parati0ns for Home Coming.
Lieutenant-C Colonel G. l.. Smith, of
the First West Virginia regiment,
writes as follows to his paper, the
Fairmont Index:
CAMP CONRAD, COLUMBUS, Ga. -
We had our first snow last night. 1t
was lust like the ordinary West Vir-
ginia snow, but it threw new life into
every youngster, male and female,
black and white. Up to day or so
ago the weather had been lovely, and
the first wild flowers could be seen
growing on every side. Then the
weather began to change. 1t grew
colder, and the clouds indicated fall
ing weather. We all expected rain,
for they told US they had scarcely seen
snow hear since the winter 1884.
Early Friday night it began to hail,
which soon turned into snow, and at
ssTaps." when the boys retired to their
tents, the snow was coming down in
the most home like fashion. This
morning we found about one inch and
a half of the beautiful on the ground
covering landscape and forest COM
pletely The West Vlrginians be-
came homesick, and looked upon it as
only torerunner of mud and slush,
but the citizens were delighted, and
they turned out and engaged in "A gen.
eral SNOWFALL. Every one seemed to
have the right to pelt every passerby
with the snow. They still use sum-
mer car from camp to the city, and it
was worth your life almost to go down
early in the day. 1t was certainly
gala day for the youngsters of this
section. But this joy was of very
short duration, for the southern sun
crused it to disappear before twelve
O'Clock. This much snow was GER
tainly very unusual for this section,
judging from what the people say and
the way they acted.
The work of mastering out contin-
ues. A vast amount has been accom-
plished since | last wrote you. Cap
tain Frederick, the mastering officer
for this state, has sent Lieutenant
Douglass Settle, and Lieutenant J.
Med. Carter, Fifth cavalry, here to
assist ia the preparation Of the final
papers, and to muster out the regi-
ment. 1t will be remembered that
this regiment was mustered in at
Charleston last spring, and Lieuten-
ant Settle was the mastering officer.
We doubt if a like instance Of the
same officer mastering in and muster
| ing out the same regiment occurs
again in the history of the volunteer
service. From the way the work has
progressed we do not think that there
| is much doubt but that the regiment
will be finally paid off and mustered
out on Saturday, February 4.
The paymasters are expected here
tonight and the muster-out rolls will
be given them as fast as they can ex-
anime them. Some little Of the gov
eminent property has already been
taken up, but the bulk of it as yet re-
mains in the hands of the men. Ra-
tions have been issued to include jan
uary 81, and commencing with Feb
ruary the men will be fed by contract
The contract has been let for about
20 cents per meal for each man.
Each enlisted man will be paid an
extra months pay, and he will receive
a travelling allowance Of about 80
cents day, and twentymiles travel is
considered day. 1T is estimated
that the distance to Fairmont from
here, gazing by the most direct route
is about 800 miles, making As days
which a Fairmont boy will be allowed
This with pay for few days over two
months will give each man quite a
nice little sum. Out of this each
man must pay his own transportation
home. The railroads are Offering
quite liberal rates.
The rate to FairmOntis little over
| thirteen dollars with correspnndingly
| low rates to other points in the state.
There has been quite scramble among
railroads to get the business. The
Central, of Georgia, through it's pas
senger az ent Mr.. Camp, of this city
will get the most of it. For some
misconduct on the part of the agents
of the Southern, at Knoxville, that
road will not receive per cent of the
business it would otherwise have
carried Without any concert of ac-
tion the men seem 10 have determined
to give that road the go by on their
| return home.
| A great majority of the men will
leave for home as soon after being
mustered out as possible. Several