The evening times., 1899-07-15
OFF FDg SNEaBR'S 5 GAP
Light Battery A Leaves for Ten
Days Camp.
Large Percentage Of the Members
Leave Town in Heavy Marching
Order-In Command of Lieut.. j. +.
Waters-TO Go by Easy Stages.
Discipline TO Be RigidIy Kept-Ip.

Light Battery A of the District National
Guard, left the city this morning at about
$3.50 o'clock, for ten days camp near
Smokers Gap. Va. The battery was in
command of Lieut.. ]. f.. Waters, who will
also command the camp when it is estab-
lished, either tomorrow afternoon or Mon
day morning
! The battery headquarters in the Centre
Market Armory was the scene of much bEs-
tie and activity from an early hour this
morning. until the time of departure. The
thousand and one details incident to get
ting the camp outfit properly loaded into
the wagons and arranging everything pre-
paratory to starting out kept Lieutenant
Waters and his men very busy. .''' O. -
About forty members of the battery left
for the camp. The full strength of the or
ganization Is about eighty men, but there
are many of the former members, who.
since the outbreak of the war. have Joined
either the regular army or become affili-
ated with some OF the volunteer regiments
now in the Philippines The number of
men who went today represented a large
proportion of those who have remained
with the battery.
From the armory the battery, equipped
for heavy marching, proceeded up Penn
sylyania Avenue TO the Aquetluct Bridge
thence up the Conduit Road to Great
Fails, crossing. the riye.. where the Lees
burg turnpike was followed The battery
will proceed cn this route as far as Lees
burg, when the nearest road to Snicker' s
Gap VIII be taken. Ii is not probable that
Leesburg can be reached before evening
and camp fer the night will be located
at some convenient nearby point. To-
morrow the march will, if the weather
permits. be resumed. ..Lieutenant Waters
was unable to say this morning whether
he would be able o~reach Smokers Gap by
tomorrow night The camp site, he
thought, would, in all probability be
reached Monday morning about 10 o'clock
at the latest. The weather is too hot to
permit covering more than easy distances
each day, and the. men will have to be al
lowed frequent rests. The extreme hu-
ridity of the atmosphere makes the work
Of marching hard on both men and ami
mails, and for today at least the journey
Will be taken in easy stages
An excellent camp; site at Smokers Gap
has been selected. The ground is high and
dry and the water supply excellent. The
usual field drills viii be conducted, and an
effort made to get the battery in high
state of efficiency.
Several drills each day will be conduct
ed and the strictest discipline will be main
tanned. Excellent arrangements for sup
plying ana cooking food have been made,
and the boys believe that they will fare
quite as we'll as if they were at home. In
spite OF the extreme oppressiveness of the
weather this morning. the members of The
battery were enthusiastic. and many ex-
pressed themselves as anticipating Jene-
fieiol and enjoyable time.
1t was originally intended that the bat
terry should start Tuesday, but owing TO
the delay in finishing repairs on the gun
carriages it was found necessary to post
pone the start until today.
On the return trip the Alexandria and
Leesburg Turnpike wi be followed taking,
ii is expected. about two days for the home
journey. The march to and from the
camp forms an important part of the pro-
gramme, as the men will be given the same
training that they would receive il march
ing through an enemy's country.