The sun., 1900-07-25
l5TH'S MEN OFF FOR CHINA.
WIVES AND SWEETHEARTs CLUNG
70 THEN TO THE Last.
Even the khaki-Ciothed soldiers We're Pretty
Sole mn Companies !. Il and to he
Rushed Across the Coniinent-The sths
Men ana Engi neeus Also Start on the Trip

! The Third Battalion OF the rNPenh hl'"u
States Infantry. which has been auartered on
| Governors Island for some time, and parts OF
two Other regiments which arrived in this rort
: from Cuba during the day. started west yester-
/ day The men Of tie Fifteenth Infantry have
] known that they were 10 start for the Far Fast,
and probably for China. for some time. The
orders 10 the officers OF the regiment say that u
| is TO go TO the Philippines. But the dispatches
| from Washington 10 the newspapers have told
with much detail that the destination OF the reg
| iment Is the land OF the fcrocous Boxers. and
| the care with which the progress OF the regi-
ment Is being expedited has indicated 70 the
men that the newspapers know whereof they
speak
As soon a. the regiment had its marching
orders and the word got around among the en-
listed men they began to apply for furlough'.
They wanted 10 have chance tosay good-py to
! their folks Most of them are men Of this
nelghborhood and their families live In tins
vicinity. II was decided that 1t was not ad-
vi-abe to let any man of for more than twenty
| four hours The men grunlbled a little and
| then great peace fell among them. Each
man took his twenty-four hours lenve and
, then calmly stayed away as long IA he could
without being left behind by the regiment.
| IneN HNu no Intfn'on VI htScl'bk hhu "'''
! altogether willing to take such punishment
for their lack Of punctuality rs their officers
| should measure ont to them.
The officers said yesterday unofficiallv that
| the circumstances would be taken into con-
sideration in determining the sentences and
that the men who had overstayed their leave
but had turned up In time to go West with the
rest of the regiment would be let on with the
not ho Faiif
In -clink" at all II II could be helped Majcr
Cornish who was In command OF the battalion.
said that not more than five men were missing
from the detachment when the roll was called
The General Hancock, the little ferryboat
that runs between Governors Island and the
Battery, found the Battery landing crowded
with unhappy-looking women and children
when 1t came over to the city at 8 o'clock yes
terday morning. All OF them who could be
packed on the boat we're carried to the island.
and then the ferryboat made an extra trip.
Enough women had come whie It was going
over to the island for the first time TO fill the
boat to the gates again on the extra trip. The
wives and sweethearts Of the men continued
TO 'ome over on every boat until the battalion
started.
and and singled out their men and hung on
them. The men were pretty solemn. even the
most irresponsible looking Of them Many OF
the Fiiteenth's men are very young, as New
Workers who have seen them about the streets
lately In their bright Khaki uniforms have
had the opportunity TO observe. The younger
who were Interested In him. II was quite
apparent that the interests OF some OF The
women conncted, but 1t was no time TO- jea!-
Tears were mingled unfortunately. None
Of the men showed any feeling openly except
one or two whose little ones began to cry when
i .L.ss sk..,,. a
ably never see their fathers again The babies
cried and held on 10 their fathers as II they
would hold them back against all the power Of
the whole United States; The men looked
thoroughly miserable and used their sleeves
on their eyes quite frankly. The wives Of the
officers we're NOT quite so demonstrative in
ranks, but their grief was none the less ev-
dent.
Assembly" was sounded at q o'clock. and
the men fen in. A detail from each company
had been loading The knarsacks and baggage
on a lighter tha. was tied up at the wharf.
sacLs and canteens and With ten rounds OF
Ammunition in their cartridge belts. They
Were marched In review before Gen. Brooke,
the commanding oficer OF this department
away from tha wharf the men began 10 cheer
family az first. and then louder and louder
waving their broad brmmed hats AZ the tear
mi folks on the wharf The women waved
their handkerchiefs as long "a they could dis
'''S Jersey @ Civ three trains were err wa waitns TO-
taLe the battalion west. one whole train was
made M of freight cars and was filled with The
BAGGAGE and stores Of the battalion The other
W. W. ,wo p',imanp cars two havvasa cars ava
nslace horse car The men oiled into the
tourist cars & with an energy that lsf seemed 10 be
Sst wa nSt over some
W u" ~" Snmsn foii,. bad gon. to the raiIrnaG
a