The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1902-02-13
EXPERIENCES OF A SOLDIER
Enlisting in The Army and Leaving for
the Seat of HostIities.

I am au Ellis county boy, reared at
Boyce, Texas. Along about the first
of January, 1899, became very pa
trio tic and went to Dallas and enlisted
in the United States army for Com
pany A of the 18th Z s. Infantry. |
left Dallas January, 9Th at $50 p, m.
on the Texas & Pacific railroad, | met
up with a young lady on the train
whom I knew at home and to be sure
my trip was a pleasant one, especially
the part the young lady travelled We
had young man with US from the
Free State OF VanZandt" and he was
daisy, we had our fun out Of him,
telling him how he would be treated
in the army We landed at Jefferson
Barracks January It'll and, whew, how
cold it was! | thought sure | would
freeze before | could get into warm
room but | managed to survive the
cold, and after chase around the
garrison | found myself in the guard
house. Well, to be sure, | was some
what surprised to be put in the guard
house the first thing, but the next
morning | was assigned to company
and there | found out | was put in the
guard house because they did no.
nave any other place for me that
night. | did not draw any bedding
/ for some days. ] bad TO sleep on a
cot without any mattress or blanket,
| so you can imagine how cold I would
/ get at night
/ was not onto the way soldiers ate
and did not grab at verifying IN
! in sight, so for the first few days
went hungry, but / soon got next to
soldier manners and did as the others
and got plenty, such as il was. After
! | drew my suit of blue with its shiny
brass buttons, would walk around a.
little boy with new pair of brass
! toed boots. A few days after we hao
| drawn clothes, we were Tired up anc
marched to the hospital and were vac
cinated, and few days later If you hac
run against one of US you would hear
a yell, "look out, that's my sore arm
you are humping into" When al
army surgeon sticks knife into yoI
he sticks it deep.
On the 2Sth OF January we were or
dered to prepare 10 travel, and befor'
| knew what | was about, | was Oh
my way to Washington. This was
trip | shall long remember for CAM
near turning to an iceberg. When WI
arrived at Kansas City the car l wa
IN had no fire and the steam wa
frozen up, so we had to change cars
From Kansas City we ran along tn
banks of the Missouri river, (notet
for its sand bsrs.) This part of tn
country was very nice. but we 500
ran into the bald prairies of Kansa
and then all we could see was littl
huts and snow drifts. Night found u
in a region of low hills. Next morn
/ ing we were speeding over the beau
tiful State of Iowa. Here we coul
see beautiful farm houses and bus
little towns. Night again shuts off tn
scenery, but far different from that c
the other night. Next morning W
are In the state noted for being tn
} home of secret organizations, Nebras
, ka, We have dinner at Omaha an
speed away to the west again. Ne
braska lie a eautiful country bat nc
so nice as Iowa. Night shuts of tn
scenery again, and next morning W
stopped at Custer Valley where Gus
great monument erected to his mem
. ory, also the place where his littl
. band made their last gallant stanC
a. | We VhIy A@NO q 10" AV1aACASG w 0OS
these things, for we are soon on til
way again. We are now In the reglo
Z of the blue hills and snow drifts an
! Indian huts are the principal scenel
Night again. Next morning we awak
In Billings, Montana. ST wonder VIII
: we are here, T" is the word from ever
= one, but we soon learn that we ar
snow bound. Billings is small tow
kept up by the sheep ranches aroun
1t Saloons are plentiful there. Abou
noon some OF the boys got mixed U
with some of the ranchers and weF
about TO get the worst of the scra
4 bat some of the rest went to their %
sistance and the ranchers could nc
stand the onslaught OF the fresh troop
! so gave up and retreated and left tn
field TO the victorious "Rukeys." Til
was called "Battle of Billings" Til
fighting was done on the Irish plaE
"brick and clubsn being the principi
weapons used.
; Next day We are climbing up th