The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-09
TENTS ARE DOWN
At Blast of Bugle l 800 Canvas
Homes Collapse.
Quickly Tied in Packages and
Sent to the Trains.
CLOSE AT FORT RILEY
No Delay and No Hesitation at
Any Point in the Work.
General Bates and Staff Leave
On Special Train.

Fort Riley, Kas, Oct 9-For two,
weeks officers of the national guard
from nearly all the states between Wis
consin and Georgia, California and
Rhode Island, have remained at Camp
Root witnessing practical object lessons
in the movement of armies and the con-
troll of men in action. There were very
few of them in camp this morning
nearly all having left for their homes.
Had those who departed prolonged their
visit but one day they would have
gained knowledge of the art of swiftly
placing an army in motion, second in
Importance to nothing they have ac-
quired concerning the more snowy oper-
ations in the field. This knowledge they
would have obtained by looking on at
the simple, frictiOnleSS but marVelouSlV
rapid breakup of Camp Root under the
energetic personal direction of Captain
c. B. Baker, the chief quartermastei
of the maneuver camp, who had entire
control of the loading of the trains and
transp portation of troops.
At 6:29 this morning l 500 tents stood
in the camp just as they have stood for
| the last fortnight. All their ropes had
| been lOOSened, however, and at 5000
! tent corners stood 5000 men each hold
! ing tent rope. At 6:30 a cavalry
! bugler standing upon the hillside which
| slopes away to the east from the tent
| of the commanding general raised his
| bugle to his lips and the notes of the
| General rang out upon the air: In
stantly the call was caught up by the
regimental buglerS and within one min
ute from the time it had been blown al
| headquarters it was ended in the camp
in the farthest regiment. The 5000 sol
diers loosened the rope they held and
/ instantly every tent was on the ground.
Where a city of 1,500 tents had stood
| there was nothing.
Quickly the ten poles were with
drawn, placed in bundles, the tents
rolled and tied in packages of five; tent
stakes were pulled, piled and tied, the
awaiting wagons rolled up, were load
ed and drove away to the trains wait
/ ing on the Union Pacific tracks, near
| the camp Within Is minutes, every
tent was ready for shipment and the
aboard the cars for transportation to
Omaha. where all of the tentage will be
/ sent
The commanding officer of every or
ganization had received a sketch form
/ Captain Baker, informing him into what
cars his men and baggage should go
and pointing out just where the cars
stood. Every company commander
knew just where his men should go.
! AS the wagons came up to the tracks.
each was directed to it's proper place
by Lieutenant A. B. Coke, the assistant
quartermaster.
There was no delay, no hesitation at any
| point The work went on as though il
had been rehearsed a thousand times, in
stead of not at all.
One hour after the first note of the
! General sounded, the first train carry
ing the headquarters, band and four com
panies of the Eighteenth infantry, pulled
out for Fort D. A. Russell, Wyo. Thirty
minutes later at o'clock, the second
| section of the same train was loaded ano
| on its way with four companies of the
| Eighteenth bound for Fort Logan, Colo
General Bates and staff, on special train
| left for Omaha at S o'clock AT $50 an
| other train bearing four companies of the
Eighteenth was on it's way to Fort Logan
| at $50 two commands of the Twenty
| ond infantry were speeding toward Fort
Logan H. Roots, and at 1890 still an
other train carrying the Engineers pom
toon train. was on its way to Fort Leav-
enworth. At 1852 p. m. the last train OF
It carried the Signal Corps, Hospita
Corps and Ambulance Corps.
Tomorrow morning the Sixth infantry
| will commence its march back to For
| Leavenworth where it expects to arrive
about October. 10, having made on its
march about seventeen miles per day.
One squadron of the Fourth cavalry viii
return to Fort Leavenworth in seven days
making marches of twenty miles per day
One squadron of the Eighth cavalry will
return to Fort Sill in 20 days. The head
quarters of eight companies of Twenty
second infantry will march to Fort Crook
Omaha, in Is days, having marched a tota
of 600 miles during the season.
Menoher's mule battery will remain a
Fort Riley for target practice. The heavy
siege battery at Fort Leavenworth will
march to Fort Riley for target practic
as soon as the troops now here have re
turned
The camp equipage required for unorga
nized detachments. visiting officers etc.
use.