The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-13
TENT CITY FADES AWAY
SOLDIERS or SECOND INFANTRY
 LEAVE FOR HOME.
Great Crowds Visited Pickett Springs During the Military Encamp- ment-of1acers are Closing
 up Regimental Affffairs.

The little town of tents on the Lower Wetumpka Road at Pickett Springs dis appeared yesterday from the face of the earth The 800 and odd soldiers who lived in them for seven days have re- turned to their homes and their accus- toned avocations.
 A bare field, lonely and quiet. shows where 600 of the citizen soldiers lived and stirred for the past seven days. The officers and men of the End Infantry saw Camp Robert B. du Mont come to close with genuine regret. It was declared by the members of the regiment that the camp was the most pleasant National Guard encampment ever held by that command. All members of the regiment left with the most agreeable memories of their stay at Pickett Springs. They united in saying that they had been most hospitably treated by the citizens of Montgomery. The men said the mem ory of Camp du Mont would live long in the regiment. Several of the companies on marching out of camp. gave three cheers for Montgomery.
 Reveille for the regiment was sounded yesterday at daybreak. The baggage of the various companies were quickly pack ed. loaded on wagons, and dispatched on the four mile drive 10 the railroad de- pot. The companies marched into the mess hall where the men ate breakfast for the last time as the sun rose.
 The Prattsville company first marched out of camp as it left the city at 7;45 a. m. The Traction Company had cars in waiting for the soldiers. and the com panies were hurried to the city. By noon nearly all the companies had gone.
 Colonel Graves, the commander of the regiment, did not leave with the com panies. He remained in the city to sup erintendent the winding up of the details of the regimental business. The officers of the regiment who are in the city and who will attend to the closing details, are Captain John D. Elliott of Birming cry; Captain, D. c. Williamson. Mont gomery, and Quartermaster Sergeant Bascom Bowling of Eufaula.
 The tents were taken down yesterday and hauled to the city where they were stored until the next annual encampment or until there shall be some call on the regiment for service.
 The crowds which went to Pickett Springs to see the regiment, have been remarkable. On two days, Saturday and Sunday, they were enormous. Each day of the camp more than 5000 persons were transported by the cars of the Mont gomery Traction Company. On Cover nor's Day. which was Saturday, more than u.0Oo fares were rung up on the cars of the Traction Company. The Sun day crowd was even larger. On that day nearly I,000 fares were registered. The Sunday crowd is said to have been one of the largest assemblAges that ever wit messed the maneuvers or q National Guard regiment in Alabama.
 The street car service of the Traction Company was highly complimented. The schedules were maintained with remark able success in spite of the great crowds.
 Saturday and Sunday Major B. E. Win ters, general manager Of the Traction Company, put every car and trailer of the company into service. The throng was moved back to the city in a re- markedly short time-all things consid- cred.
 A greater part of the visitors took the afternoons to visit the camp. Many of them remained at the car station to wit ness the dress parade. There were many features of the life and work at Camp du Mont which were missed by the cas- ual visitor. It is not generally known that the regiment had a regular organ ized signal corps. This corps of "wig- waggers" was in charge of Sergeant Major H. J. Lanier, an old regular. The United States army's system of signal ling was practiced daily by the corps Its members were taken from the Phoe- nix City company,
 The regiment also boasted a we'll or ganixed hospital corps in charge of Ma jor I. N. Stowe. This corps several times proved its effectiveness.
 In addition to the afternoon regimen tai drill and dress parade the regiment each morning had battalion drills. Of- ficers meeting and schools for non-com- missioned officers were held daily.