New-York tribune., 1903-06-21

What the 22d and 18th Regiment
ROus Found at State Camp.

The encanprnent Of the National Guard OF
New-York at Peekskiil is not this year the de-
Ightful outing it has heretofore been a week
ON the pIateau overlooking the Hudson isn't so
had. even with the camp routine. when the boys
in bIue gray or khaki as the case may De, can
get their meals at a restaurant or at the worst
can eat ready cooked army rations IN the ness
hall and sleep in a fiOoTed tent
This wear the orders for the encampment inIi-
Gated a purpose on the part Of General Roe to
get some good solid military service out Of the
and 70 accustom them to the conditions
tney might expect to find the field in time OF
war Not only did the commanding officer IN
innate that camp life must this year De the
genuine article. so far the subsistence anu
sleeping of the men were concerned, but ne also
said in terms all too plain, that earnest Hs'iU
field work would be required
The making Of the camp itself involved an
amount of exertiOn not anticipated ny the men
of the 22d Regiment of Engineers when went
into camp on Saturday, June 10 1t WouId not
have been anticipated by the 9Th, which went
into Camp Yesterday. but for the disclosure in
the public prints of the troubles, worries anu
discomforts Of the boys of the I'D
A hare campground confronted the engineers
of the ODD on their arrival The mess hail was
closed the restaurant was not IN cohfiLssloi'
and it was apparent at a glance thaI 'leIe
would be nothing to eat and nowhere 10 steep
until some hard work had been done The tents
and eduipage had to be hauled up from the rai!-
way station, unIoaded from the wagons anu
placed for use before hunger could be appeaseo
or rest secured. The soldiers were equal TO the
emergency. The sleeping tents and canvas
cooking tents were erected without serious fTlc-
ton or delay but it took a lot OF sturdy blows
to drive the stakes and lot Of pulling and maui
ing to stretch the canvas
When it was done and pending the preparation
of the first meal by the company COOKS, there
were many regretfuI glances toward the gloomy
and deserted mess hall, where the states caterer
formerly dispensed good cheer Supper time
came and each man went to the cooking tent
of his company with the vessels and implements
of his kit and received his ratiOns, which ne
ate in his tent or in the open air, as suited his
fancy Hard work had given an appetite Whlch
made the plain fare a feast The same hard
work had prepared the boys in blue for pro-
found and dreamIess sleep. but the heavens
opened and the rain descended. There was no
time the first day to dig trenches around the
tents and the water ran under, wettins the
straw and in some cases trckling in tiny streams
into the sleeping bags, the occupants of which
were glad enough to get out when the water
came in.
There were other troubles with the sleeping
bags, too They were partly filed with straw
to make soft beds for the sIeepers- The soldiers
were expected 20 get into the bags in such .
way that the straw would be evenly distributed
around the sleeper Some Of the men didn't gst
into the bags as intended. The result was that
only canvas covered the sleeper on one side and