The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-28
There Are About 2,2OO Soldiers at the
Fair Grounds, with Prospects for
Successful Week.
FOLLOWING DAILY ROUTINE
SCHOOL OF INSTRUCTION WILL SOON
BE UNDER WAY.
New Albany Captain Makes n Long
Ride Observation-Disclosures
of Camp Life.

The first day i'm camp Of the Indiana
National Guard closed with many tired men
seeking their quarters 1t hard day
that the boys were put through. None fall
tered. although the weather was exces-
sively hot. The morning broke clear and
cool and gave promise of showers The
soldiers were disappointed, however, as the
sun refused to hide its light. During the
hot spell in the afternoon but one man
succumbed TO the heat. He was Sergeant
C. t. Harvious, of Company H, First Regi-
ment, who fell on the drill ground at the
far end of the race track. He was taken
to the brigade hospital. where he was
treated by DR.. Pfaff. He was able to re-
surn to his company shortly after 6 o'clock.
With many of the older members of the
guard the first days work had no terrors.
1t was the new recruits that felt the brunt
of the work. Such matters as digging
trenches brought large blisters to the
young mems hands, and frequently they
would stop and mop their brows and look
scorchingly at the commanding officers. The
older members took up the lighter work,
and seemed to get plenty of pleasure out of
the sight of the rockies" doing the manual
labor.
some Of the privates had each seemed to
take active interest in his line of work
This feature was a matter of pride to the
staff officers. Brigadier General Mckee, in
speaking of the camp said yesterday that
the manner in which the young men of the
camp have taken to their duties has been
source of much pleasure to the commanding
officers
NOT A VACATION.
When the first sign of life made its appear
ance about headquarters yesterday morning
it was evident to the latest recruit that the
annual camp of instruction would not be
altogether a vacation. Couriers came and
went with instructions to the various COM
panies.. Some time before the sound of the
bugle little knots of soldiers could be seen
moving about I'm the company streets. At
the reveille call all the soldiers were awake
and ready to take up the days work. Many
of the boys made their appearance in a
manner that brought outlaws from their
comrades. On the night before armies of
mosquitoes invaded the camp and attacked
the sleeping soldiers. The latter seemed
powerless to combat the attack and the in
vading forces left the scene of hostilities
with many marks of their invasion on the
National Guard.
Mess call was greatly relished by the SOL
diers and all hurried to their tables and dis
posed of the eatables with dispatch.
An hour later the first real work of the
day began, when the call was sounded for
the first drill of the camp. This found
large number of the companies present. Ow-
ing to several of the companies from the
First and Second Regiments being absent
the regular regimental drill was dispensed
with. Battalion drills were given instead.
Shortly after the battalion drill the first
session of the school began. The officers
were given light training for the first day.
In the signal corps some preliminary work
was done with the heliograph. 1t was an
ideal day to work that part of the system,
as the sun shone brightly all day. On ac-
count OF the limited space this part of the
service was not thoroughly tried out.
General Mckee said yesterday that he
would send out several officers to make over
lures TO owners of adjoining fields that the
signal corps and guard mounts might have
more room. The fair grounds has proven
inadequate for the purposes to which the
staff officers desire to extend the work. Ii
was thought that by the middle of to-day
the deals with the property owners would
be made and the programme of the camp
would be carried out without any further
hitch.
A slight departure from the regular pro-
gramme was made yesterday in the battal-
| ion drills. These drills were given on the
regiments grounds, and the only regiment
| that drilled on the race track during the
day was the Third.
The hospital corps was put through a
rigid drill during the afternoon by Captain
Pfaff. The men were drilled in the hand
| ling of ltters. After the drill of the In
dianapolis battalion the hospital corps was
| preparing for the nights work when a
| hurried call was given the litter squad to
| go TO the race track. Before they arrived
| the horses had been hitched to the am
| bulance and the man was on his way back
| to the general hospital
FIRST DRESS PARADE
| 1t was an imposing sight shortly after
| mess last night when the three regiments
! assembled for the first dress parade Gov
ernor Durbin, accompanied by his wife
and Col George Lockwood, had already
arrived at the camp The troops marched
| to the field inside the race track TO the
inspiring tunes of the regimental bands.
! Governor Durbin expressed himself as much
pleased with the appearance of the men
| after the parade.
A rumor was current i'm camp circles yes-
! terday that the troops might be called out
| some night during the week on a long
march. This rumor was partly confirmed
when 1T leaked out from brigade headuuar-
ters that within a day or two the troops
would be Unexpectedly called out to march
| to the site OF the new army post near Law
, renee This report could not be confirmed
| but as ii came from brigade Headquarters
some credence was given it,. The men were
! not surprised at learning of the rumor, as
| they were wondering why the puppy tents
had been brought TO camp
Up to the time for calling the troops for
| the dress last hlSnt tnefe was but
one company missing from the guard This
| company was from Auburn and arrived
] about o'clock. 1t brought forty-three men.
! This makes the last company to arrive In
camp and from the rough figures now i'm
| the hands of General Mckee there are
about = 100 men in camp. This is said to he
| the largest number of State troops ever
assembled at State encampment.
| Captain Blanton Winship. of the Six
/ teenth Infantry of the Department OF the
Lakes, arrived at the camp just before
| noon yesterday. He remained at brigade