The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-03
CAMP IN pup TENTS
FORT sCREVEN'S SOLDIERS AT
RANGE NEXT WEEK.
TO HAVE PRACTICE MARCHES.
SIX DAYS WILL BE SPENT IN CROSS
COUNTRY MARCHES.

Men VIII Carry Bed and Board on
Their Bncks-Tents VIII Be Only
Feet Hieh-Each Command Will
Devote Three Days to Small Arms
Practice and Two Days to Practice
Marches-Three Companies VIII
Spend Five Days Each ON the
Range-PrOgrnmm for the Shoot.
Beginning Monday the Avondale
range win present an unusual aspect.
and for the three weeks ensuing, wilr
be the scene OF great activity. The
soldiers from Fort Screven will, for
the first time, hold their annual target
practice with small arms on the Sa-
vannah range; and several days OF
each week will be occupied in practice
marches.
The men will be camped in pup" or
dog, tents-so named because of the
fact that one has to get down on his
all tours like a dog to crawl into his
bunk. The tents, some fifty in number,
are but three feet in hight, and will be
pitched at the upper end of the range,
near the 6OO-yard firing line. The first
three days Of each week will be de-
voted to practice at the targets. the
200 and 3OO-yard ranges only being
used since those are the only ones
employed In practice by the coast ar
tillery in their small arms firing.
The programme for the practice has
already. been outlined in the Morning
News. On Monday the Fifth Artillery,
under command of Capt. ]. C. Gill
more, Jr., will pitch their tents, and
will remain until Friday. On the fol-
lowing Monday the One Hundred and
Sixteenth Company, under command Of
Lieut.. Prentiss. will make camp: and
on the Monday following the One Hun
dred and Fourteenth Artillery, com
manded by Capt. H. H. Whitney, who
has but recently been assigned to the
fort, will commence their target shoot
ing and practice marches.
Taste of Field Service.
The men will be given a taste of real
service-nore like the real thing, even.
than they have at the post. They will
be introduced, many of them, to sery-
ice in the field. Each man will carry
his bed and board on his back. Two
men Will occupy each of the little shell
ter tents, each man carrying half Of
the tent on his back. In pitching these
tents the soldiers will have to supply
themselves with sticks, or twigs, to be
used as tent poles, or supports. The
tents are so low that the "bunkies'
cannot stand upright in them.
The practice marches will be one of the
interesting features of the encampment
The men will be marched some twenty
five or thirty miles. They will be pros
Vided with the usual army ration, used
in field service, bacon and bareback.
They will do their own cooking. On
the back of each man is his individual
mess kit, containing his frying pan, cup
and utensils. and his rations.
The men will return to camp each
night after the march. They may cook
their meals whenever the spirit or
their appetites, move them. The sight
of the men bending over the camp fires
at night, each one intent upon the prep
aration of his frugal meal, will no doubt
be a picturesque spectacle, though il
Is doubtful if the men will see. it in
that light. t-.-r
Each Man His Own Cook. q ;
But the soldier in the field is more
particular about the preparation Of tins
modest repast than one might suppose.
He can cook the simple portion of ba-
con, flour and hard tack, as no one can
prepare it for him. The bareback is
dropped into the grease which is left
after frying the bacon, and after 1t Is
saturated, and while it is still sizzling,
it is dropped into a cup of water In its
brown and crisp condition. When 1t
is taken from the water it is moist
and flaky, not unlike the domestic short
cake. With the flour the men make
short cakes, the choiceness of the NOR
sci being dependent upon the culinary
propensities of the bunky.
Capt. Gilmore, who has been in COM
munication with Capt. w. G. Austin rel
alive to the use and preparation of
the range, made an inspection of it
yesterday The electric lights are be-
ing put in order, and the windmill oiled
up, so that the men may have all the
shower baths they like. Capt. Austin
knows himself exactly what is needed
for the men, for he himself has had ex-
perience in the field, and 1t is dollars to
doughnuts he could put some of the
''reggies' to shame when it comes to a
question of crisping a bareback or
turning a f1apjack.