Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-08-22
OFF TO WAR,
How Augusta Soldier Boys
Started for the Front.
Made Fine Appearance as They
Marched to Station.
Citizens Were All Proud Of Good Look
ing Company M.

Away to the war went Company NJ,
yesterday morning. There wasn't the
weeping and Wailing, which one would
naturally have expected at such a time,
but that was due, no doubt to a rumor
that only blank cartridges were to be
used in the campaign; that it was going
to be just Il make believe sort of war.
Anyway, the soldiers appeared to re-
gard it as huge joke and didn't act
as though It was very serious. 1t GER
tainly wasn't quite so serious a pros
pect which they faced, as when they
marched away to camp on a certain
day in May, 1895 To be sure that lit
tie scrimmage down in Cuba wasn't
much more than a good sized riot but
twas a whole lot more serious than the
present activities around Portland
But the Augusta boys looked fine as
they marched down Water street and
up to the station, where they We're to
embark for the front. Everybody was
proud of the company, and glad that
the city was going to be represented by
so good looking, good marching and in
every way representative lot of
young men.
Ii was a bit past 9 o'clock when the
men marched out of the armory in City
hall, across the bridge and down Water
street to the station. Captain Drake
WAS at the front, While Lieutenants
Owen and Enright We're in their proper
places. The men had their full equip
ments of camp goods, blankets, pom
chos, haversacks, etc, While at their
belts We're hung huge dippers, made of
tin. And these tin clippers called
forth no small amount of CONVERSE
ton as the boys marched along. The
general question was:
DO they have to take them full each
time?"
When it was explained that the
strongest which was to be drank from
the clippers was coffee Gf it was boiled
on time) the Worriment subsidized to a
Ncrv great extent.
They could not have looked more like
soldiers bound for Il real war than they
/ did, had actual hostilities existed, With
the exception that there would have
been a few less smiles, probably. then
there We're. The boys marched in per
feet order and certainly showed the ef-
J fects of the hard drilling which they
! have done for the many weeks past.
| each Of the nice new Krags was as
| bright as it could be, not one of the
| khaki uniforms was soiled and, all il
| all. it was q pretty sight as they pro-
| ceeded down the street. The station
| was reached and in about two minutes
after the train pulled into the city.
J 1t was the special, which left Bangor
| early in the morning and had on board
| troops from the eastern part of the
! State. WaterVille, Skowhegan, Dover
and other points. They hailed the Au-
| gusta boys with delight for some of
| them We're wen acquainted. In less
| time than it takes to tell it, the boys
| were in the train and it was off on its
way to Portland.
But it wouldn't have been right to
have had everything move along Sc
| renely.
OF course, someone had to be left.
AS luck would have it, it was Lieu
| tenant Enright. The lieutenant was
| in the car when he remembered an
, important matter which required his
| attention. He was given to under
stand that he had sufficient time to at
tend to the matter before the train
! left.
1t was one of those times when
inquiry was not a good thing. Before
he got back upon the platform of the
station, the end of his train was dis
appearing over the Rines Hill crossing
and he had to wait for the next train.
None need to worry as to the inter-
est which his friends took in the mat
| ter. Right off, quick he received q
very large amount of advice and SYM
! nathy, for all of those present recog-
| nized the seriousness CD of the mat
ter, and We're anxious to help him out
| That was why they suggested walking,
| chartering a handcar, buying q flying
machine, and going on by wireless
| But it was all in fun, and Enright
enjoyed it as much as anyone.