The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1904-09-15
Arthur HoIderness, Of Kenosha,
Tells of the Work in the
Military Academy.
NATIONS SOLDIERS AT WORK
Boys Return From Camp to Begin An
other Year of Study and Drill
Ho1derness Soon to Finish.

West Point, New York.
Dear Fo1ks-Back to barra cks and
at our books once more, and for the
last time. We broke camp a week
ago Friday, and the best camp that
ever happened at West Point, too.
The weather during the whole camp
was almost ideal, and we all had
glorious time, although we had to
drill hard and often. Still, was not
bit sorry to come back to barracks,
for that means we are on the home
stretch, and | couldn't help smiling
occasionally, while moving my be-
1ongings back to barracks to think it
was my last camp at West Point. Not
so very long now, "Mumsy," before
I'll be back to the scenes of my child.
hood and among the old and best
friends.
The first class was not at West
Point very much during kthe last two
weeks of camp. On Monday of the
first week the first half of the class,
as troop of cavalry, went through
Hudson for about eight miles, draw
ing a military map of the country
passed through. The troop was di-
vided into squads of about eight men
each, and each squad took different
road and drew a map, each man his
own, of the country passed through.
All the squads ended up at the same
place where camp was made for the
night. Different roads were passed
over on the way back, and when the
different maps were put together we
had map for military purposes of
that entire section of the country.
The first half gots back Tuesday
night, and one half started Wednes-
day morning. You ought tos see us
cooking our own meals and living on
bareback and bacon. We got back
Thursday night, and a more tired
bunch you never saw. However, I
had date for the band concert that
night and of course went.
The next morning we (the whole
first class were to start on a two
days cavalry march to Tuxedo and
back, SO had to get up before revei1le
the next morning to pack my saddle.
(ha1f OF nt-tent-mate carries
the other half blanket, coat, poncho
and field kit meat can, knife, fork,
spoon, canteen.
With the necessary amount of cuss-
ing everybody's saddle wasa packed
by breakfast. After breakfast we
were marched out to the horses, each
man carrying his saddle, and sadd1ed
up. BY the way, will mention right
here, that the class was divided into
two troops, and the horses chosen by
lot. Now of fifty six choices in our
troop I drew ffty-ffth, and it is need
less to say that the horse left to me
had the reputation of being the hard
est horse IN the stables. That night
I could hardly sleep for thinking of
the sixty-four miles had to ride on
that brute in the next two days. Any
way, we started out about O'Clock
a. m. with co1ors flying, and all the
girls out to see us off. Well / thought
that horse would jolt me to death for
the first fifteen miles, but after that
I found an easy way to ride him, and
he did not bother me much. The
roads are very hi11y, and hard on the
horses, so we had to take it rather
slow. We covered about twenty-six
miles up to II O'Clock, when we
stopped and cooked dinner, (hard-
tack, coffee and bacon.)
We got into Tuxedo about 2:3O p.
m, and Immediately pitched camp.
By O'Clock the camp was all "hinky
dink." Pa can tell you how big those
dog-tents are. Then we took care of
the horses, watered, fed, and cleaned
them.
After this was over everybody i'm
mediate1y proceeded to jump into the
lake. 1 don't believe that the lake
will ever be quite as clean as it was,
for every man had about an inch of
dust all over him.
Then came supper-the same old
story-hard-tack bacon and coffee.
Weather fine. Everybody, excepting
two men on guard on picket line to
take care of the horses, then went out
for a good time. Taps at II O'Clock.
At about 1O:45 p. m. it began to rain,
and the way it did rain was caution,
and it never stopped until II o'clock
the next morning. We slept dry,
however, and when revei11e went it
was raining pitch-forks. The cook
detail had to turn out at a. m. and
light fires in the rain and cook break
fast.
have congratulated myself ever
since on not being on that detail.
This was a real taste of life in the
field, and it was rather funny to see
everybody standing around drinking
their coffee and eating bareback and
bacon in pouring rain.
After breakfast we broke camp and
packed our saddles and sadd1ed up
1t was no joke, either, for the horses
were Sir1n1u cFazv from eta r1dit1or or +