West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1904-09-22
CAMPING. ..
At ThOrOugfare, Va. and Company q o
The National Guard OF KIngWOOd.
Continued nom last zp.ek.

| Ohe Boou tnlnB ABOUT our camp
life down in the Old Dominion and
the marching and fighting and sleep
ing out of nights, was that the
weather was very dry and the
ground so hard we could scarcely
drive tent pegs in it. They told us
that it had not rained for two
months and the weather continued
fine all the time we were down there.
The sun would get very hot during
the day but the nights we're cool, in
fact uncomfortably so part of the
time and one blanket was not
enough. However, the dry weather
had some very serious drawbacks,
as water was very scarce and while
we had plenty of it most OF the
time in camp the troops suffered
terribly for water on the marches.
The country has but few springs and
most of the wells and pumps at the
farmhouses were dry or soon would
be from the troops passing and we
would be for two days at a time
without water fit to drink. Then
again the dust in the roads was sim
ply frightful. The regular travel
owe those roads at this season of
the year with no pain for two months
would make it bad enough, but
with thirty thousand troops march
ing and counter marching for days
over the roads made them so dusty
that you could sometimes hardly see
the man marching IN front of you.
A battalion of Engineers from the
Regular Army had been there for
a month preparing for the other
troops. Large water tanks had
been erected on high ground and
IS artesian wells had been bored
some of them very deep and ar
rangements made to pump the wa
ter to the tanks. Pipe lines were
laid over the camp, for miles in
every direction and a big spigot
placed on the line at the head of
every company street.
The Signal Corps of the Army,
was also there in full force and had
been for some time before the adj
vent of the main body of troops.
They had strung telephone lines for
miles over the country, mostly run
ming along on the ground and
connecting regimental, brigade and
division headquarters, with phones
in their tents and each camp even
had wires run out over the battle
field and signal stations established,
so that rapid communication could
be made. This was something the
first and second battles of Bull Run
did not have nor even dream of
then. Every branch of the Army
was fully represented; Artillery,
Cavalry, Infantry, Engineers, Sig
nal Corps, 0Field Hospital, Ambu-
lance and Red Cross and every
Brigade had at least one fine Band
that rendered splendid music.
Last but not least there was the
Quartermasters Department with
long lines OF big Government wa
CONS and heavy mule teams and
pack mules and supplies for an
army of 50, 900 men which was a
Dig thing in itself.
We were in the Fourth Brigade.
commanded by Colonel F. A..
Smith of the Eighth Infantry, of the
Regular Army. Five Companies
of this Regiment, their headquarters
and Band were with us. Also one
Battalion of Delaware Infantry;
Second South Carolina Regiment
of Infantry; Second Vermont Regi-
ment of Infantry and Band and two
Batta ions from West Virginia,
one from the First and one from the
Second Regiment, composed of
four companies to each Battalion.
Company G was the first company
Of the first Battalion and always
had to lead off and set the pace for
the West Virginia troops. Major
James f Verlander, Of the Second
Regiment, was IN command Of our
Battalion. lie was an officers in
the Spanish War, Major /. n. Sa-
bic, also OF the Second Regiment
had command of Second Battalion
and Col. Charles r. Morrison also
of the Second Regiment was in
command Of the West Virginia
troops.
(CaHIiHHrd next 7Oerk.)
------
The second "opening Of the cam.
paign" at Parkersburg was equally
as "frosty" for the Grand Old