The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-14
SOLDIERS ARE AT HOME
AIsABAMA'S PROVISIONAL REGi-
 MENT BACK FROM MANAssAS.
Men Stood the Trip Perfectly and Are Enthusiastic Over the ENperi- ence Gained by the Mimic
 Warfare.

Company ID" 1st Alabama Provis- ional Infantry. of Montgomery, re- turned yesterday morning at o'clock from the army maneuvers at Manas- sas, in which the company took prominent part.
 The entire 1st Alabama Regiment IS now at its home station. General W. w. Brandon. Adjutant General of Ala bama and commanding officer of the provisional regiment returned with fhe North Alabama troops, travelling via Lexington. Ky. The Montgomery company. the Phenix City complny- the Mobile. Brewton and Luverne com mands returned via Atlanta and reach ed Montgomery after over thirty-six hours of hard travel. This section of the Alabama troops was in command of Colonel E. H. Graves of the 2nd Alabama regiment, and Lieutenant Colonel of the Provisional Regiment.
 Not soldier of the Montgomery company returned anything but physi- cally perfect. The men had marched during their ten days stay probably 100 miles. They had slept some nights in walled tents. some nights on day railway coaches, some nights In hastily prepared bivouacs on the field of battle and on one occasion there was nothing between the Alabama sol diers and the Armament but army blankets. This was in a climate much colder than the one to which the men were accustomed. The food was not the food they were accustomed to and 1t is considered remarkable that every man was physically sound when the home station was reached.
 Captain Eugenius F. Baber. Jr.. in command of the Montgomery company is proud of the record made by his command at the army maneuvers and the oficers of the regiment are proud of 1t. The Montgomery company went through the entire four days of mimic fighting and marching with a practi- cally full quota of men and was work ed hard in each days fight, The men reached Montgomery yes- terday morning just as the city was preparing to awake but there were enough citizens on the streets to give | the command 1usty cheer as the men | marched to their armory with their l well worn" service uniforms. blanket rolls. mess kits, and canteens. The Montgomery soldiers left Ma | nassas at o'clock Sunday afternoon. They had been aroused at o'clock in the morning to take down their tents. roll them and prepare them for the pack mules to take to the train. A hurried breakfast was eaten in order | that the regiment might be promptly | on hand at the first call for pay roll | at o'clock at the railway station two l miles distant.
 1 The Alabama soldiers then had their first experience in drawing Uncle Sam's cash for military service. The paying | off was slow and tedious but each man | seemed to take unusual pride in the | CrfQn newly iSGned hills which " | issued.
 Until o'clock they waited on the train. the road being blocked witt outgoing soldiery.
 Ahead of the Alabamians were the 1st and 2nd Texas regiments, which passed through Montgomery Monday night.
 On reaching the armory in Mont. gomery Captain Baber made the mem bers of his company a brief speech He said that it had been a pleasure tt command such a body of men and h, thought that the hard work of tn maneuvers was made easy by the will ingness of the men. Practically cv cry member of the command expresse, a willingness to again go through tn, service.
 Along with the Montgomery com pany were Lieutenant Colonel Graves | captain 1nad Partrldge, Jr., of Mobile Regimental Commissary; Captain J Hunt Taylor of Montgomery, Inspec tor of Rife Practice; Captain Dude Williamson of Montgomery, Instructo O of the Guard and Lieutenant Bert Cliff ford of Birmingham. battalion com missary.
 When seen yesterday Captain Babe said that he thought that the govern ment's money was well spent in tn maneuvers. He said that 1t gave tn citizen soldiery a clear insight int what army life really Is and in tim of war would make the lot of the vol unteer much easier to bear. It was
 valuable school to the quarterma ster and the commissaries and was calcu lated to arouse more patriotism in tn hearts of the men.
 Neither Captain Baber's comman, nor the Alabama regiment had troubl with negro soldiers. The negro com pany was always kept well in the req of the army and the Alabamians wer always at the front.
 There was no disorder on the return trip. A number of the solliers stave, over few days in Washington, al though the excursion there as a regi ment was abandoned.