The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-08-09
The Chickamauga Encampment.
Greensboro Industrial News


The encampment of regular troops
and portions of the National Guard
at Chickamauga was formally open
ed last Monday. From that date
until the latter part of August soldier
lads will be marching and counter
marching, and indulging as far as
may be, in the actual experience OF
field service.
For years the regulars We're practi-
cally a thing apart from the body OF
citizen soldiery known as the State
Guard, and it was seldom that either
regulars or militia met in large bodies.
Each State held it's own annual en-
campment, at which the soldier boys
saw something of army life. These
meetings, however, in many instances
partook more of the nature of pic
mic than of real service. But even
when this was not the case it was inn
possible for the best results to be OBJ
tanned.
The Spanish war for the first time
in many years brought together large
bodies of troops, and while no one
for moment questioned either the
loyalty or bravery of those who wore
Uncle Sans uniform, it was all too
apparent that along many lines our
troops lacked the practical efficiency
that can come only from practice
under conditions at least approx
mating those to be faced in actual
warfare.
Not only was this true, but it was
also found that the status OF the State
Guard was far from satisfactory. The
call for volunteers met with q spOn-
taneous reply that must have warm
ed the heart of the most pessimistic,
but for all that the United States was
compelled to depend upon volunteers
and had no large body of citizen sol
diery at it's command.
The result was the passage by con-
gress of the Dick Bill, that changed
the State Guard of the various States
into a National Guard, with n more
complete and more effective national
control.
This was followed by the determi-
nation to bring regulars and guards
|
them annually in large bodies for the
purpose of training them to march
and camp and fight as homogene,
Gus units OF thousands and tens Of
thousands.
Last year maneuyers were held at
Manassas, Virginia, and all agree that
much was accomplished in the matter
of making practical soldiers out oi
brave and willing, but somewhat un-
trained American citizens, to say
nothing of the valuable experience
afforded the field officers in the hand
ling of large bodies of troops.
This year these several camps viii
be established.
The Third North Carolina is one O
the regiments that has been assigned
to take part and our boys have beer
ordered to report at Chickamaugs
on the 10Th OF August for weeks
| stay.
1t will be no holiday jaunt in gala
attire. The work will be hard anC
exacting, as it should be, for soldier
ing is no child's play.
Thissis, however, all the more rea
son why every member OF the GuarC
who possibly can do SO should at
tend.
We all sincerely hope that it will bt
many a year before the Stars anc
Stripes will wave on a battlefield, but
if that time ever comes, we want it tC
wave and not to trail.
And then, too, the best way to pre-
serve peace is to be prepared for war
Prof. Tyler, of Amherst college, said recently
"a man can live comfortably without brains
no man ever existed without digestive sys
TEN. The dyspeptic has neither faith, hop
nor charity Day by day people realize tn
Importance OF caring for their digestion
realize the need OF the use of little correctiv
after over-eating. A corrective like Kodol
For Dyspepsia. 1t digests what you eat
Sold at Parker's Two Drug Stores.