Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-01-25
BATTERIES LONG MARCH
Incidents of Greatest Artillery Hike" In Time of Peace.
EXPLOIT 0r-IMERIOAN SOLDIERS

EXPLOIT OF IHERIoAN SOLDIERS Members of sixth Field Battery on
 Their March From Fort Riley, Kan,
 to Fort sam Houston, Tex, Were
 Rendered Splendid Receptions.
 School Children Lined Roadsides
 and sans Patriotic songs.
 The members of the Sixth field bat tery of the United States artillery. com manded by Captain c. W. Gatchell, who made the now memorable march of HOO miles from Fort Riley, Kan, to Fort Sam Houston, Tex, in fifty-fve days, are now fit as fiddle and show no effects of the long march, says a Fort Sam Houston correspondent of the Chicago Inter Ocean. In fact, the con- dition of the battery was greatly exag- gerated in some of the newspaper re- ports, and Captain Gatchell has replied to his critics. The men arrived at Fort Sam Houston in healthy condition. Some of the horses were thin and some have work sores, fbut the post veterinarian says they are in good con- dition.
 "The fact that the men were foot sore and weary and wore torn and muddy clothing when they arrived does not mean that they suffered any great physical pain on the long march. ; said Captain Gatchell.
 The loss of Private Arthur Hull was greatly regretted by the captain, but 1t was pointed out that Private Hull's malaria was probably contracted be- fore the march, and had his condition been known he would not have been permitted to leave Fort Riley.
 Otherwise it was a great hike" as one of the men expressed it. The idea was to have the battery move just as it, might move in wartime. The propo- sition was. Send the Sixth battery at Fort Riley to join the forces at Fort Sam Houston" It was assumed that under war conditions the battery could not use the railways, which had possi- bly, been destroyed. and that it was highly important for it to reach Fort Sam Houston in the shortest possible time. In reality the march was prac- tice march. intended to give the men practical experience.
 In this march the battery passed through central and southern Kansas, crossed Oklahoma and a part of Indian Territory and travelled in Texas from the northern boundary to San Antonio, in the southern part of the state. When it entered the portals of Fort Sam Houston amid the cheers of the local garrison it had broken the record for the worlds long distance march of ar tillery. It is by far the longest practice march ever made by artillery in time of peace. and no forced march in time of war. with the exception of Napo- Icons retreat from Moscow, compares with it in distance.
 The route to be followed in the long march was not laid out before leaving Fort Riley. It. was marked out in a general way upon q field map, but. the details were left to the discretion of Captain Gatchell. Through parts of Oklahoma and Indian Territory the route followed was located some dis tance away from any railroad.
 Several severe spells of weather were encountered. The worst was when a blizzard swept down upon the battery one morning just after they left Aus tin, Tex, and it continued during near ly all of the remainder of the march to San Antonio, a distace of about ninety miles. The men walked nearly the whole distance In order to weep warm. The battery lost one man by sickness during the march. Private Arthur Hall was attacked with malaria and died in the hospital at Austin.
 The route of the march was for the most part through a remote section of the west and southwest, where the United States troops are rarely seen. There was one bright and memorable feature of the trip. and that was the splendid receptions which were ten dered the battery along the route by the rural and town citizens from the time of leaving Fort Riley until Fort Sam Houston was reached. At every town. large or small. the officers and men of the battery were the recipients of bountiful feasts and royal recep- tions.
 Captain Gatchell relates many anus. ing and interesting incidents of the trip. The farmers along the route seemed to be especially proud of the soldiers. It was not unusual for the battery to he halted at a farmhouse upon invitation of the farmer and bis good wife. who spread a feast of pies and sweet milk for the men and off. cers. At almost every farmhouse flag were waved as the battery passed by and old Glory was spread to the breeze on every schooIhouse.
 At several places the school children were lined along the sides of the road and sang patriotic songs as the battery passed. Captain GstcheH relates aI incident of one enthusiastic farmer ir Texas who welcomed the battery witl salute from his shotgun. He fired the double barrels at the same tine al each section of the battery passed him and he cheered the men until they vers out of hearing.