Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-01-25

zion, and it ended just as winter was
 setting in in southwest Texas. It is
 generally conceded that it would have
 been impossible for the long march to be made in either midwinter or mid
 summer.
 During the march the appearance of
 the command was at some places the
 subject of adverse criticism on the part
 of newspapers-this despite the fact
 that all the men and horses of the bat
 tery came through the ordeal of long
 march with but the loss of one man
 and one horse. | These. clippings. which in some in
 stances alleged suffering by men and
 horses, had been forwarded by the war department to General Jesse Nj. Lee,
 commanding the military department of Texas. and by him toebe referred to
 Captain George w. Gatchell, command
 ing the battery These newspaper sto-
 ries about the. suffering of the men and
 horses are thought to have arisen from
 first impressions gained on seeing the
 battery as it marched as it would in
 times of war through the country. It was never anticipated that the
 march of the battery should be dem- onstration of the American soldier as
 he appears in full dress uniform; nei- ther was it the intention that the bat tery should at all times be in condition
 to halt and march into the midst of
 brilliantly lighted ballroom and at once become to man the hero of all the matinee girls who happened to be pres ent On the other hand, actual war was simulated. The men were con tinually on the march. They did not feel like shaving every day. Riding several hundred miles through all sorts
 of weather is also calculated to bring a
 polish to the surface of a soldiers trousers. It will also bring a ruddy glow of health. The members of the battery brought all of these back with them.
 Captain George W. Gatchell shortly after the arrival of the battery referred
 to newspaper comments. On this sub- ject he said:
 March battery through rain and mud and 1t will present weather beaten ap-
 pearance. Mud is splattered on the horses and the men, and they cannot possibly
 look their best. Most of the criticisms of an adverse nature on the battery were due to this condition. Some people could
 not comprehend that we were on hard service march.
 The results of the march. as regards the objects to be attained. are extremely sat- isfactory. We forded treacherous streams. experienced all sorts of weather. were subjected to almost every climatic condi- ton the country affords and arrived here CFort Sam Houston) with the loss of one man and one horse. The death of the soldier was regrettable. but we feel that it was just a coincidence; that he might have died under different conditions. The horse we lost was an old one and pretty
 well used up to begin with. An ambu- lance was abandoned at the ford of a river. but 1t also had about outlived it's usefulness. With these exceptions we re- turned as we left The march has been of great benefit to the oficers and the
 men, as they have experienced service re- sembling that afforded by war times. One of the rank and file was seen. He said:
 It was a great hike. Of course, we are
 glad that it has ended, but there is not a man in the battery scarcely who regrets having taken it. No hardships were suf- fered by the men that could not have been avoided by themselves. True, it would get pretty cold nights in camp, but
 if a man did not have energy enough to get up and keep his fire going he should |, have. had to shiyer a little. -~r [ As further evidence that the bat tery arrived home in good condition
 not man .of, the command entered the
 hospital. ,.,