The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-03
SOLDIERS MERRY
At CAMP GORDON.
Have Good Dinners and Enjoy
Stories OF Wartime
Days.
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COMFORTABLE AND WARM N
Picturesque Scene, Which Re.
minds Them Of Battlefields
Long Ago.
COMFORTABLE AND WARM


to come. A number of slsitors, in
Guiding some ladies, were in camp, and
did ample justice to the excellent meal
provided.
After warm and comfortable night
in the arinories and buildings to which
the camp crowd were taken in the
storm of Saturday, the men turned up
yesterday morning bright, smiling and
hungry. Eggs, bacon. potatoes and
coffee for breakfast put life and spirit
into every one. and when the last com
ers from town had been served, the
dining-shed was cleared anu an old
lay preacher from Alabama led III a
short prayer and song service In which
considerable company of men joined.
Later the men scatteycd, visiting the
city churches, hundreds taking the
cars to Seven Pines and other places
OF interest a number OF excursions
went out of Richlaond yesterday to
Washington, to Jamestown Island and
the exposition. With these nbsentees,
numbering in all several thousand. and
with the men coming and going
throughout the day, there was at no
time as large crowd as on the pre-
vtous days, and the table service was
correspondingly better. In fact, as re-
CARDS the fare and table service in
I
party of gentlemen who took dinner in
camp, and in tho evening went for their
supper to what is usually regarded as
the best downtown restaurant the
comparison In cleanliness, hountiful-
ness and cooking, as we'll as in prompt
service, was in favor of the camp.
Everything Was Free.
Great banners have been hung an
irtr In, {s
free to veterans. and open house was
kent, veterans being fed at any hour
from early morning to late last night.
At dinner the menu consisted Of hot
roast beef, with gravy, potatoes,
onions, tomatoes. corn, any kind of pie,
milk, coffee and assorted cakes. AS
each man left the dining shed he was
: handed a good cigar aid couple of
car tickets, good to take him anywhere
he wanted to go and bring him back
In time for supper.
At supper cheese, cold ham. corncd
beef, milk and coffee were being served
and both spirits and appetites seemed
to be excellent.
A delegation of Marylanders, some
six or eight hundred strong, is cN-
pected carly this morning. and ar
rangements will be made to have the
rectly to camp. where steaming hot
breakfast will await them. and they
will have an opportunity to rest up
tor the grand par;lde.
Plenty Of Fircyvood.
An abundance of tirewood has been
delivered at camp, and a largo number
of men spent the day about tho place.
sitting around bonflres and swapping
yarns of all kinds. A Sunday spirit
pervaded the camp, especially during
the morning hours, and q number Of
serious theological discussions went on
over the cordwood fires. Storics Of
preaching services during the war. and
OF, various army chaplains went around.
not always being complimentary to the
cloth. Stories were told Of the 1Ipisco-
pal service in the headquarters tent
when General Robert Z. Lee, acted as
vestryman and administered the COM
munion; of the Presbyterian service in
the log church at Moss Neck. where
DIR. Ioge or IAr. Tucker Lacy preached,
and General jackson went to sleep on
the front bench; or stories OF Methodist
services, where General j. L. B. Stuart
led the singing. From this. tho talk
turned to the battles fought on suns
day; the plain at Manassas, the morn
Ing after the fight at charlottesville,
when Stuart gave the word to Charge
and remember Jackson" and of the
h bloodiest Of the days at Gettysburg.
Stories in Camp.
Personal "Reminiscences came In for
large share OF the talk, sometimes two
or three stories going at one time
around the same fire. Late last night
dozen hardy souls with comfortable
cots in one of the big dry tents, refused
to go back to town. declaring that it
would take a sheriff to move them out
of camp. a lightwood fire burned in
the centre, with smolte-vent in the
roof. a lantern was swung to tho ridge
pole, an abundance of dry blankets
were on each cot, and away into the
night the men lay back In the dim
light, telling anecdotes and yans,
punctuated with loud laughter and an
occasional song II amt had such
o good time since the winter was
frost-bit at Winchester" was tho way
hardy North Caroinian put It, After
each round Of stories, when each had
gone his neighbor one better a modest
portion of North Carolina Mountain
aew" was passed around. and tho yarns
began again. Another tent that seemed
to be enjoying life was where the ser
geant and squad OF the Seventietl,
Regiment Volunteers maintain their
guard post, with a big log fire, boilel
OF coffee and a box of provisions.
Although the band which had beer
quartered In camp has been removed
10 dry quarters in town, there was M
lack of music The force of negro
cooks In the mess shed, preparing theft
big dishes of food for breakfast, brok,
out into old darby melodies In thei,
own inimtable style and with a tcno,
riyhlins anything heard in Richmond
and with no mean bass, the cooks nnt
waters rolled out the old darby hymn
HE VIII Guide Me" in tones tina
i might have been heard for half a milo
Thousands Are Here.
1t is still impossible to estimate tn
number of Confederate veterans VIII
have been in Richmond, SO many hav
& Ing been privately entertained, an,
having made no report OF their pres
once In the city UP TO Friday nigh
1900 had registered with Adjutant
General Mlckle, In addition to thi
are largo number OF those IN cain
and at State headquarters who hay
made no effort to register beslde
those IN private homes, Althous
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