The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-08
HOWHzERS CAMP
At HALFWAY HOUSE ! I.
Small City Of Tents Lit.
Up by Camp
Fires.
---------- 1S4 I
FORCED MARCH
TO BREAK. RECORD
Crack Command Will Have to
Travel Twcnty-Six Miles Day
to5Rcach Jamestown in Tine
for Virginia Day and
Pass in Re-
view.

"cAMP MYERS. NEAR HALE
WAY HOUSE. Juno 7.--Around n
blazing camn-fire the officers and men
OF tho Richmond Howitzcrs1ar sitting
tonight, full OF enthusiasm over the
march which was begun this morning,
and which Is to end on Wednesday,,
.Virginia Day nt Camp John Smith,
Eear the Exposition Grounds.
Though the distance covered to-day
was not as great as was expected, the
!, fault does not belong to the battery.
Eut rather TO the delay In procuring
hcrses. which consumed three hours
OF valuable time. Tho men are all we'll
and the horses have settled down to
work, SO that Tomorrow 1t is hoped
& that thiry miles Will be saccotnplishcd,.
a record march for artillery III Amer
ica
Captain Myers appreciates the fact
that the task of marching 12S miles
ovor rough roads with untried horses
within five days Is n difficult one, but
he has such confidence In his officers
and men that he feels sure the COM
nand will report in time to 5,ass In
review before Governor Swanson on
Lee Parade next Wednesdays.
II the feat Is accomplished the bat
terry will be hcraided as the crack arr
ttllery organization OF the United
States. and Will have surpassed any
rnarch made by tho field artillery of
the regulnr army.
The rations served tonight wesc
well prepared, and the mems appe-
tites showed their healthy condition.
An early start Will bo made In the
morning. and hereafter every nerve
VIII bo strained to cut down the dis
tance to the city on Hampton Roads.
Watched With Interest.
The march from Richmond to Camp
John Smith, Mt the Jamestown Exposi-
ton. Is exnctly 12S miles. and over
roads which have most unenviabie,
reputation for bogs. ruts ana all other
Ills that roads are heir to, and for this
reason tho attempt IL being watched
rot only by the artillery of other
States. but by the War Department and
the officers OF tho regular army.
Never before has q volunteer battery
attempted such q long march, and It is
worthy of note that every difficulty
has been courtcd so that the conditions
which pr II are those which would
obtain We the battery to be called
out for service at a moments notice
Without any preparatory marches;
without trained horses, and travelling
over roads which are strange to every.
officer and man In tho command, the
: aHowitzers win cover themselves with
glory II they succeed In reaching
Camp John Smith by the morning OF
next Wednesday in time for the great;
parade on Virginia Day.
Determined TO Do 1t.
1t is conceded by experts that a
march of twonty miles day Is ex-
7cellent travelling for artillery with
trained and seasoned horses, under the
7 care OF experienced drivers. The aver
age march is below fifteen miles a day
under these conditions, and therefore
I the Howitzers will have to make prac-
tically q record" in order to arrive on
time. Tonight tho battery camped
ut Half Way House, which Is eleven
miles from Richmond. and this leaves
III miles to be travelled in four and n
half days, or an average OF twenty-six
miles a day
Captain Myers says he will accom-
plish the feat and all who know the
officers and men of the crack artillery
organization feel suro he Will succeed
even against such fearful odds.
The First Day.
That Captain Myers has started right
Is appreciated by those who are ex-
perts for instead OF rushing his com-
mand, he made a short march on the
first day, getting cattle and men. in
condition and avoiding soreness and
fatigue. which would have followed a
long journey on the first day. The
men are in fine spirits, and already the
horses areN getting down to steady
work. }
In the command In camp tonight
are four officers. eighty-eight men and
three servants. with seventy-eight
horses and mules. Tho officers are
Captain Myers, commanding; Captain
Wortham. adiutant; First Lieutenant
Edmund Taylor and Surgeon Gills.
Second Lieutenant Rees was too III to
accompany the battery, but hopes to
Join his men at Jamestown.
The equipment consists of four fold
pieces, four cnissons, ono travelling
forge two battery wagonsRand three
II army escort wagons, all OF them of the
latest type ana identical With those
Z in llse in tho regular army,
Trouble Getting Horses.
Tho difficulty that stands most in tho
way OF SUCCESS is the lack OF proper
horses for the field pieces and cais-
sons, the battery having had to take
what 1t could get rather than what-lt
wanted.
Although Captain Myers is paying
two dollarE q day for each horse, 1t
was with tho utmost difficulty that a
sufficient number was secured, and only
was this accomplished when the friends
of tho Howitzers came at tho last mo-
ment to the rescue. A delay of two
hours ut tho start was accustomed by a
lack OF horses, and again a dclayof an
hour occurred in Manchester when 1t
was found necessary to shoe several of
4 the cattle harnessed to the field
pieces,
Thought 1t Was Circus.
An amusing incident happened dur
Y Ing this halt, Captain Wortham was
y8nt the head OF tho limo sitting on his
horse, when nm ancient resident of the
rity approached and stared with Won
#dering eyes at the warlike gathering.
s Never having heard Of tho Jamestown
3 Camp or Of tho Howitzers, he Was at IL