The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-24
MILITIA BIVOUACS OVER IN WEST PARK Ready for Duty on Five Minutes
 Notice MEN SLEEP ON THE GRASS Attendance of Visitors Was Large Yes terday-Excellent Order Is Being
 Maintained and Citizens
 Interested in Work.

Company and detachment of Com
 pany K, Third regiment of infantry. A.
 N. G., are now bivouacked in West park in Birmingham. These troops are at present armed and await orders to move, ready to respond to the call five minutes after the last note of the bugle call has sounded.
 Instead of being in the armory, where it i is very uncomfortable, they have beeu rlaced in a park where it is cool and pleasant and where the men may sleep
 upon soft grass instead of hard floor
 in honor of the captain of Company G the
 camp has been christened Camp Robert L. Gregory. AS an experiment in military work this encampment is a great sue cess.
 i When these companies were relieved and
 brought home from Blossbury, where they
 did the pioneer work in the strike situation
 cf that district, it was thought best by
 those in command to hold them in read;- aess in case they should be needed to quell ] disorder or to conduct imported laborers
 to the mines As soon as an order to this effect was issued the mayor of the city
 was seen and permit secured to bivouac in West park. The soldiers were then given their heavy marching order equip ment, which includes haversacks, can teens, and army rolls, and marched to the i camping ground The tents used in an en- i campment of this kind are commonly 1 known as dog tents" In these, two men
 sleep and two men carry them. Each car i ries half tent and one of the jointed poles in the army roll. It takes only about To minutes to pitch them. After this is done the remainder of rhe equipment IS carried in the rolls, which includes a
 rubber poncho and a blanket, Is spread beneath the shelter and then all is in eadiness for use. All of this may be
 oiled up again in about five minutes. At Camp Gregory strict military disci- rline is observed. A bugle is used for giv- ing commands so that all of the men may
 hear them and act accordingly. The sol
 diers are allowed the liberty of the park
 and small attachments may go at one time
 t. the stores across the street. In this
 way everyone is kept in hearing distance, so If a command is given to move to any place in the district no time will be los.
 in getting under way.
 The same good order that has charac-
 terized these men since they were first
 called out continues. There Is no rowdi- ness or disturbance of any kind whatever
 at the camp and no citizen in the vicinity
 has complained of the presence of these
 men. Indeed, many of them are taking an active interest in the affair and are ready to furnish any assistance that they can.
 During the encampment all of the sol- diers are eating at the Metropolitan Cafe. They are assembled and marched down in light order at the regular meal hours and
 if necessary they can respond to a call without returning to camp.
 On account of the fact that glimpse
 into real military life may be had at this camp, which is situated on Fifth avenue and Seventeenth street, the attendance Of
 visitors is always very large. No little
 curiosity is manifested in the handling of
 the little dog tents, for such things are
 rare in this city, and are only used when
 a body of troops is bivouacked and must
 hold themselves in readiness to respond to call without delay. If such call Is given, all of the equipment will be rolled up and the men will be in the ranks,
 ready to march to their train in the short ,,arod nf Ave minutes