Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-22
BOYS
ARE HONE AGAIN
AFTER TWO YEARS
Eight Companies Return to
Fort Mcpherson Alter Put
ting Down Incipient Re-
bellion.

bellion.
Hungry for a sight of home and the
wives and friends they had not seen for
more than two long years, eight COM
panies OF the Seventeenth infantry ar
rived at Fort Mcpherson shortly after
nOon.- Tuesday, and the regiment is now
intact for the first time since the close
OF 1906. wher. periodical rebellion in
Cuba sent two battalions hurrying
thisher 20 prod the rebels back TO peace
and order.
The troops were to have arrived at IL
O'Clock, but IL was after II before the
long line OF twenty special cars poked its
nose round the curve above the fort and
crept With tantalizing slowness down the
track. For an hour, the wives and COM
rades OF the men had been stationed along
the cut through which the cars came.
Their eagerness had become painful.
They could hardly contain themselves.
They were waiting to see the men who
had been away for over two years.
There were wives in the waiting groups
who had not seen their husbands for that
length of time. The only means Of COM
munication through the long months had
been long delayed and imperfectly ex-
pressive letters. They were fairly aching
to throw their arms about those broad
shoulders they could conjure before their
minds and to cry out their gladness at
the end OF the long long separation.
Then someone shouted that the train
was in sight. Surely enough, there it
came round a curve in the track. First
only one car could be seen, then two, and
finally the whole twenty were in sight.
and the long string was at standstill be-
fore the fort.
Feeble Cheer, Then Silence
There was a feeble cheer, then complete
silence. The men were hanging half out
Of the windows and the wives and COM
rades lined the embankment and simply
stared at them. 1t seemed that any bios
ferrous sort of expression Of the gIadness.
either of the returning men or their well
coming comrades, was inadequate.
There was a delay of fifteen or twenty
minutes even more poignant than the de-
Law of the hour before, then the men were
taken from the cars, marched to the pa
rade grounds, and there dismissed. After
that there was such reunion as only the
| long separation could cause.
Exactly two years and four months
ago. the first and second battalions were
ordered to Cuba to quell the political
disturbances that the war department
thought to be brewing there. 1t was
lthen believed that the troops would be
away for only a few months, but their
] Cuban occupation heightened itself out
1 TO a degree no one had dreamed OF.
Practically none of the privates had been
home in that time. and many of their
officers were getting their first glimpse
Of home since their first departure
JubiIant Over Return
The troops are jubilant over their re-
/ turn but they brings news of long faces
4 -, FNs,1@~
/ To them, the withdrawal of the troops
is a sad move and one that they look
| on with doubt. Conditions now are very
| quiet on the island, however, and no
political trouble is anticipated by the re-
turning soldiers. They do believe, how
ever, that a return to former conditions
almost as bad as the continual political
unrest, is I'm store for Cuba as a result
Of the withdrawal of the American
troops.
within sixty days." said one of the
officers, "the unsanitary conditions that
were responsible for yellow fever in
Cuba but which our troops eradicated,
will have returned"
Captain Smith. adjutant of the regi-
ment. said:
I'VE left conditions thoroughly quiet
and peaceful without a hint Of political
trouble Indeed. think that Gomez.
the new president, now has the situation
well in hand, and that there will be no
| uprising against him. He seems to be
very popular-quite the choice of the
people.
I'VE were very glad to get away, but
the American residents are sorry to see
our troops leaving. They are afraid
that with the troops away, the old poli-
teal unrest viii return. do not anti
cipate our recall to Cuba, however"
Fought Only Disease
Though they were sent to Cuba to quell
uprising that were anticipated. the Sew
enteenth, during its long stay, saw not
SO much as the tip of the nose of a revo-
lutiOnist. The life the troops led was just
the life they had been leading at Fort Nc
| Pherson. The only new duties was a
| fight against any possible epidemic OF yell
low fever. Against the possibility OF this
| danger, every precaution was taken.
Ponds were covered with oil and the war
against mosquitoes was uneeasing. AS a
| result, only one soldier died of yellow
fever during the entire two years and
four months stay.
It was with rather sad faces that the
story OF the man whom yellow fever had
| taken on was told. OF course news Of
his death had long since reached the men
| back at Fort Mcpherson, but the story
had to be gone over again and the details
given of how his end had come
The officers say that the location of the
troops in Cuba was even more healthful
than at Fort Mcpherson.
II was after continuous trip Of four
days and nights and half of another day
that the troops reached Fort Mcpherson.
They embarked Friday morning and a
few hours later ran on a mud bank off
Neuvitas. There they remained for TWEEN
ty-four hours, eating out their hearts all
the while with impotence. But Saturday
morning a steamer came putting by and
pulled them of. Then they were away
again for home. Monday afternoon about
$50 o'clock they landed at Savannah, and
Monday night took train for Atlanta.
Two Detachments
The troops were divided into two de-
I tachments The first reached Atlanta over
the Southern shortly after II. II waited
until the arrival Of the second, which
occurred at lao. Then the two detach-
ments were switched to the Central road
and carried directly to Fort Mcpherson
where they arrived at Is minutes after r.
Such a dinner as home-comers after so
long a separation deserve had been pre-
pared. The usual rations had been dis
csrded as unfit. and a feast had been pre-
pared. The moment the warm. greetings
we're over. the.returned men were hustled
or 10 quarters. given barely time to wash