New-York tribune., 1909-09-26
THE WOES OF COMPANY G.
Detachment Of I?h Regiment Made
History on March.

In one of the most memorable short marches
hat it has undertaken in its career as military
organization. Company G, 18th Regiment under
captain Frederick c. Hartman, accompanied
" two companies of the Amsterdam Guard.
uder Major Ashton Parker, CLEANED recently
nGre information and experience Of the actual
trials of the soldier than in many of its longer
marches The soldiers started off on a hike
at 9.1I o'clock on the Saturday morning pre-
rcdine Labor Day. and after an all day forced
.Iu.rch. in which they covered thrty-eight miles.
arrived ut Long Beach Long Island. with their
feet hlistered and their stomachs empty. few
hurried mouthfuls of food which they had at
noon used up the last Of their rations. and when
they arrived al Long Beach hungry and foot
sore. and wet as Wen from steady downpour
of rain they looked forward to breaking their
long fast with q substantial meal and a tin Of
steamng coffee.
BAT disappointment awaited the men in the
;4j,seucc of the commissary wagon. which. he
cause of the bad condition of the roads,
unable To arrive with the soldiers. The woe
Iegone men were forced go to bed supperless.
Before reVeiIle. however. the distant rattle Of
wagon wheels acted with the magic of the din
Fer call to the sleeping troops who less than
Lalf clad. nocked out from their tents and made
an unashamed raid the food wagon. With
the inner man comfortably fortified they sought
TCll'f for the outer man, TOR the DllSterS caused
Iy the preceding days march had risen like in
fated balloons during the night. with the result
that the in camp next in popularity to the
commissariat was Dr. Newton, the surgeon
With the surgeons work accomplished il
pierced. pOultced and bandaged gathering that
set out follow the regular duties Of camp
routine.
shortly after noon. while The midday meal
in the process Of preparation, u tornado
suggestive cloud peeped over the horizon line
and with malicious rapidry sped toward the
afflicted camp Within few minutes of the
time when Tie cloud appeared a driven sheet Of
sand swept over the village of tents. Another
followed. and yet another. until the gusts of
fine cutting grains surged in like the hordes of
an invading army Try they would, the sol
dicrS unable to rePuse even find shelter
from the sandy onslaught. 1t tore down tents,
swept away blankets and buried bedding. The
food was peppered with it, weapons were filled
with il and eyes ears and mouths received "A
generous share of the gritty particles. until by
the time the storm had passed the quarters of
the regiment looked like sand submerged Aral
Village ia the heart Of the Sa nara
When peace once again teigned the officers
wiki infectious cheerfulness laughed away the
troubt the allotted p irtion of warriors.
With the sun once more shi1 ing the sand the
men again set To work and after pitching their
tents fen to ana their = anuateI mess with
less grumbing than might have been expected.
After dinner. in order to divert the minds of
The .ien from their troubles and put into rrac-
tic an idea which he has long been considering
Il lossihic new ana sonomicaI method of
ufcs"ving among infantry troops, Captain Har-
T.rlui had his men taker aboard the wrecked
schooner Arlington. whi,A lies off the beach.
There lie explained that with Americas grow
ing island possessions every soldier ought To be
Iua2ht {" swim. but more than that hr ought