The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-24
BLUES GET BACK
IN GOOD SHAPE
RETURN FROM SUMNER ENCAMP$
MENT AT BASIC CITY ON SUM-
DAY AFTERNOON.
GET GREAT BENEFITS
MEN RETURN IN FINE SPIRITS AND
HEALTH AND ARE CoMPLI-
MENTED BY THE Of
FICERS.
GET GREAT BENEFITS

Tired but happy. the Richmond
Light Infantry Blues battalion arr
rived in this city yesterday afternoon,
marched To the armory, stacked guns
and hurriedly scattered, each man
with perhaps d few exceptions. go-
ing 10 his home for the luxury of a
bath, supper and a long nights rest
with no reveille to disturb his slum-
bers.
The battalion arrived a Main Street
Station at i O'Clock, after a ride OF
about three and a half hours. But a
scant crowd was at the station to
greet the militiamen. as ii was NOT
known in Richmond what time they
would arrive, Little time Was lost
in formation, and within a few min
utes the battalion was marching up
Main street.
Headed by the band, the battalion
marched with rapid cadence to Ninth
street, north To Broad. west to Sixth
and thence to the armory. The men
I showed much Improvement in their
drill as compared to their appearances
a week ago, when they started for
Basic City. Each man was tanned
by the sun and many showed the ef-
fects Of the week of hard drills ma
neuvers, regular hours aud espeeial-
ly prepared food.
At the armory each companp Went
/ into its own room, where speeches
We're made by the officers. thanking
/ the men for the spirit with which
! they had faced the work of the past
week. and their sincere and hearty
cooperation in making the encamp-
ment the most successful in the his
tory of the famous battalion. The
men cheered the officers and were
i then dismissed 20
There was rush for shower baths,
which Were soon crowded with luagh-
ing, Jostling men. but the majority
| of the miltiamen left the armory" at
once in full uniform, going direct to
their homes to don civilians clothing.
A noticeable feature of the return
was the absence of any signs of ia
tigue, though the men had passed.
through an arduous day. All were
iin a jovia1 mood. joking and laughing
good natureGIy.
First call was sounded at Basic City
at 4:45 O'Clock In the morning and the
| men were out of the cots in a second.
ready and eager TO begin the days work
When reveille was sounded at 5 o'clock
I'll We're ready To answer roll call. Half
an hour later the nnilitiamen enjoyed
the last meal at. the camp a. breakfast,
OF boneless ham. sbirred eggs, hasi1ed
| brown potatoes toast and coffee Gem
eral call Was at G clock and them the
work OF breaking camp was begun.
Tho Return Trip
There followed three hours of hard
work. detail OF militiamen being
/ named TO clean up 1t seemed rather
amusing to see physicians. lawyers and
other professional men walking about
picking up pieces OF paper, trash and
burning rubbish
At 10 o'clock the men assembled and
shortly after IL O'Clock started tho
march of half a mile to the station
| in Basic City There was throng OF
more than zoo persons including a
/ large number of girls. at the station to
| bid the soldier boys goodbye and one
| girl was seen weeping bitterly.
While the men were at. the station
waiting to entrain supply of bread
arrived from Richmond and each man
| was given a loaf With a can OF beans
They ate ravenously, the hard work Of
the morning and the keen air having
given then an appetite. Ata12:25 the
| Chesapeake and Ohio train rolled out
of Basic City. A stop was made at
Charlottesville and the militiamen
Toasted on soft drinks. pies and sand
wiches. At Gordonsville the train waS
stopped long enough for the men to
enjoy some of the famous Gordonsvillo
friend chicken.