Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-08

The I'd Maine Regiment is now under
canvass at Camp E. d. KeXes and will
remain in the field for the next 10 days.
The first Gay was devoted entirely to
the making of camp, the establishment
of d guard and the issuance of non
perishable subsistence. The last two
companies of the regiment to arrive,
Co. I of Eastport and Co. L of Houi-
ton did not arrive at Augusta until
4.05 p NJ. but notwithstanding that
all the companies We're under canvass
by p. NJ. 1t was tired but happy
set of boys that Monday night found
on the old campground on the hills,
but they can rest assured that never
was a camp made so nearly in accord
anee with actual field operations as
was Camp Erasmus ID. Keyes. the see
ond camp of Maine troops to bear that
name within half a century.
Commonly the State Militia camp has
borne the name of the Governor of the
State and in the original orders issued
in regard to the encampment il was
given the name of Camp PIaisted af-
ter the Governor of the State but at
the request of Governor Plasted it
WAS changed to Camp f. p. Reyes,
that being the name given To the camp
OF the hill in 1862. Erasmus D. keyes.
for whom this camp and its predeces-
sor of 1859 was named, was an officer
of the regular service. holding gen
eral officers commission in the volun-
teers He was native of Massachu-
sets, but was appointed to the Mill
tary Academy from Maine entering
the service as a brevet End lieutenant
in the Sd Artillery. July [. 1852. At the
outbreak OF the Civil War he was "A
lieutenant colonel and WAS military
secretary u Brovet Lieut.. General
Scott. He was made colonel of the
18th Regular Infantry. MAY II, 1861.
and three days later was appointed a
brgadier general of volunteers and on
May 81, 1862. was breveted as briga-
der general in the regular army for
gallant and meriterious service at the
battle of Fair Oaks, Virginia.
But it was not all the old military
name of the camp that made Names
citizen soldiers give such a credtable
account of themselves in making camp
and preparing for their arduous 10
DAYS duties. The training the privates
had received the preceding year at
tual conditions in the field brought
home by the officers. who recently
witnessed the mobilization of troops on
the Texas border, bore fruit i'm what
all who saw the 1912 camp of the Cd
Regiment could not help SAYING was
"a much more military looking camp
than any in recent times
It was not only the way the boys
went at the work of putting the camp
in shape but the organization of tne
camp and the modern sanitary fea-
lures. the doing away with the old
cook houses in the vicinity of the lat
rines and their replacement by en-
tirely up to date com bination kitchen
and dining tents under canvass in the
field that made Camp Keyes seem so
entirely different from any National
Guard camp of previous years.
The cook tents are located about
200 Yards to the east of the old row
of cook houses, while the company
streets are laid out between them The
kitchens are screened by mosquito bar
and thus are kept free from the flies
and insects that ahounded in the old
style kitchens. Refuse from the kitch-
en- is burned after each meal i'm a
sink prepared especially for the pur-
pose and a system of water supply has
been installed so that each company
has sufficient supply Of water for
kitchen and drinking purposes inn
mediately at their door.
The old style unsauitary enclosures
at the rear of the camp have been
| demolished and are replaced with
,s,I
out every day with crude petroleum
and hay. making the camp in every
respect a sanitary one.