The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1914-08-05
State EncaInpment.
The Big Stone Gap Company
Makes Fine Showing.

Company II, under command OF Cap
tain j F Buliitt and Lieutenant Mayo
CSbeil, left Big Stone Gap at a:l5 a. m.
July 2ist, TO take part in the maneuyers
at Gotdonsviile, Va The Company con.
sisted OF so men and two officers. Our
train run special TO Bristol and was there
made part Of the regular train between
Bristol and Roanoke. At Pulaski We
were joined by Company l., aud at Roa-
noke by the Companies from Roanoke
and Radford. From Roanoke on our
train was special At Iynchburg we
were joined by the Dsnvillc. Petersburg
and Chase City Companies. We arrived
at Emcampment Grounds about . o'clock
p m. hot, tired ami sleepy. We immedi-
ately pitched our tents aud in less than
one hour we were in siumber.
On Wednesday the regular routine of
drill, etc, was taken up. The program,
which was practically the same for each
day, being as follows; Rising call. 5I5
a. m. march, 30 - m reveille, 90 n.
IN. assembly Immediately afterwards:
mess call, 6:30 a M. drill call. $50 a.
M recall, 9:30 a. IN. officers school.
1000 a. m; recall 100 a. m. ; mess
call, 1900 M. drill call, 2;j5 p. m.
recall, 800 p. IN. mess call, G;3o p. IN.
taps, $3.50 p m.
From this you will see there was some
thing doing all the time. The first days
drill was not very hard. However. ON
Thursday and Friday, the drills, both
morning and afternoon. were very ardu-
Gus and taxed to the utmost the strength
aud endurance of some of our boys.
The site selected for the Encampment
WAS ideal and the drill and parade
grounds were very fine though some Of
the mnneuvers could have been pulled off
to better advantage had the grounds been
larger
con saturday afternoon the entire body
Of troops, consisting of First, Second and
Fourth Regiments and the Richmond
Light Infantry Blues passed in review
before our Governor and COMMANDMENTS
chief, the Hon. Henry G. Stuart. While
the troops were forming Tor the review,
and during the review rain fell steadily,
hut Governor Stuart refused the shelter
Of an automobile or umbrella, prefcrring
to take the rain as his soldier boys were
taking it, and stood with head uncovered
as the troops passed in review. lie tx
pressed himself AS being very much
gratified and pleased with the showing
made by the troops Major General
Leonard Wood l.. ). A., also visited the
Camp earlier in the day, and commented
very favorably ON the way Everything
was being carried ont
Sunday was holiday, the usual routine
of drill, etc, being dispensed with
Special services We're held at the Episco-
pal Church, and several members of our
Company were present, and found the
services very Interesting and beneficial.
our turn AT Guard Mount came Mon
day afternoon It is usual in Camps of
this kind for one Company TO go ON guard
for the whole Regiment, thus saving the
necessity for each Company putting ON
separate guards There we're only SIX
sentry posts and the sentinel duty was so
distributed that none Of the members of
Company were very much latigned on
account thereof We We're relieved at 10
o'clock =. IN. Tuesday, in order tn enable
MS TO go on the cross-country hike sched-
uled for that afternoon
This bring us To what was really the
best and most instructive feature of the
Encampment. Our Regiment and the
Richmond Blues left Gordonsyille at 80
p. M, marching out in the country some
four miles TO the beautiful Atkins farm.
where we pitched our shelter tents and
Went into camp for the night. 1t WAS an
ideal place for camping On leaving
Gordonsville we were issued rations for
supper and breakfast, and each man was
required to do his own cooking. and the
writer is satisfied, that the boys, without
exception, enjoyed these two meals more
than any other feature of the encamp-
meut. We were called to arms about
$3.50 p. IN TO defend AN attack from an
imaginary enemy approaching from the
hill near us. Our defense was very sue
cessiul and we retired to rest about 10
o'clock
Wednesday morning was tho time set
for the sham battle between the Second
Regiment and Richmond Blues trhe