New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-18
First Brigade Begins
Seven Days War at
Camp Whitman.
AIR SCOUTS TO TAKE
PART IN MOVEMENTS
Militia VIII Give Battle to u. S.
Troops - Organ Orders
Trench Building.
Prom star Correspondent Of The Tribun.l

Camp Whitman, Fishkill Plains, N. Y,
July 1.-THE entire civilian population
Of this once peaceful community sur
rendered to-day.
So thorough is the invasion of this
rural community by the 5000 picked
men composing the LIST Brigade of the
New York National Guard that total
capitulation, especially on the part OF
hundreds OF pretty girls. seemed neces'
sary from the first.
But the citizen soldiers who have
come here are not of the chocolate
variety. Early in the morning they
began coming in by trainloads. The
very first thing they did was to take a
four-mile tramp to Camp Whitman, a
rolling plain with purple mountains for
a background. Tents sprang up like
mushrooms, and then, several thousand
strong. In khaki and bandannas, the men
moved down underbrush and began dig
sing trenches just like those in Ar
gonne and at st. Mihiel.
The citizen soldiers here tell OF the
ovation they got in New York. Many
of them sweltered in the armories the
| night before, preferring to lose sleep
rather than miss one iota OF the
excitement. No sooner did they step
out in column formation at o'clock
In the morning than they met scores
of girls, all dressed in their holiday
best and smiling. On their way to
the Grand Central and the entraining
stations along Eleventh Avenue they
were followed by crowd of cheering
, men and women.
The news that they were going TO
Camp Whitman was flashed from VII
age to village. Near Yonkers bat,
talon Of Italian ditch workers had
supplied themselves with their own
red, white and green banners and
miniature American flags. Every
where the Riddles ran after the trains
and tried to keep up. At BEACON OPP
posite Newburgh, several sunday
! school classes gathered with their
teachers and sang my Country Us
! OF lnee as the tidln DN"'4"S
69th Regiment flashed by.
Citizens Welcome Guardsmen.
All the citizens of Hopewell Junction,
il was estimated, turned out to greet
the men. Banked three deep for a
distance Of a quarter of a mile from
the station, they awaited patiently the
coming of New York's gusrdsmen. The
trains came in slowly, but HopewelPs
citizens did not tire, and it was only
after the 69th Regiment, which ar
rived at 2:10, had marched to Camp
Whitman that they dispersed.
The 7th Regiment was the first on
the scene. 1t was followed by the 18th,
list and seth regiments of infantry.
Then came Squadron A, Battery OF
the field artillery, Company OF the
I'D Engineers and company OF sig
nalmen.
Meantime came Flooding over the
hills from New Hamburg, seven miles
away, several companies that had
started out by boat from Christopher
Street. They were Squadron A and its
machine gun troops, Battery F, the
Pioneer Company, the Signal Company,
the Sd Ambulance Company, the lst
Field Hospital, the Medical Reserve
last attaches some importance, for this
group OF soldiers has been trained to
bake excellent loaves of bread, esti-
mated at 5000 daily. The company
brought its own ovens.
Men who arrived here to-day Will
take part in what the military authori-
ties declare to be the most interesting
experiment that has been undertaken IN
militia circles in many years. Major
General John F. Organ assured The
Tribune representative to-day that there
would be little play, no dress paradeS
and lots of work.
Major General Organ said that en-
phasis will be placed upon trench fight
ing because of its prominence IN the
present European war. Offensive and
defensive movements will be under
taken on a large scale. The milltlamen
will be called upon TO resist An attack
by the regulars, crossing stream un-
der fire and advancing under military
fire. They will have to tackle barbed
wire entanglements. In their opera
tions they will be assisted by an aero
plane and wireless.
Efficiency in everything marks the
big camp. IL is canvas city OF two
thousand tents. II has regular streets
and parade grounds. There are soda
water and ice cream shops, but no
booze emporiums.
az do not believe in being hard on the
men," said Major General Organ to-
day. "Give them conveniences such as
have been provided, and it's my theory
that they will work better
"Why has the old Peekskill grounds
been abandoned ?" he was asked.
Camp Whitman is far better suited
for the kind of warfare that New Hork's
militiamen may be called on to engage
in locally" he said. The situation
here is ideal"