The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1915-06-04

Of the Pennsylvania Rsil1oed in
|RkYI company with six or seven other in
dividuals, bound for the same dest;.
nation as myself, all in charge Of n sergeant
oil the regular army, who was CONDUCTING the
party to the Cavalry Barracks at Carlisle
pennsylvania, at that time the rendezvous for
all recruits enlisted in the mounted branch Of
the regular service.
The motives that may have induced me TO
place myself in so unenviable position ms n
recruit in the ranks of the army are NOT
pertinent to these sketches, and need NOT he
entered into. The fact remained, and | nc
cepted the situation, determined TO see all the
sunny side of army life, and to bear its shady
aspects with a brave heart, for knew pretty
well In advance the many hardships, discom-
forts and long weary days that were implied
IN the words, During my term of service"
After being at Carlisle few weeks, rumors
began TO pervade the camp that very soon
large detachment of us would be sent to the
wild Vest to fill up the various regiments
stationed on our widely extended frontier.
About the end of October, tin cups, haver
sacks and three days rations were issued;
unusual activity prevailed among the clerks
at headquarters, and we ascertaned definite
ly that detachment of about five hundred
recruits was to leave Carlisle on the morning
Of the first of November for Baltimore, and
thence by steamer to Galveston, Texas, for
assignment to the various cavalry regiments
serving in Texas
-Four hundred and seventy-one recruits and
seventeen men of the permanent corps, who
were sent out to join their respective reg-
ments, answered to their names, and we're d-
vided into three troops for the greater con
venience of messing, enforcing discipline ard
quartering on the trip. | was appointed a
sergeant of one of the troops and soon learned
that little authority involved heap of
trouble.
For two days we rolled and pitched tour
transport was perfect tub among the
stormy waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and on
the evening of the ninth day out of Baltimore,
just after dark, sighted the lights at the
entrance of Galveston Bay Our top-heavy
old boat having ceased to roll, the men, who
during the storm had been kept below with
the matches battened down, were allowed to
come on deck in the evening and in their
exuberance Of spirit, ut the prospect of set
ting foot on terra firma on the morrow, many
a song and chorus was shouted by the diff
ferent groups, some very fine voices being
among them. And then | noticed, always
uuIlHB my army me- luhl u l'HVN ''HlN
sing at all, the bigger reprobate he was,
the more addicted he would be to singing
the most ltra.spntmenta songs
The next morning we came in sight Of the
city of Galveston, and about two in the aft
ernoon pilot boarded u.s. and in an hour or
two, in a drenching rain, we disembarked
on the wharf, and we're at last on the soil
of Texas.
After standing huddled under an old shed
on the wharf for an hour or more, the com
mand was placed on a tug boat and carried
TO Pelican Island, a few miles up the bay
from the city. two trips of the boat being
necessary to convey us all.
Ny impression Of Pelican Island rs seen
in the waning light of a cold, wet Noyem
Der evening, was that it was the worst spot
l had seen in all the course Of my earthly