The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1916-08-31
WILLIAMSBURG BOY
ON The BORDER.
ENTERTAINING SKETCH OF LIFE
THERE AND THE COUNTRY
ALONG THE ROUTE.


Editor County Record
Will you kindly publish the follow.
ing letter, as some of my friends
have asked me to give a description
of our trip out here.
Sunday afternoon. August 6, each
company from the lst and I'd regl-
ments was marched up to a stand
prepared for the purpose, where
Gov Manning made the soldiers a
farewell address. He said that the
1st regiment would leave the next
day monday and the second would
follow as soon as possible. Monday
afternoon there was nothing to be
seen of the 1st regiment, all tents
were down, and the hill opposite US
was deserted. All day Friday we
were busy packing up such stuff as
we were to carry and loading it on
the cars at Styx. That right we
pitched our dog tents" to have
some place to sleep, but there was
not much sleep going on. After sup
per all the boys of our company got
together on the tables we used for
eating on and until taps we sang old
songs, such as "Old Black joe,
Home, Sweet Home" and 'Tenting
on the Old Camp Ground. Early
Wednesday morning we marched to
Styx, about half a mile, with guns
and packs on our backs. Our COM
pany is in the Sd battalion. and we
were the first to leave. We were
pulled into Columbia by switch en-
CINE and transferred to the Seaboard
Air Line railway, where crowds Of
people had gathered to bid US good
bye. We were not allowed to leaye
the train, but every window held
about four of US, and the crowds
walked along by the windows giving
us such a handshake and asking US
to be good boys. We left Columbia
at 9:15 a. m. and went via Savannah.
At each station along the route it
seemed as if every inhabitant had
gathered, but we got only a glimpse
of them, for our first stop was Sa-
vannah, and there just long enough
to get water and change engines.
Wednesday night for supper we had
hard tack" ,corned beef, raw toma-
toes and jam; all meals just like the
first. We were all on Pullman cars,
so before taps we were all fast
asleep.
We arrived in Montgomery, ,Ala.at
8 a. nj. Thursday, where we were
taken from the cars and given 80
minutes exercise, also good cup of
coffee. The station there is very
pretty, within about thirty yards of
the Alabama river. The scenery
along this stream is lovely.
Our next stop was Mobile, where
we stayed one hour, and the boys
were allowed to take in the town.
Alabama, | believe, is said to be a
"dry" State. but if you could have
seen some of the boys when they re-
turned to the train, you would have
thought that Mobile had a bar on
every corner. We next stopped at
Bay View, Miss. This is the most
beautiful city we passed through; 1t
is right on the Gulf of Mexico. The
station there is undoubtedly the
prettiest l have ever seen; every
thing looked so clean. .and the flowers
were perfectly lovely. At each end
of the depot was a lawn. and in the
center of each was. the word Bay
View" in pretty little white flowers
growing among the grass. After
leaving Bay View, we passed along
the gulf for forty miles, crossing tres
ties sometimes two miles in length.
The moonlight on the gulf was love-
ly, and the boys stayed up later than
usual taking in the scenery.
We arrived in New Orleans about