The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1916-07-19
By Special Correspondent
On Board Troop Special 3rd
section of Second Regiment.


We are off after a month of
mobilization picniciking when
most Of the while we feared lest
we be moved no further than
Fort Smelling; even after the
Third Regiment and the First
had folded their tents and left
the reservation for the south,
after our thrills Of expectancy
Of departure on schedule time
had been duly chastened by a
tense fear that at the last mo-
ment the war department might
reverse it's orders and leave us
to mutiny at Camp Bobleter !;
after in fact, did official rumor
spread through camp the news
we were to be held until Mon
day for a full complement Of
sleeping cars-after all such tor
lures and doubts and fears"
does the Second Regiment of
Minnesota infantry find itself
actually on a train speeding
southwark to unmask the be-
whiskered two-faced Carranza
and bury the vil.ainous Villa,
and hold this country to a peace
with honor. So.
Our destination is unknown
save to officials high up. To-
night one officer is overheard to
say we pass through Kansas
City, another declares we are 60
ing via St. Louis, some say we
shall be encamped at Browns
vile, others are as emphatically
assured by some straight COM
munication from Newton D. Ba-
ker himself that we are headed
direct for San Antonio. We are
also somewhere in Iowa." ct
adds an element of mysterious
ness and seriousness to our bel
ligerent errand to use that
phrase derived from European
censorship, and newspapers can
yet use it with splendid effect,
though as regards our actual To-
cation at any given minute there
is nothing hidden which might
not be revealed.") It makes no
difference where we are, how
ever, or actually what our final
destination is. We do know that
we are on the way.
Speaking for Company L
which viii. also represent the
regiment and in fact the whole
brigade, the men are happy to
be sent south. Not that they
anticipate actual warfare as be-
tween Gringo and Greaser, or
that they want such a war. That
is not the point. The National
Guard was officially summoned
to be sent south, whether to be
used only to police the border Or
to be trained as a reserve force
in some large concentration
camp. Thus being called to mill
tary service and held to that
duty men naturally desire to
reach as deeply as possible into
the experience that such service
will yield. If we had our own
way we might definitely organ
ize to sweep through Mexico and
quickly reconstruct that chaotic
country, or we might willingly
endure training until the No
vember elections demonstrated
the advantage or disadvantage
Of the mobilization movement to
Mr.. Wilson's political fortunes.
At least we want the largest ex-
perience possible. Nor is it that
the men under present consider
alton regard the expedition as
a pleasant sort Of picnic. While
the Third and First Regiments
entrained at Fort Smelling mid
wild enthusiasm, there was a
notable atmosphere of restrained
emotion and seriousness among
both those who marched in line
and those who cheered and were
left temporarily behind. 1t re-
quires some straight thinking on
the part Of men who thus get
closer to eventualities, who must
consider climatic and physical
conditions along the border, the
matter of losing position here
and of leaving home and friends.
From a military standpoint
the move from Fort Smelling is
wise. The continual flow of Wis
itors from early in the day I'M
til "taps' has tended to distract
men from attention to duty, and
there has been a general laxity
of regulation. Discipline has
come to be sort of a joke. While
visitors have been welcomed and
will hn ocnooiolIyy orproo;o4oJ ~