Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-08-15
BADGER BRIGADE
TAKES LONG HIKE
MOVE FROM CAMP WILSON TO
GOVERNMENT RANGE AT
LEON SPRINGS.
GIVEN PRAISE FOR SHOWING
Regular Army Officers Commend Wis
consin Men for Discipline on
March-Sick Men Are Only
Ones to Drop Out.


were marching against an enemy,
nearly 5000 Wisconsin guardsmen, led
by Brig. Gen. l.. T. Richardson, broke
camp here and moved away down a
long stretch of macadam road toward
Leon Springs, the government shoot
ing range. The men carried full serv-
ice equipment. All were glad to get
away from Camp Wilson after the
weeks of monotonous army life. Am
munition and supply wagons were
hauled to Leon Springs by 800 mules.
Army officers who accompanied the
soldiers had only the highest praise
for them, declaring that march discip-
line was in evidence at every point
and that the march was very credit
able. Only three or four men dropped
out from each regiment, according to
the army officers who checked up, and
these dropped out only because they
had been ill and were absolutely un-
abb to continue after marching for
miles.
Sick Men Show Grit.
Real grit was evidenced by the ap-
pearance in the ranks of men who
were actually on the sick roll Many
had been vaccinated only the day be-
fore and of these not few had strong
reactions. In some cases arms were
sv ollen to double their size, heads
ached a i'd were dizzy, stomachs were
upset aid bodies were weak, but they
refused the offer of their officers to
ride or stay behind and gamely fell
into ranks and marched on with their
regiments. One man, for instance, was
in such bad condition that when with
in two miles of the end of the march
he found it impossible to carry his
rifle and others took it from him. He
was staggering then, but refused to
drop out and finished the march. He
was only one of the men in i'll health
who showed spirit that brought
words of praise from observing Off
GERS.
At the start the troops were greatly
handicapped because of the mud. The
camp was a regular lake and in places
the mud was nearly knee deep. One
army officer declared that he had
never seen anything worse for troops
to march through.
The Wisconsin men left camp at
$50 o'clock and arrived at Bluemels,
eleven and one-half miles away at
1926. This was about an hour and
one-half better time than that made by
the Illinois troops. There was no
signs of disorder The advance detail
assigned certain sections of land to
each regiment, and when they came in,
First regiment first, then Third, then
Second, they marched into their
places, formed company streets and
pitched their pup tents as though they
had done the same on the same spot
a dozen times.
Married Men Obtain Releases.
Many of the Wisconsin troopers will
take advantage of the recently enacted
provision concerning dependent fam
lilies, and they will obtain a release.
William Babcock of Reedsburg, is the
first man to receive his discharge I'M
der the new regulation. Many other
applications are pending.
Men who are released from further
service in the National guard at the
border will have to pay their own rail-
road fares returning home. The rail
road fare from San Antonio, Tex, to
Milwaukee, is $500 and berth is
$3.50. Meals are another item. Since
the beginning of the border service
privates are due to receive little more
than SIS a month.
Hits Some Companies Hard.
The discharge of married men would
affect some of the Wisconsin compa-
MES more than would the discharge
of single men. Many captains, in ap-
pointing non commissioned officers
since the mobilization, have given the
preference to married men, so they
would benefit by the increase in pay.
AS a result, many married men posi-
bly, eligible for discharge have had the
experience of non-commissioned Off
GERS in commanding men and taking
charge of important company work.
The non-commissioned officers are
really the backbone of the army and
if these men are discharged many of
the companies may be crippled until
new men can be laugh the work of
those relieved of their duties.
A number of the married men have
been RECEIVING letters from their wives
in which the better halves threaten
everything from spankings to divorce