The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1916-07-19

Company L Boys Now
Enroute to Mexican Border

weeks of possible isolation, the
men for the good of the service
are eager to experience a gen.
eral Tightening up in all mill
tary regulations and orders.
But this is afe.d from the
story Of our departure yester-
day. We opened the preliminar-
les OF camp breaking by taking
down and packing the large
pyramid tents and setting up
the regular campaign shelter
halves. This morning reveille
and mess came a half hour earl
Ter than usual, the guard was
relieved and pup tents rolled.
We actually started to leave
camp when t e first battalion
consisting of the headquarters
company, Companies A, B, C
and D, and the regimental staff
in heavy marching order COL
umned out of their respective
streets at 900 a. m. In a half
hour the second battalion of E.
F. G.. and H. companies followed.
The third battalion known as
the milk" battalion from Jug
gled arrangement of it's names,
l, K, L. and M. was delayed and
did not shuttle out into the dusty
road until after HOO o'clock.
Because Of the shortage Of teams
a further delay occurred in the
drayage Of equipment from the
camp grounds to the reserva-
ton station so that it was not
till 300 o'clock that the final
section slowly jerked and craw.ed
away. At 500, the train had
been transferred to the St. Louis
road, the which by the way did
not seem to arouse any home
sick associations in the minds
Of Company L boys, and we were
finally, slowly but surely started
south. The passing of the Sec
ond Regiment was of c. rise
much quieter than that OF the
ether troops, and yet surpris-
ingly large number of friends
early collected around the COM
pany streets and stayed by un-
til the journey had started. Sew
eral Ct these friends had driven
in distances of SO to $50 miles
to say the final farewell.
Be it said to the credit of the
Regiment that their camp
ground was left clean. When the
First departed Wednesday, their
grounds were strewn with al
sorts Of litter and refuse, a con-
dition Of disgusting regret to
the regular army men at the
Fort Smelling Post and as we'll
to the Second Regiment which
had to furnish details to clean
up the grounds. This morning
after all rolls and equipment had
been packed and piled the streets
were thoroughly raked and
picked free Of all rubbish and
this rubbish was either burned
Or buried. Col. Mollison has
lived up to {. former boast that
the Second Regiment was the
most Orderly and cleanest in
the Brigade.
Our train is the ninth section
to carry the Minnesota infantry
south. Major Brandt of Vino
ia is in command Of the batta-
lion. The train consists Of ten
regular coaches, three sIeepers,
enc baggage car, two box cars,
two fiat cars, and the regulation
freight caboose only. Enough
sleepers were provided for 1924
men-not sufficient for the
whole regiment-so that on our
train, besides the officers, the
oldest ranking company, Com
pany NJ, only, obtained sleepers
for the first night Of the trip.
Most of the other cars are fitted
with comfortable regulation
chairs. AS there is plenty of
room the men will not suffer the
first night, and by tomorrow
evening enough sleepers will
have been picked up at Mober-
ly, Missouri, to accommodate the
remainder Of the battalion. Com
pany L will probably feel the |
present inconvenience more than
any other Company as practic-
ally all the boys were on guard
Friday night and were sent di-
rectly to detailed packing duties
early in the morning. And by
the way, probably no other Com
pany can stand the pressure with
as little display Of bad temper
as the Redwood aggregation, the
most congenial and