The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-08-27
TELLS Of LIFE IN
TRAINING CAMP
Captain Alexander Forward, Governor
stuRrt's Private Secretary Much Inn
pressed with Methods Used.

CAPTAIN Alexander Forward writes
the following interesting letter from
the officers training camp at Platts-
burg:
I'm his address at the opening OF
the fourth training camp last week,
Ma Jor General Leonard Wood told us
that we would gain as much military
knowledge here in twenty-eight days
by the intensive methods used as the
recruit in the regular army or in the
national guard on duty gains in five
or six months ! am we'll prepared
now to believe him. Intensive is cor
rect term. Each days work Is piled
upon the work OF all the preceding
DAYS. like Telion upon Ossia. Today S
duties. IL performed one week ago,
would have put every man of us In the
hospital But the work is carefully
graduated so that the physical
strength-the hair of the dog is thus
made good for the bite.
TT is marvellous to see how an
aggregation of men, most Of us mature
in years and without the resiliency OF
youth, can be brought in a few days
to condition in which they may with
stand long hours of ceaseless strHrn
under hot suns. 1t is all planned.
though. and when endurance is ap-
parently at its limit. strength Is some
how found for the next move, and on
the following day it is easy.
I'VE are much helped In / Company
because we have such a splendid in
structor in Captain Goodwin, II. 8. A.
He is a kisman Of Colonel e. r. Good
vvn. of Emporia, Va, commander of
the Fourth Virginia Regiment. Cap
tain Goodwin is an Albanian. He 10
and ideal teacher or head master
able, firm. alert, positive, yet SYM
pathetic.
Next on my right hour after hour
and day after day marches and works
the bishop Of Rhode Island. Rt Rev.
j. Dewitt Perry, D. d, a great grand
son of Commodore Perry. He lives in
our tent and Is fine fellow. splendid
companion. always thoughtful. and
always ready to do his bit. That's
what he's here for along with every
body else-to learn to protect his
children, and himself. in the event OF
invasion.
This is, OF course. a training camp
TO TT citizens to take command as off,
GERS In time of national need.
'Tn our tent occupations of the men
q re as follows. One Protestant Episco-
pal bishop, one banker, one farmer,
one newspaper reporter, one mer-
chant. one insurance SOLICITOR one
Wall Street broker: myself.
ut Ia said the richest man In our
company is Adrian Iselin II. His MIL
lions give him no advantage whatever
over anybody else. He is a good SOL
der and does his part, and picks up
cigarette stumps from the company
street, and eats the delicious bean
soup and baked beans and bean pud-
ding favored with palatable Lake
Champlain sand, which blows every
where.
~. q. Dobb,ns, Of our tent, is q
cousin Of Taylor (alias Ffsh) curtis.
of Richmond. Dobbins hall from
Monciair. N. J.
Mayor Mitchell, of New York City.
is In our regiment, and by virtue OF
his term here last summer, is acting
second lieutenant of A Company.
Theodore Roosevelt Jr.. also has an
acting second lieutenancy In Company
II. adjoining ours and often during
the dav we hear hts rather rasping
voice. He makes good offlcer. his
men say.
yesterday our company ala ad-
vance guard duty, marching three
miles into the country with full packs
(thirty- nine pounds) and rifles, Of
ten lying down, firing, then charging,
in the boiling gun. Then we were
marched back without halt, But
after a cold shower or dip in Lake
Champlain we were ready to go to
work again. Today We pitched shelter
tents. did outpost work, and spent
the afternoon at sub-caliber target
practice.
1T isn't all grind We get UP plenty
Of Jokes on each other and every man
is glad he's here. There are hardly
any cutters"