The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-08-10
ANOTHER LETTER
FROM The BORDER
Story Of Camp Routine and Discipline
By One Who is There

cipline in the army and at present n
the federal militia is often misunder'
stood by great many people, some
In one way and some in another Some
get the idea that the discipline is very
lax and then there i a class who think
that there is nothing so strict as tn
discipline Of the army.
The opinion Of the soldiers them
selves is divided on this question,
Their is q good reason why that is so.
Some men are Industrious and willing
to do their share and do it in the
best possible manner, They are the
ones who do not find the discipline
especially hard as they 90 about their
work with a mind to do IL right and
take an interest in it and il is not
half so hard for them as though they
tried to shirk. Then there is the op-
posite class who are always trying TO
sec how much work they can get out
Of IL is a fact that man who does
not want 10 work will chase around
the camp for two hours trying to get
out Of some work that il would take
him 10 minutes to do if he would go
at 1t and do it up as it should be
done 1t is this class of men who
crouch around and say how mean they
are treated and how little chance they
get, that find the military irksome,
while in reality it is not any harder
buc it is the personal element that
makcG it harder.
In the army there is a definite
schedule that is laid out when the
camp is first made and this schedule
is followed every day until change
Of schedule is made out and approved.
This schedule is posted and the
trumpeters go by that schedule the
same as a train goes by the schedule
that is published for it. Every day
there is new musician of the guard
whose duties are to sound all calls.
Camp Routine
The calls start with reveille at 5:45
with assembly at 6 o'clock There is
roll call at this time followed by
about 10 or Is minutes setting up ex-
ercises, which wake the men up in
good shape and get them stretched out
for their days work. Breakfast comes
at ESQ with sick call and drill call at |
z o'clock. All the sick men go to the
hospital at this time and they are dis
posed of according to their various
ailments, which | am glad to say are
few and what there are are not of |
serious nature, mostly illness follow
ing vaccination or typhoid incubation.
Assembly for drill comes at 7;05.
The men are then taken to the var
ious drill grounds and go through a
schedule Of drills that has previously
been prepared for them, lasting until
about 1890 From l0:30 until din
ner time at neon the men have moth
ing especial to do. Most of this time
is taken up in washing clothes and
taking care Of oneself.
After dinner the men have nearly
all the afternoon to themselves. They
have been advised to lie down for an
hour or two during the heat Of the
day and rest, and most of them follow
this advice. Many of the men take
advantage also to go into town and see
the sights.
Evening Drill
Supper is at 5 o'clock and retreat
comes at G with roll call. Immediately
after retreat comes guard mount when ;
the new guard goes on and relieves the
old guard, which has been doing duty ,
for the past "a hours. There is Il
an hours drill in the even
ing and some Of the hardest drilling ;
,f the day is done then, as the air '
d considerably cooler and the men do I
not mind the work so much. Il
After drill the men are free until |
1890. A good many Of the men go !
% town and many stay in camp and +
lmuse themselves in the new Y. NJ. I
:. A. building which has recently a
,een finished, or do their letter writ h
ng. Taps sounds at II O'Clock and r
rom then on all is supposed to be s
luiet so that the men can have the
est which they have earned and need. I
Camp Cleaned Every Day
At 7 O'Clock each morning the quar-
ermas,er and commissary details, v
which by the way are always supplied /
" the guard company that has been
n guard for the previous "a hours, re- {,
,ort at their respective headquarters a
or work in those departments during Al
he day. The commissary detail helps q
i the issue Of food and the quarter
aaster helps in the issue Of quarter u
iaster supplies and also in the gen :,
raj cleaning up Of the camp. II takes
0 or u men and two teams to clean
p the camp each morning so that it !
rill meet the strict sanitary require "