Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-11-07
WHAT THE SOLDIERS ARE
DOING AT BROWNSVILLE

it was and we will only say that M
/. accidents have been reported and ev
cry company passed the reviewing
officers at double quick and that we
were riding in one Of the supply
Co.'S wagons-also that we are
standing up to write this letter.
Oh yes, three hundred supply
wagons and heavy guns were pulled
past the reviewing officers, four
abreast, almost hub to hub and
mules and horses nearly all gallop-
ing over ground that was so rough
that it Jared the everlasting day
lights out of the drivers.
"The citizens of Brownsville who
yesterday witnessed the district re-
view of the troops on the Resaca de
la Palma saw the most remarkable
review Of its kind ever held in the
lower Rio Grande Valley. Between
fifteen and twenty thousand troops,
representing all branches of the SER
vice passed before General Arthur
Murray, Brigadier-General w. P.
Hall and Brigadier General William
Crozier, all noted men in the United
States army.
The infantry, cavalry artillery,
supply trains, ambulance companies,
signal corps, engineers, machine gun
companies and ordnance trucks COM
pletely filled the great resaca where
Taylor fought in 1916. From early
in the afternoon until $3.50 the road
from the city to the resaca was fill
ed with moving organizations on the
way to the review. The Virginia
camp is under a heavy layer Of dust
stirred up by the tramping feet, and
carried into the camp by the wind.
One of the most impressive sights
of the whole occasion was. the line
of supply wagons a mile long that
made sort of back ground for the
massed troops. The wagons were
lined up side by side across the Resa-
ca, and with the motor truck COM
pany made line of transportation
over a mile long. Some idea of the
length may be gained when it is
stated that it took four seconds for
the report of the salute welcoming
the visiting general. to travel the
length of the train and be heard at
the extreme opposite end.
Added to these wagons were the
many ambulances, each drawn by
four mules. They made another line
across the resaca to the rear of the
foot troops and the cavalry.
Seven infantry regiments were in
line, two of regulars and five of the
militia. Their order of review was
the Fourth, U. S. A.. the Thirty
Sixth, U. S. A., the First and Second
Virginia Regiments, and then the
Iowa Brigade of three regiments.
Each regiment was accompanied oy
it's band, so that martial music was
constantly played before the review
ing stand.
The Cavalry just brought to the
border to replace the First Illinois,
mustered out, made great impress
sion. In long lines of beautiful
horses and straight men they pass
ed before the reviewing stand at a.
trot. The new clean pennons added
a touch of color to the otherwise
colorless scene.
For practically the first time the
Artillery Companies were seen on
review. LAUNDERING gun carriages,
rumbling caissons, drawn by the six
horses walked past. 1t was a new
sight for many of the citizens pres
|ent and the artillerymen won much
applause from the interested audi
ence.
Behind these came the never end
ing lines of ordnance trucks, motor
tories engineers trucks, ambulances,
and supply wagons. The latter pass
ed four abreast. The first troops to
pass had returned to their camps,
and eaten evening mess before the
last wagons had passed the review
ing officers. 1t was = demonstration
of military power that Brownsville,
in spite of her intimacy with mill
tary history, has never seen before
If Mrs. Falstaff comes down to
spend a part of the winter, we will
have her bring few of our old pen
ellis and will try to keep Hamilton
county well informed as to how
things are going. But build that
school house. Yours tcarfully,