New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-30
9TH, Ambushed by Sun, Saved
By Ice Cream After j Fall
Race to Border with list Won, Regiment Attempts
Hike in Missouri Heat and Is Shown-Mexican
War Veteran Cheers Troops
Bv ROBERT H. ROHDE.

At Nokane several oil stoves were add
cd 70 the commissary equipment
Rut these are not Captain Myerss
full resources. In his supply car ne
has rtit three barrels Of water, ingen-
iouslv hooked up with the engine.
Rcans. corned beef and corned beer
hash (the piece de resistance OF the
menu and heretofore served cold, are
dropped in their neutral or canned
state into the barrels. The engineer
,hen shoots back steam. and in Few
minutes the water is boiling, and no
problem remains but to open the tins
while the food is piping hot.
Feeding the officers is bigger prop
lem for CAPTAIN Myers. They brought
along no supplies. and it was not until
to-day that they began to make regu-
lar and deliberately planned stops for
meals. While the race for st. Louis
was on they ate only when 1t was pos
sible to take advantage Of tie-ups along
the way.
Officers Have Hungry Time.
But. with all the quartermaster's
planning, the officers got no breakfast
until noon to-day. Captain Myers mao
selected st. Charles, Mo, as llkely
place 10 halt for the morning meal. HIS
reference books showed il TO be town
~ 2 0oO. about 100 miles southeast OF
81. Louis, and the schedule time for
arrival was a convenient one.
A wire to the NJ. X. & T. headquar-
ters in St. Louis brought a most salts
factory response. Breakfast for off,
GERS and correspondents would surely
be waiting at st. Charles.
Oh W
ont Of St. Louis, a languid little man
in a black shirt. brown vest, felt nat,
and the only full length trousers on
the train, hadn't heard anything about
breakfast order, though. And while
Captain Myers was eXpostulatlng
wheelless box car, with the name 81.
Charles painted on il, drlfted past the
troop train windows.
That's how the officers came 70 eat
and the men 10 march and fall al
Nokane. II is also how private George
Level. late of the First (and LAST New
York voltigeurs, came TO get real close
look out Of his good right eye at some
regular fellow soldiers.
Private Level hadn't expected so close
a look. He had come to the station
with no dearer wish than to see the
trains pass on their way TO Mexico.
As the 7th piled off the train at
Mokane few noticed the old, white
whiskered, one eyed Native leaning
on a knobby cane and dancing with ex-
element.
Private Level, Mexican Veteran.
Maybe if they had known that there
stood before them a citizen soldier who
started toward Mexico City full
seventy years ago, just as they are
starting now; who had been part OF a
half-trained, half-equipped invading
army; who had suffered hardships
where they may suffer and who had
lost an eye where they may lose their
lives; maybe, then-but they didn't
know.
The old man. as they passed, thumped
his stick and gave voice TO cheer that
turned into a cackle.
Out of the many who marched by,
only one stopped at Private Levers
hail. That one was mere correspond
ent. An army shirt deceived the
applauder.
there" he shouted. Yes; an stand
ready 70 90 agin if you hev any use
for Teller ninety-one years old. You
bet I do"
And then what IS II they say ABOUT
coming events casting a shadowD Pri-
yate Level told a story.
In IS the New York yoltidures were
recruited for service in Mexico. They
had 70 recruit with a rush and start
with a rush And because OF the first
rush they had to stop in Virginia and
do some more recruiting. IL was there
they got Private Level.
When they finally got 20 Vera Cruz
the regiment was only 500 strong.
There were only 400 horses with the
command, but that was fair enough.
The voltidures were half cavalry and
half infantry in action. On the march
an infartryman rode behind each cav
alryman.
What the voltidures lacked was some
thing more vital than mounts. As they
arrived az Vera Cruz, in an enemy's
country, they were without muskets,
had rever been drilled in the manual
Of arms-and most Of them had never
fred a gun.
All this Private Level narrated.
wal. che concluded they give US
guns at Veray Cruz and less'n a week
later they sent US out 10 march 70
Mexico City. A lot OF the fellers
! hardly knew wha. the muskets was TO.
We got TO a place We sailed Nstiona.