The Washington herald., 1917-02-09

problematical. All are hoping that it will
be a question OF days The matter, how
ever, rests largely upon the shaping Of
events in the present German crisis. But
there is balm In Gilead. 1t is expected that
the iron discipline now being exercised
will be relaxed today, and the men Will
be given passes which will allow them
to leave camp almost at will and get
acquainted" with their families again.
All Return but Thirteen.
left Washington seven months ago came
back last night. All were sun burned and
peevish. All declared that while they
might not know a great deal about SOL
diering, they could easily qualify any,
where in the world as day lsborers.'
According to a majority of the battery
men the daily life on the border con-
sisted of about three hours of drill and
five hours Of fatigue" duty with pick
and shovel. Practically every one of
them, when asked. II at the end of his
present term, he would enlist again, re-
piled with words not At to print. the
substance of which, however, was never
again"
OF the thirteen left behind, ten got po-
sitions IN Arizona. were discharged, and
mustered out there. Two were left in
the guard house, awaiting trial by court
martial, and one is in an asylum. held
for examination as to his sanity. The
two men awaiting trial made a midnight
excursion to the hen house of a farmer
who lived near the camp. and helped
themselves to some chickens.
According to Capt. Wilson the men Of
the Battery were the personification of
health during their entire stay on the
49, n..l,- -
Ill. These had appendicitis. Both were
operated on successfully.
Enthusinsm Lacking.
But of all the homecomers, not one,
from commissioned officer down to the
enlisted man, were enthusiastic about
the service.
THE chief thing-in fact the only thing
we had to fight was homesickness," :"
said one OF them. There wasn't a thing
in the world to do, day after day, but
drill, drill. drill and then use a pick and
shovel digging latrines. or something of
that sort. The men got up a song about
1t. It ran:
Goodbye Captain, I must leave you
'Yes, must leave you pretty quick
For I'll be d If 1 can soldier
with a shovel and a pick
And honestly, I don't blame them q
great deal!"
Capt Wilson paid high tribute to his
men. Discipline, barring the amount
necessary In any military organization.
was not needed at any time during the
border stay, he said
The men, returning the compliment,
paid glowing tribute to Capt. Wilson. IF
he hadn't been such a regular man, !"
one of them said, "he wouldn't have had
any battery to bring back. We all would
have deserted"
Trip UneventfuI.
The trip home from Douglas was IN
eventful according to the men. Also It
was deadly monotonous. The Battery en-
trained February 2-thereby just missing
the order issued by the War Department
on February 4 revoking the home sum
mons" For six days the tourist sleepers
which housed the men sped toward
Washington, stopping only at Houston,
Tex, Mobile, Ala, and Atlanta, Ga. AT
Houston there was a lay-over from $3.50
in the morning until o'clock in the aft
ernoon. There the men were all given
leave and were allowed to follow their
own inclinations.
But at Mobile and Atlanta the stops
were brief-only about an hour or SO In
each place. As a result discipline was
rigid. The men were allowed to get OF
the train and stretch their legs, but only
under the supervision OF an officer.
Today, probably, discipline will again
be relaxed as it was last night, and the
men will all be excused from duty and
allowed to come into the city until ''re-
treat"-the lowering OF the colors-which
takes place at $40 o'clock this afternoon.
After that, they probably will be excused
again until reveille, at $50 tomorrow
morning.
The men probably will have to remain
technically in barracks, however. until
muster-out orders come from Gen. Leon
nr L.