CHAPTER IV.
FIRST DAYS AT CAMP ALGER.
From the little valley, in which the Troopers had pitched their tents seventy-one days previous, they rode away late in the afternoon of Thursday, July 8th, in the best condition of any command which had been mustered in at Mt. Gretna. No comrades in arms remained to be drawn up in line to give the cavalrymen a parting cheer, but fully two hundred cottagers of the Chautauqua grounds were at the station to witness the departure. The train was in waiting, made up in two sections; the baggage, horses and horse detail were to go in the first, and the work of loading was at once begun.
While the greys were being led aboard the cars, many friends of the Philadelphia men gathered upon the railroad platform to say a last good-by. Among those from whom the Troopers parted with sincere regret were T. Dawson Coleman and William T. Smith, President of the Cornwall and Lebanon road, both of whom had done much to contribute to the pleasure of the men in camp during their long stay.
At seven o'clock the first section pulled out of the station, Stable Sergeant Wagner and Troopers T. Cadwalader, Goodman, Pemberton and Rogers being detailed to accompany the horses. An hour later the remainder of the Troop was allowed to start.
The train arrangements were excellent, every man in the squadron having a full seat to himself. It was interesting to note the various ways in which the Troopers prepared for their night of travel. A trip through the train showed all sorts of games in progress—cards, checkers, dominoes and the like. The good story tellers of the various troops were the centre of laughing groups; many of the business men had their heads buried in the commercial page of the evening papers; some of the more stolid warriors attempted to go to sleep the moment the train started; in all it formed a picturesque grouping, and furnished rich material for the students of human nature among the troops.
The discussions of the men regarding the general campaign were interesting, as the war fever was then at its height. Four days before the Atlantic Squadron, under Sampson and Schley, had destroyed the fleet of Admiral Cervera during its attempt to escape from the harbor of Santiago. General Shafter's men were then pressing upon Santiago, and its surrender was hourly expected. Then it was believed that the word would come "On to Havana," and many of the Troopers believed that their command would surely have a part in this movement.
HAVING FUN WITH "HAZEL"
So far the war had been one of surprises, scarcely an engagement having taken place at a point where a few months before the military leaders would have deemed it possible to expect one. Spain's navy had proven no match for that of the United States, but her little army about Santiago had made a good showing, and hard fights seemed probable before the main army would be driven from Cuba.
The train first came to a stop in Harrisburg, in the midst of a mass of enthusiastic men and women, assembled to greet the members of the Governor's troop and Sheridan troop. The crowd rushed pell-mell through the cars containing the troopers of the other organizations, knocking down carbines and sabers, and upsetting things generally. But sentries had thoughtfully been placed by Lieutenant Browning at the doors of the City Troop cars, and this company's share in the demonstration was conducted through the windows. "Hazel," the goat presented to the Troop during its service at the time of the Hazelton riots, gravely surveyed the scene from her outlook, and came in for a lion's share of attention. Just as the train started an enthusiastic young woman, who had been fighting her way toward the train, thrust a white kitten into the hands of Corporal Wister, with instructions to be good to it. In all it was a pleasant break in the monotony of a long ride.
By midnight the State line was passed, and at Baltimore the first section of the train was overtaken. The Troopers, with the exception of the officers, were in day coaches, and made a picturesque sight, asleep in all conceivable attitudes. Enough were awake, however, to chat for a time with the members of the horse detail. By half-past four the men aroused, and thirty minutes later reached the station at Dunn Loring, Va. A breakfast of milk and sandwiches was eaten on the train, and then the unloading began. This work was speedily accomplished without a hitch or accident, and by nine o'clock the canvas of the three troops began to go up on the site of the camp formerly occupied by the Eighth Ohio Infantry, commonly known as "The President's Own."
All day long the cavalrymen worked upon the sun-baked slope, and by nightfall the grounds were in splendid order. In one regard the Troopers were fortunate, an artesian well being within fifty feet of their camp. This, however, supplied the wants of the men only, the horses, at first, having to be led more than a mile for water. Shade was abundant near the camp, the horses being better off in that respect than at Camp Hastings.
After a good night's sleep the men were called upon for disagreeable duty, which was at once cheerfully taken up. The "doughboys" who had occupied the grounds previously had left the woods in the rear in such a condition as to menace the health of the camp, and twenty men from each troop were detailed by Captain Groome to police the woods, and at the end of the second day the grounds were comparatively clean, and the men were then called upon for their first drill at Camp Alger. There was a great crowd around the parade grounds when the Troopers made their first appearance, and the repeated cheers and applause of the spectators came as an unexpected and pleasing surprise.
Upon return to camp Private J. Edward Farnum was notified of his appointment, by the President, as an assistant commissary, with the rank of captain. The new government carbines, saddles and spurs were also received and distributed, but by some mistake no saddle blankets were sent, so the Troopers continued to use their regular blankets.
Sunday the Khaiki uniforms arrived, and were at once donned by all the men. The universal verdict seemed to be that the new uniforms were not particularly adapted for cavalry service, and were as ugly as they well could be.
Right from the moment of their appearance at Camp Alger the City Troopers were in demand by the headquarters officers. Large details were required each day for orderlies at Camp, Division and Brigade headquarters, and for mounted patrol duty.
On July 10th quite an addition was made to the camp of the City Troop. Eight government mules, with all the largeness of ears, friskiness of feet and sweetness of voice, possessed by their race, were assigned to Captain Groome's command. The men gathered about the new comers in an admiring group, wondered how fast they could trot, what would happen if a Trooper twisted one of their tails, and just what they were good for anyway. Before the campaign was over mules had ceased to arouse any admiration whatever, but the Troopers at Camp Alger could not see into the future, with its endless mule train and trials, so they made the most of their new possessions for the time being.
Besides the mules, two wagons and two teamsters were assigned to the Troop, and these aids were greatly appreciated, as up to this time there had been a constant struggle to find conveyances for troop supplies and baggage between different points of the camps.
Although the mules were in a thriving condition, the Troopers had troubles of their own with their greys. A majority of the horses had contracted shipping colds, and incessant doctoring was the order of the day and night.
All of the animals came through all right, however, with the exception of the horse ridden by Sergeant Hart, which died the fifth day after the Troop's arrival at the new camp.
The first detachment of mules was soon followed by another, until a full score had been sent to the Troop. Other commands throughout the camp had also received supplies of mules, and the animals showed a great fondness for communicating with one another in the early morning. Far away on one side of the camp a mule would raise his silvery voice to heaven; somewhere from the headquarter's mules would come an answering bray, and in a moment the chorus would resound throughout the camping grounds. At first the novelty of these sounds appealed to the Troopers' sense of humor, but the best jokes grow wearisome by repetition, and it was not long before the men were mentally offering all sorts of rewards for the man who could devise a plan to silence the long-eared singers.
On the morning of July 14th, Corporal Hecksher and Troopers Coulston, Wheeler and Mills were sent by the Provost Marshal to escort back from Washington fifteen foot soldiers who had overstayed their leave of absence. The derelicts were turned over to the tender mercies of the headquarters guard, to be dealt with as military regulations direct. A private of a western regiment, who had evidently been in Washington, returned to camp about eleven o'clock this night. After some parley with the Troop's sentinel, then on guard on the main road back of Captain Groome's headquarters, he proceeded to mix things up with the sentry, and was promptly marched to the guard house, where he spent a repentant night.
Since the arrival of the squadron at Camp Alger Captain Groome, who was in command, had posted orders for Squadron Guard Mount every morning, and for Troop Drill and Squadron Parade every evening. The number of spectators upon these occasions kept increasing daily, and the reputation for excellence in drill on the part of the squadron spread rapidly. The officers of all the commands in the camp were attracted by these reports, and the evolutions of the cavalrymen were frequently watched with a critical eye by many of the best known officers of the army. Though they came as critics they remained to praise, and many admitted that they gained a vast amount of useful knowledge by an inspection of the camp of the squadron.
The paymaster put in an appearance July 15th. The Troop lined up and received their portions of hard-earned government money, and then promptly turned the cash over to the Quartermaster. In the afternoon General Butler honored the Troopers by riding out especially to watch their drill, and he warmly commended Captain Groome for the fine showing of the cavalry.