Thus, too, does history repeat itself. The Fourth of July! The anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and of that greatest struggle of the Civil War of the Rebellion, the battle of Gettysburg; and now, for all future ages, to be trebly honored as the anniversary of the bloodless battle of the Sacramento Depot.
FIRST REGIMENT CAMP, CAPITOL GROUNDS.
CHAPTER IV.
CAMP ON THE CAPITOL GROUNDS.
THURSDAY morning, July 5th, the weary members of the First Regiment were awakened from a comfortless sleep on the hard floor by the catcalls and shrieks of the early birds. Company F was quartered on the band-stand, and, from this point of vantage, sent up yells that would wake the dead; and clear and loud above all were heard the strident tones of Tommy Eggert. Sleep was out of the question, not to say dangerous, for soon bands of practical jokers were roaming around, like lions, seeking whom they might devour. Private Hayes discovered Sergeant Sturdivant in slumber sweet, his lengthy form enveloped in an immaculate and frilled nightgown, his tiny pink feet (he wears 10’s) incased in dainty worsted slippers fastened with pink ribbons; this was too much. Did he think he was at the Palace Hotel? If he even dreamed of such a thing he was soon to receive a rude awakening. Willing hands seized the blanket on which he lay, and he was yanked out into the middle of the floor. He awoke to find himself surrounded by a howling mob of men, while shouts of laughter filled the hall. What became of the nighty-nighty and those slippers is a mystery; for a number of the souvenir fiends of the company went on a still hunt for those articles, but all in vain, they were never seen afterwards. Ben soon learned to sleep with his clothes on like the rest of the crowd.
Renewed confidence and security filled the rank and file when it was learned that we had received a strong reinforcement in the person of the old (young) Veteran Corporal Lew Townsend.[1]
[1] Corporal Lew R. Townsend is the veteran of the National Guard of California. He is 62 years of age, and has been in constant active duty for 40 years. He joined the First California Guard on July 12, 1854, and was transferred on January 30, 1857, to the City Guard. He remained a member of this organization until April, 1866, the date of the organization of the California National Guard, when it became Company B of the First Regiment Infantry, N. G. C. Lew continued his membership with this latter organization, and at present wears 13 service stripes, which show that he has served 39 years. On September 14th, 1894, he enlisted again, giving him credit for over 40 years of service.
Lew’s motto is “I’ll stay with the boys,” and he is the biggest boy in the crowd himself. Though his feet are going back on him a little, he manages to air his numerous medals, and bejeweled gun at all parades and military displays, and never misses a drill. He is still a good shot, and on Sunday morning, when his Palace Hotel breakfast agrees with him, makes the eyes of the youngsters over at the Shell Mound shooting range stick out of their heads at his remarkable shooting. May his kindly, jolly face be ever with us.