Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 July 1891 — OUR HOOSIER SOLDIERS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OUR HOOSIER SOLDIERS.

THE ANNUAL ENCAMPMENT OF STATE MILITIA. Splendid Showing Made l y the Three Regiments of ihe Indiana Legion—Some Feature!* of Camp Life Described by Our Special War Correspondent. [special correspondence. ] Ft. Watne. —The Indiana soldier boys pitched their tents within half a mile of this city In a field of green oats that had _been condemned for their use and entered upon their annuhl encampment. The Morning Gcn.—Ban*! Clear and sharp was the morning greeting of the 10pouud Parrott, as it spoke the first word of the day. A few minutctt later the sweet strains of the reveille music from tho regiluental'bands was heard, add as the boys rolled out of their blankets they forgave the grim-visaged brigade cannoneer for so rudely interrupting their morning, dreams. Sunrise, viewing the camp froiq the guard-house, was a study In g»ay nnd white. The atmosphere of the beautiful picture was a misty gray, yet with singular kindness It made the field of tents a snowy white that could not have been made clearer by a dark contrast. The fleecy gray of the sky, harmonized by a misty softness and the white tents, needed only the slowly tramping guards to make a scene to be remembered. Like sentinels

over ail, the black guns overlooking the field hold your eye foe a moment, for they were grand and noble on account of the years of service they had given their

country and the many loud shouts for patriotism they had howled from their iron throats. A Camp Bath, —Good-morning! Have you used Pears’ soap? No, thanks, I bathed in tho brook' and scrubbed off with a handful of sand. (Sometimes, you see, the water-works does not start as early as the morning brigade buzz, and tyater Is pretty scarce! The Inspector Going the Rounds.— “Halt! Who comes there?" “Friend, with the countersign.” “Advance, friend, and give countersign.” This is a captain accompanied by the Inspector General on the grand rounds. He is to be seen everywhere, and Is making note of all things that are not exactly according to Uncle Barn’s Ideas. He Is not wholly given to criticism, as his duty Is to call attention ti> what Is regulation and what is not. The War Department takes a lively Interest in the condition of the Stato troops and demands of the inspectors detailed to their annual encampments a lengthy statement us to tho conditions of the troops. He must know how many soldiers are onlisted, and something of their physical condition and character. He wants to know

how well the officers understand their business; how much the boys ure paid while In camp. What Inducements are held out to them to come; whore they got their uniforms. guns, and other equipments, and what they cost; how many new men and old men comprise each regiment, are some of the things the Inspector must tell the War Department. And then he must answer many questions which appeal to his judgment, such as to how good soldiers they are, as he would estimate from their work on the drill ground; deportment In camp; thoroughness at guard duty, and from their general appearance. Making an Ordehlt.— Would you ask how they secure this Parisian delicacy of finish for the young man that does duty for the Colonel? Then let a little bird whisper It to you. Whisper, little bird, to the pretty wife or fond sweetheart of this handsome young orderly and their friends! Whisper how he is polished and groomed and brushed before being officially born at guard mount. Usually six men are around him. Two are at his feet chasing away each speck on bis shoes with vigorous rubs, another Is applying a whisk broom most Industriously and taking the most minute dust particles from the blue, another is

giving a solid dead polish to hisleather belt, and the last man is looking after the brass buttons. Not in a minute do they do

this brushing, but by the half hour do they toil over their peti who is 40 be displayed In front of the ColonePs Yent.*’ If he possesses a mustache it must be curled, exquisitely and coquettlslily, and Mhp 'must'be'

powdered and a little pink put on the cheeks. The Troops in a Rain Storm.—lt is raining. Now we are proud of our State troops. The water desconds In torrents, but those slowly moving sentinels neither quicken nor slacken their soldiery tread. It surely cannot be fun to be heedless of that drenching rain. No great of course, but so unpleasant that only a sense of duty can keep him there. How like a real army Is that glorious blue overcoat! The capo Is thrown over his head and the skirts f*U to the knees. “Armed for native land" comes thrilling over you as the words of the silent gun that stands obliquely skyward from his shoulder. With military precision bo paces buck as ho came, and grand and nohle Is this slowly marching man, simply because he is a soldier doing his duty. He does it perhaps because there will be fuu in camp, good times at tho armory at home and at picnics, but now hb Is doing for duty sake, just the samo as he would do If ho wore facing the black guns and warlike front of a real Instead of an Imaginary enemy. Patching Military Trousers.— Patching pnnts Is one of the. domestic details of playing soldier, as woll as real war. It does not make a heroic picture. At least tho Interior of 0110 of the tents of the National Guards did not Impress me as being heroic, when I saw tho rear portion of a private’s trousers being patched by a Qorporal. The prlvute was too lazy to take off

tho trousers, and was In a position over a trunk, much as a young man would take at a boarding-school, just as he was about to be spanked. Sometimes be would yell as

though an abortive attempt was being mule io electrocute him. The sewer didn’t se« in to mind, as he remarked coolly: son. never mind. Cbaaile, that slipped,” An admiring crowd was watching tho operations, and finally Charlie's pants were patched to perfect V>n Running the Guard It Is part of t»o amusement of tho camp to bother the sentries late at night. I saw a very Ingenious scheme for running the guard. A half, a dozen boys advanced unseen, and when tho sentry got to the farthor end of his boat oho of them run qp with a four-foot club In bis hand. lie tyok nodtipn on the line, brought tho club to liis shoulder as ho would a gun, and began marching as though doing guqrd duty. The sentry saw him, and when tjhe other fellowS ran up to the confederate nind wero challenged ho thought It, all regulhr. They advanced to tlio mun with tho club, whispered something, and shipped to the tents as though they hud given tho countersign. Tho sentry did not discover ttyat ho had been “bamlioozled” by some mischievous follows until they lot out a lidwl of derision. The Grand Review.—Tho scene on the parade ground during dross parade eilch

George (with an attompt at military discipline and dignity even with her) —Advance, friend, and give the countersign. MlUlcent (from tho dress goods dept.) —Why, it's “Thirty nine cents, was seventy five,” isn't It, Gawge? day Is always inspiring, hut tho grand review before tho Governor and his staff on Governoi's day made a picture that was truly a brilliant one and well calculated to Impress the beholders with the power that lies behind the civil authorities. There were perhaps 2,000 well-armed, well-drilled and well-offieered men In line accustomed to obeying every order given them, and they may safely be relied upon to protect the persons and the property of citizens in any emergency likely to arise. A Private. [Written while In (be guard house.] ~ ~ T '"T’-.i - Oxe of the plainest of human rights is tho right to be let alone, and to be allowed the privilege of oxercising our benevolent faculties and extending our sympathies in whatever direction we prefer—a right which cannot be invaded without tyranny.

BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS.

PREPARING FOR INSPECTION.

SECTION OF THE CAMP.

THE COLOR LINE.

THE HOSPITAL CORPS.

MESS TEST.

A BARGAIN COUNTERSIGN.