Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 86, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1898 — From The 159th Regiment [ARTICLE]

From The 159th Regiment

Camp Alger, Va., June 26, 1898. To The Editor: The last two weeks have not only been the warmest but the busiest we have had yet. Tbe early part of it I spent in Hospital. Here for forty-eight hours I received but two glasses of milk and that was given me just as I got there on Tuesday at eleven o’olock, and from then until I was discharged I went hungry. After I came back to quarters I was excused from duty till I was back to my usual condition. On Friday we were ordered out for “outpost duty” and took blankets, poncho, pup tent and twenty four hours rations. About all we had to do' was to keep on a strict look out for “blind pigs” and men who were out with out passes. This was a decided snap. No beat to trot or no challenger every two seconds. We arrived in camp on Saturday at four o'clock tired and dirty but in good spirits. On Sunday we had a good rest and was able to return to usual duty Monday. Wednesday evening we received orders to prepare for a praotice march to the Potomac and all night dreamed of the time we were to have. At six o’clock on Thursday we received the “fall in” and started on the trip with light hearts and for six miles every thing went well. Here we are placed on the rear guard and were sent out on the flanks. Over fences through fields, woods that might be called thickets and berry patched we marched all the time on the sharp lookout for an attack that never came. We arrived at Difficult creek after a fourteen mile march at 11:30 and were glad. We were ordered to pitch tents. All the rest of the day was spent in sleeping and resting. We were not tired, only half dead. At “tattoo'’ orders came to sleep with our clothes on and our guns in our hands but no “long roll” sounded. On Friday morning Co. I. was put to work cleaning camp for the day. At half past ten the attack came and we went up the hill and through the woods like we were in earnest. It proved to be a false alarm. From then on all was quiet in camp until four o’clock when our battalion struck camp for a bitter dose of out post duty. “It was worse than quinine but the perscription said take it.” At half past six there was another false alarm which we were not in. Our picket post was about five hundred yards west of camp with one hour awake and seven asleep. At tentwenty the third and last alarm (I guess it was only to keep us from going to sleep.) At four a. m. Sunday we again broke camp, ate our bacon and hardtack and drank our coffee and started for home hoping we would not be put on rear guard again, but they must have thought we were built for it, and we got it again, and I got the job of carrying signals from one section to the other, and most of the time was on a double quick. 1 stood it until I got a mile from camp and gave up and the last thing I knew I heard a Third New York man say “catch him.” When I awoke I was placed in an nmbu- | lance and taken to the New York Hospital and the M. D. said "overcome by heat.” From there I came to camp. Now since it is all over I am glad I did not fall sooner or I would never have got back. Most of the men feel the effects of it now and keep off their feet as much as possible. Home of them refuse to say they are sore and tired but the way they walk gives them away. The 159th Regiment is due to swelter in Virginia, I fear. The

prospect of getting to the front is not encouraging. Camp life is dull and tiresome. They have put up a large wooden horse for the men to ride, with their feet tied undernaeth, all for missing rollcall. Notwithstanding we get training and learn what war is, even, this side of Cuba. Well I will ring off and try to sleep off some of this tired feeling- Yours Truly,

ERNEST MIDDLETON.