Campaign of the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry / April 25-November 11, 1898

s and talks of home, wife and mother are proper, and in fact necessary, according to all writers of fiction. But even in the face of this tradit

the men were upon familiar ground, and that a battle was months in the future, instea

men spoke of the coming battle at all, yet it was in every heart, and many men felt a lump rise in their throats as the popular First Sergeant blurted out these words: "In a sc

the men watched him, and speculated as to his meditations. Lieutenants Browning and McFadden passed through the camp several times,

uns, passed near the camp during the hours between midnight and four o'clock, and many a sleepless Trooper list

dst of the darkness and flood, feeding, saddling and loading of ox carts was accomplished. On this morning of battle little attention had been paid to uniforming. Some men wore Khaiki breeches, others the old familiar blue. Hats and caps of all varieties were seen, several men wearing broad straw hats secured from the natives. All wore blue shirts of variou

seated in good-sized puddles. The City Troop mounted ninety-five men and three officers, the only absentees being Privates Wetherill an

umpeter and the City Troop's faithful trumpeter, Dick Singer. Then the head of the column, Sergeant Wagner, with the guidon, and Sergeant Thibault and Private Bower leading the long line of two's. Each saddle had a poncho strapped upon it, the carb

EFIELD. MILITARY ROAD

often witnessed there, of rain falling from an apparently clear sky. The hot sun

he entire brigade of four regiments, consisting of the Third Ohio, Third Illinois, Fourth Pennsylvania and Sixth Illinois, were also off. As the Troop passed along the road at a trot it overtook the Sixth Illinois and Fourth Pennsylvania. The infantry received orders to let the cavalry through, and the mass of soldiers parted. Away at a trot, between this friendly gauntlet of cheering infantrymen, the Troopers rode amid all sorts of

aniards. Suddenly the course turned abruptly to the left and the Troop came upon Major General Brooke and his staff, standing on a little hill to the right of the road, waiting for the artillery to get into position. Captain Groome reported to General Brooke, and received orde

Beneath the towering palm and rubber trees, amid hundreds of crimson blossoms the Philadel

vies, of the New York Sun, came over to inspect the cavalry. He informed Captain Groome that Maj

n argument as to the relative charms of a Philadelphia girl and a native girl, "fat, black and greasy, with a cigar stuck in her face." A little farther back, sitting on the ground, was Harry Riley, holding the big bay mule he had been riding since reaching the island; he was quiet, but the mule was not. Next came a group composed of Billy Bates, whose beautiful little grey was lying at his feet like a faithful dog, Charlie Smith, Hecksher, Cliff Pemberton, Harry Godfrey, Bromley Wha

be seen stringing their wires from tree to tree, and at tim

who was standing in the road about three hundred yards to the right of the Troopers camp. At once the asse

tenant looked as if he was thoroughly disgusted with life, as in a calm tone he said: "The men

tment and suspense in his heart sought expression almost involuntarily. This forcible exclamation, and

camp how a messenger, on a played-out horse, had reached General Brooke with the order from General Miles, just as the gunners of Battery B, of Pittsburgh, had their hands on the lanyards awaiting General Brooke's orders to pull and give the signa