DEPARTURE FOR CAMP ALGER.
June first found Captain Groome back again, with the information that if
possible the horses for the City Troop would be grey. A large number of
that color had been found and accepted by the Board, and as grey was the
color best suited for service in tropical countries, the Captain had
bespoken the greys for his troop. On June 4th the Captain rejoined the
Horse Board, and the first animals purchased reached camp. The greys
were tied to the picket line, which was extended in front of the Troop's
long row of tents.
On the seventh of the month the City Troop received orders from
Major-General Graham, commanding the Second Army Corps, to proceed at
once to Camp Alger, and report as a part of that corps. To do this would
be to leave the camp with but a part of the Troop's horses and
equipments, so Captain Groome requested that the Troop be allowed to
remain until fully equipped, if possible. However, all arrangements were
made in compliance with the first order, and camp was broken on the
afternoon of June 9th. Some of the officers' wives, who had taken
cottages at Chautauqua, had dismissed their servants, and the Troopers
were ready to march to the train, when an order came granting the
Captain's request, and ordering the Troop to remain until fully
equipped.
Recruiting officers were at once sent to Philadelphia, and two days
later twelve new Troopers arrived, fully uniformed. Captain Groome was
too busy to remain with the Horse Board any longer, and Lieutenant
Browning went in his stead. The drills increased in length each day, and
the new recruits as fast as they arrived were sent out in squads to
learn the first principles, and then were given a turn with the entire
Troop. The officers had a class in tactics daily, and the men took up
the study of bugle calls. The recruits were given much guard duty to
perform, and wherever they went they carried their books of regulations,
learning the paragraphs by heart.
On June 24th, Samuel Chew arrived at camp, direct from the Klondike gold
regions, and took up his duties as if he had done nothing unusual, yet
he had made the long journey in record-breaking time simply to rejoin
his comrades. Twenty new tents arrived that day, affording
accommodations for the new men. On the 17th, the last of the regiments
of infantry left, and the Troopers were monarchs of all they surveyed.
While the infantrymen were good fellows, there were many reasons why
the Troopers were glad when they had gone. Some time previously the
Troopers had erected a rough shed in which they had placed shower baths,
but now that they had undisputed possession of the lake, they enjoyed
long daily swims.
Upon the departure of the last infantry regiment Captain Groome became
the commanding officer at Camp Hastings, by virtue of seniority, he
having been the first volunteer cavalry officer to be sworn into the
United States service. He at once formed the three troops, Governor's,
Sheridan and City Troop, into a squadron and assumed command. A change
in the camp routine at once went into effect. Squadron drills were held
daily, and other features of camp life, which interested all visitors,
were squadron guard mount and evening parade.
The new horses were utterly unused to cavalry exercises, in fact many of
them had never been ridden before, and the Troopers had lively times
training their steeds. One of the sights which visitors to the camp were
never tired of watching was the skill with which the Troopers "threw"
their horses, to accustom them to the exercise in which the horses are
supposed to lie down and afford forts for the riders. The throwing is
exciting sport. The left fore leg of a horse is strapped up so that
the animal stands upon three legs, a strap is attached to the other fore
leg and grasped by the rider, who suddenly turns the horse's head way
around to one side and pulls the other fore leg from the ground. The
animal is obliged to fall to his knees and is then coaxed over. When
once the horse realizes that the rider means him no harm, the work is
more than half done.
[Illustration: A LESSON IN HORSE THROWING]
On the 20th of June, Private Edward Carpenter was notified of his
appointment, by the President, as a second lieutenant in the regular
service. He had long been anxious to make the army his profession, and
was greatly pleased. The first Khaiki uniform in the Trooper's camp
appeared the next day upon Lieutenant McFadden, and was the subject of
much attention. Fifteen men from each troop were constantly on guard
duty over the camp grounds and railroad property. "Two hours on and four
hours off," was the rule with the men during their day's duty.
A blacksmith's forge was set up at the foot of the Trooper's camp, and
men were detailed each day to act as assistants. The horses had all been
unshod upon their arrival, and it was a long job getting them properly
fitted out.
June passed into July, and still the Troopers remained at Mt. Gretna.
By this time the Troop had practically its full number of horses, and
the men were drilled almost to the point of perfection. They were as fit
for service as soldiers could be, and the orders to move, which came
July 7th, were welcome indeed. The squadron was to go to Camp Alger, but
all the men felt that this was but a preliminary move, and that soon
they would be at the front. Tents were struck the same day. No
countermanding orders came this time, and all the camp luggage was
despatched to the station ahead of the cavalrymen.
The squadron at this time consisted of three troops and nine officers.
Each troop consisted of one hundred men and one hundred and six horses.
The men of the three commands had become well acquainted with one
another during their long wait at Camp Hastings, and upon their camp
sites left mementoes of their stay which will be seen for years to come.
Two of the Troops names are cut deeply upon great rocks, together with
the dates of their arrival and departure. The men of the Governor's
troop erected a huge monument of stones, held together with mud, and
great pride was taken by the Harrisburg Troopers in this "work of art."