Charleston Daily Gazette
The Tents Arrive
And Several Companies Have Already Gone Into Camp.
The Camp Is Situated in a Pretty Spot Below Glenwood. - Pt. Pleasant and Hinton Companies Arrive
- Several More Will Come Today.
June 28, 1898
One hundred of the tents for the second regiment arrived yesterday and were immediately taken to Camp Atkinson and pitched. They did not get here too soon, as the Point Pleasant company, 112 strong, arrived on the early K. & M. train, and was unloaded, bag and baggage, at the camp. This company was examined yesterday and 103 passed, the other nine being sent back to their homes. Captain Howard and Lieutenants Summersville and Beale were also examined and passed. This company will be mustered in today.
The Charleston company, to its full strength, was marched down to camp at 2 o'clock. The boys were taken across the upper wire bridge and had a very shaky time of it before reaching the west side. The bridge swayed and shook to such an extent, that the company seemed to be in a state of beastly intoxication and many of the men had difficulty in retaining their verticality. Once more upon solid ground, however, the line straightened out, the hilarious effect vanished and the company again presented the appearance of one of the finest and soberest bodies of men in the army. There were about twenty rifles in the company, giving the organization a martial appearance.
Captain Smith's company from Hinton came down on the 5:10 C & O train. There were eighty of them. The remainder will arrive this morning. The complete company could not be collected yesterday in time for the train. This Hinton company or as many as came was examined yesterday, and if the rest arrive in good time, will be mustered in today.
The Wheeling company will arrive today on the 3:25 p.m. K. & M. train. The Weston and Clarksburg companies will also get in today.
A big lot of baled straw was taken down to the camp yesterday to be used for bedding. Until the arrival of the other tents the men will have to be stored six in a tent, which is rather fortunate than otherwise, seeing that the blankets requisitioned for have not arrived.
Governor Atkinson visited the camp yesterday afternoon and expressed himself as very much pleased with the location of the camp and with the appearance of the men now there.
Dr. C. H. Payne will be here today with 100 recruits for the colored company. They will be examined by Drs. Thomas and Gamble. Governor Atkinson yesterday issued orders to E. E. Hood, who will be the captain of the company, to form it as quickly as possible. Both companies must be ready within two weeks.
Camp Atkinson, as the new camp will be called, is situated at the lower end of Glenwood, behind the village of Petersburg and not far from the folding bed factory. The location is almost an ideal one. It is an open common stretching back to the river, with ample room for drilling purposes and within convenient access of town. The spot on which the tents will be pitched slopes slightly toward either side, thus affording proper drainage. The street cars, when the line is completed, will pass right by the camp.
Three rows of tents were pitched yesterday evening for the Charleston, Hinton and Point Pleasant companies. The Charleston company will occupy the farthest row on the side of the camp next to the hill. The officers' tents will look towards the folding bed factory. Captain S. B. Avis, of the Charleston company, was the commanding officer yesterday.