st Lieutenant, 24th U.S. Infantry.

RECOLLECTIONS OF THE SANTIAGO CAMPAIGN, BY CAPTAIN R.H.R.
LOUGHBOROUGH, 25TH U.S. INFANTRY.

The 25th U.S. Infantry left its stations in Montana on the
10th of April, 1898; six companies (B, C, D, E, F and H)
went in camp at Chickamauga National Park; the other two
companies (A and G) went to Key West, Fla.

On May 6th the six companies at the Chickamauga National
Park moved by rail to Tampa, Fla., arriving the night of the
7th, where they were joined by the two companies from Key
West. With the exception of three days in 1870, the regiment
had never been together since its organization in 1869. It
necessarily followed that many of the officers, as well as
men, were strangers to each other.

Our camp at Tampa was fair; the ground is sandy and flat,
but as the rainy season had not set in, it was dry and the
health was good. Drills and parades were held daily (Sundays
excepted), but on account of the intense heat the hours for
it were limited to the early mornings and after sunset. The
clothing of the men was the same they had worn in Montana,
and did not add to their comfort. Supplies of all kinds
(except rations) came by piecemeal, and we finally sailed
for the tropics with the same clothing used in the
Northwest.

At 6 o'clock P.M. June 6th the regiment received orders to
strike tents and be ready to move within an hour; the order
was immediately complied with, though the necessary
transportation to move the baggage did not report until the
forenoon of the following day; it was not far from noon when
the last of it left the camp for the railroad station, en
route to Port Tampa, where we were to embark on transports
for the seat of war.

As soon as the camp equipage was started, the regiment was
formed and marched to West Tampa (about three miles), where
we took a train for Port Tampa, distant nine miles. On
arrival, the regiment boarded the steamer "Concho," one of
the vessels to carry the expedition to its destination. The
4th U.S. Infantry had preceded us, and the next day a
battalion of the 2d Massachusetts Volunteers was put on, but
owing to the crowded condition of the ship, a few days later
they were transferred to another vessel.

The "Concho" is a large ship, but withou