pany E, the requisite buildings were erected, and on
May 10th the regiment went into camp in their new quarters, on the
Keating farm, near the Bladensburg road, about a mile north of the
Capitol. It was named Camp Sprague, in honor of Rhode Island's
Governor.

Ten rows of buildings had been constructed, parallel with each other,
for company quarters, a row for each company, with a street about
fifteen feet in width between the buildings. The quarters of each
company comprised six squad rooms, each room having accommodations
for a non-commissioned officer and eighteen men, and on three sides
of each sleeping room were bunks; there was also an outer room, or
porch, with a table extending lengthwise, for use as a dining room.
The company officers occupied a building separated from the men by a
narrow street. The regimental officers and band were very pleasantly
located in a shady grove, in cottage shaped buildings, with piazza in
front, standing in the rear of and at right angles with the company
quarters.

We soon got settled in our new home at Camp Sprague, and commenced at
once the duties of soldier life. Previous to this we had been in an
unsettled condition, taking our meals at restaurants and using the
Patent office for sleeping quarters, with not much duty to perform,
except answering to roll-calls. Now, however, we knew just what was
expected of us every day. Our duties commenced soon after daylight,
ending at 9 P. M. At about 5 A. M. we were aroused from our slumbers
by the beating of the reveille, which duty was performed by Drum
Major Ben. West and his fife and drum band, when each man was
required to turn out, take his place in line in the company street,
and answer to his name. This duty was performed with a great deal of
promptitude, at first, but after a while some of the boys did not get
started out of their bunks in time to complete their toilet, and
often would appear in line thinly clad, and it was no unusual thing
to see some appear bareheaded and without shoes or stockings. One
squad of the company was particularly noted for their tardiness at
reveille. I don't think this was owing to any neglect on the part of
the sergeant in charge; for Sergeant Hammond was wont to boast that
he had "the banner squad," and he exacted of them everything in the
line of duty. But two of his men appeared to be impressed with the
notion that the nights in that latitude were too short to satisfy
their demands for sleep.