Allen County OhArchives Military Records.....Hutchinson, Clarence Cunningham June 24, 1898
Spanishwar - Letters Co. C, 1 Tex. V. Cav.
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Judy Woerner judyw0113@yahoo.com May 8, 2006, 4:27 pm

First Texas Cavalry
From The Times Democrat, June 30, 1898

Bugler for First Texas Cavalry, CLARENCE HUTCHINSON tells of Fort Sam Houston.
The Troop of Rough Riders to Which he belongs will soon be ordered to Fort 
Ringold.

Fort Sam Houston, June 24, 1898

Dear Dad,

It seems a long time since I last wrote you and will as far as I can give you
a varied description of our new quarters.  Fort Sam Houston is situated on a 
high bluff, being the highest point around the old town of San Antonio, and as
this country is almost level clear down to the gulf, you can imagine how 
pleasantly we are situated.

The reservation embraces nearly one hundred acres and the commissary stables, 
mess hall, ice plant, are scattered around and so far apart that it takes 
considerable walking to go any place.

The mounted drill ground is nearly three miles from the fort and consequently 
mounted drills are held only once a day, to the dissatisfaction of the whole 
regiment, as everybody enjoys them, and then it is so much pleasanter than 
walking.

As soon as some belated equipment arrives the First squadron is split and 
divided among the numerous frontier forts along the Mexican border.  Our 
troop goes to Fort Ringold in about ten days.  This delightful place is just 
eighty miles from any railroad and right on the Rio Grande river, so all the 
fighting we will do down there will be with horse thieves, greasers, all kinds 
of reptiles, and heat.

As far as I can learn the fort is smaller than this one, so we will have one 
consolation—that is, not so much walking.  San Antonio is a very historic old 
place herself, because here is located the Alamo, where colonel DAVY CROCKETT, 
colonel JIM BOWIE and many other noted characters so heroically gave up their 
lives fighting for their country.  There are ten or a dozen old Spanish missions 
located around the town, and some of them bear dates for a hundred years and 
more back.  Taken all around, San Antonio is the most cosmopolitan city in the 
south.  People of all nationalities come here for lung trouble, and then the 
manners of the inhabitants themselves are very much northern.  Streets here 
are all called plazas and are laid out very wide, while in the center there 
are parks with palms, fig trees, banana and other tropical trees and plants 
growing.  We all like this place and will regret very much to leave it, but 
orders are orders, and then we may hit something better down at Ringold.

The fact of being a bugler is no snap, as I must get up at 5:30 a.m., practice 
from 8:30 to 10 a.m. and then guard mount until 12 m.  In the afternoon, 
practice from 1 till 4:30 and then about 30 minutes at retreat, which the 
whole corps blow at sun down.  We have a morning and evening salute fired here 
and the whole regiment turns out for regimental formation and roll call.  I 
have been able to see my horse only about one hour a day since I began to 
learn all the calls.  Every nine (9) days I get a turn at headquarters and 
the rest of the time is spent in practice and drill with the corps.

          With love to all, I am your son,
                                   TATTS                      


Additional Comments:
NOTES:  CLARENCE CUNNINGHAM HUTCHINSON / HUTCHISON served in the Spanish 
American War, Co. C, 1 Tex. V. Cav., until October 1898, when he was mustered 
out and came home to die.  On March 23, 1899, at 20 years of age, he died of 
consumption and heart failure at the home of his parents, JOHN N. HUTCHINSON / 
HUTCHISON and EMILY CELESTIA (CUNNINGHAM) HUTCHINSON /HUTCHISON at Lima, Allen 
Co., Ohio.
 

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