From the Doctors at Fort Riley, Kas., M.O.T.C.
Co. 9 (p. 102)
August, 1917.
"We were not long in getting settled in our barracks
and arranging ourselves and in making new acquaintances.
"We formed the 9th Company in the Medical Officers Training
Camp, and from the sound of things, I think we must
have as lively a bunch of fellows as can be found in the
whole camp. In all we have about 100 men in our company from
all parts of the United States, and each of us have found classmates
of old Medical College days.
"You will probably be interested in the history of Ft.
Riley, which will be one of the largest, if not the largest military
post
in the United States, and which was established in 1852.
At that time the presence of Indians made the post necessary.
Ft. Riley was named after General Bennett Riley, who guarded
the Santa Fe trail and fought in Mexico. At the time of the building
of the fort there were four companies of soldiers, sixteen officers,
two hundred eighty-eight men.
"The location of the fort was recommended by Col. T.
T. Fauntleroy of the First Dragoons, because of the Republican
River. In the fall of 1852 a detachment of Dragoons arrived
at the present site and named the fort Camp Center, but in the
spring of 1853 the name was changed to Fort Riley. Andrew H.
Reeder, the first territorial Governor of Kansas, 1854, chose
Pawnee, within the present boundaries of Fort Riley, as the capital.
Pawnee was later abandoned as it was too far from the settled
parts. In 1907 a subscription was raised to preserve the building
at Pawnee. The old building stands now near the electric railway
running from Ft. Riley to Manhattan. Beyond Pawnee to the east
and at the eastern end of the military reservation, Camp Funston
is in process of construction on much of the principle as Camp
Grant at Rockford, Ill. This camp will be for concentration and
for training of the conscripted army.
"The military reservation in which is located Ft. Riley
contains 64 square miles, through which runs the Kaw River,
formerly the Kansas River.
"The weather has been pretty good since we came, and
our work of training has begun, but so far our company has
been given but moderate work. Our commander is Major Snyder.
General Leonard Wood is reported to have been transferred to
this post. Prof. Basil Harvey, Prof. of Anatomy, U. of C., Prof.
Williamson, Department of Medicine, College, of P. & S.,
and many other prominent medical men from various parts of the
country are here as instructors. Should any of us get appendicitis
there are not less than 400 or 500 good surgeons who would be
on hand for the job.
"It has been said, that 'wine, women, and song' have
ruined many a man, but, if a fellow goes wrong here it will be
on
account of song, as we have scarcely seen a woman in camp
since we came here and as for wine, well this is sure bone dry
Kansas. Regards to all."