As objectionable visitors became scarce, and covered baskets disappeared, this moral propaganda ceased, and as far as the Eighth was concerned, the race problem was solved.
Major Edward H. Eldredge was detailed by General Waites to select a rifle range for the entire brigade. He selected one about half a mile from the camp, where targets were installed under his direction at 200 and 500 yards. It was reported that the regiment was to be armed with the Krag-Jorgensen rifles before the command was sent to Cuba, and it was the intention to have the soldiers spend a portion of each day at the range.
On November 20th, General Sanger arrived to relieve General Waites of the command of the Second Brigade. Under General Sanger, active preparations were at once begun for Cuba. Medical inspections were instituted to weed out officers and men unfit for foreign service. The regiment received a consignment of Krag-Jorgensen rifles, and its supplies generally were overhauled and replenished. General Sanger made a thorough inspection of the regiment by battalions. This inspection lasted three days. Permission was obtained from the Adjutant-General of the Army to recruit the regiment to full strength, by transferring men from regiments in Massachusetts not yet mustered out. A number of men who served in Porto Rico with the Sixth Massachusetts, and were at home waiting muster out, were transferred to the Eighth under this permission, and joined the regiment in December and January.
On December 9th, General Wilson, the Corps Commander, and General Ludlow, the Division Commander, visited Americus to inspect the brigade. Owing to a severe storm, the review of the troops was omitted; but the camp was thoroughly inspected by the Generals.
At the hospital of the Eighth, General Wilson said to the officer in charge:--"Surgeon, this is a model hospital, because it has no patients." The health of the regiment had steadily improved since the end of the first month at Lexington, and on the morning of this inspection there were just 1000 men present for duty with the colors. On December 27th, for the first time in seven months, there was not a single soldier of the Eighth in either the Regimental, Brigade, or Division Hospital.