Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-07
IMPORTANT ARMY CHANGES.
Transfer Of Troops, Changes Of Head.
quarters, Etc.

QuorterS, AtCs
TWO MORE COMPANIES OF CAVALRY FOR FORT
MYKR-NKw BARRAcKs TO Be Bunr-vARlous
CHANGES OF STATIONS OF TRooPs-rRANsrKR
OF HEADQUARTERS IMPAIRMENT OF MISSOURI.
There will probably be an addition to the
regular army troops around Washington in the
course Of year or two
The present army appropriation bill, recently
reported from the House committee on mill
tary AFFAIRS, contains an item Of
s32,0o0 for the construction of bar
racks and stables at Fort Myer, Va,
to accommodate two more troops Of cavalry.
This will give post Of four troops, which will
make quite force Of cavalrymen. This IL the
only cavalry post east Of the Mississippi river,
in q region OF the country containing fully
90 600 900 people, or probably two-thirds Of the
entire population, and it il but proper that it
| should contain a respectable force.
ESTIMATES FOR NEW BUILDINGS AT FORT MYER.
The full estimate for this increase, made by
| the Secretary Of War, was s66, 410, which in
cluded cal, 800 for two barracks, ell, 900 for
two stables, s24,O00 for two double sets
OF t.sn Officers quarters, $1,000 for the
hail. $1,000 for house for the stable guard,
! $500 for a blacksmith shop and 500 for fencing
| in the corral. The committee agreed a. to the
necessity for the additions and decided to
| appropriate this year the first two items for
| barracks and stables, amounting to S32,60O,
| which is thought to be as much as can profit
ably be expended in year. The other
| structures will be provided for IN another lump
sum of S33,
eEN. scHoFrELp's POSITION.
There was On idea prevalent at the time
| when Gen. Schofield succeeded to the
| command Of the army after Gen. sheri-
dams death that he would make short
work OF the cavalry post at Fort
Myer, the superstition being that he
cared not as much for mounted troops as for
across the river to be transformed Into
some sort OF artillery barracks
or school or abandon it altogether. The
| falsity of this notion is shown now in his in
dorsement of the proposition to increase the
! force there.
THE TROOPS At THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
now consist of four batteries of the third artil-
lery and troops Of the fourth and Of the
sixth cavalry. There are no infantry troops
near at hand, and on special occasions when
such forces are needed it is necessary to dis
| mount some OF the artillerymen and utilize
| them as foot soldiers. This makes an incon-
gruous assemblage, and there have been ef-
forts made at various times to obtain the trans
fer OF company or two at least OF
| infantry troops from some of the western posts
| to this city. This move has always met with
| opposition from various sources, the plea
| being that the troops were needed too
seriously in the Indian country. The state
| Of things in that region is now incompar-
| ably better than 1t used to be, with outbreaks
on the part of the Indians growing
fewer feebler and less frequent, and transport
| tation facilities have improved 30 that today a
few thousand men in the Indian country are as
| effective and as safe a guard as double the
number would have been some years ago.
| CHANGES OF TROOPS.
Secretary Proctor has authorized the follow
| ing changes in the stations OF troops: The first
regiment OF artillery serving in the division of
the Pacific, will relieve the fifth regiment
of artillery serving Except light bat
! terry d, at Fort Douglas, Utah,) in the
division of the Atlantic at New York
The second and fourth regiments of cavalry
will interchange stations within the division of
| the Pacific. The nineteenth regiment Of in
fantry will relieve the twenty-third infantry at
| the station now occupied by the latter in the
| division of the Atlantic; the twenty-third,
| upon being relieved, to proceed to the
| department Of Texas to take stations under
| the direction OF the department commander.
| The fifteenth infantry, serving in the division
of the Missouri, to the division Of the Atlantic.
| Four companies of the regiment, may
be selected, upon consultation with the
regimental commander, by the command
ing general department Of Dakota, will
| proceed by rail, with such marching
as may be necessary, to Mount Vernon bar
| racks, Alabama; Fort Barrancas, Florida, and
Jackson barracks, Louisiana to relieve the
companies of the nineteenth infantry now at
those posts. The headquarters..and remainin
companies of the regiment will continue in
| their present department until quarters for
them shall have been provided in the Atlantic,
when further instructions from these head
| quarters will be given.
CHANGE OF HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE
| MISSOURI.
| Secretary Proctor has agreed to postpone the
question of the selection Of site for the
| headquarters for the department OF the
| Missouri, which is to be transferred from
! Fort Leavenworth, until next week. This was
at the solicitation of delegation of Kansas
Congressman, headed by Senator Ingalls,,
who waited upon him yesterday
and asked him not to take any step which
would be prejudicial to the interests Of the
| present post. The Secretary assured the dele
cation that Leavenworth would not suffer from
the change. The headquarters will undoubt-
\ ediy be located at St IIOus.