The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-31
CAMP OF THE TROOPS.
COL. MERCER EXPLAINS HOW
CEICKAMAUGA WAS SELECTED.

The Reason the Advisory Board De
cidsd to go There-The Encsmpment
TO Begin June 5. but Only a Few
Companies TO be IN Camp at One
Time-The Cavalry Encampment in
Savannah In May to be Only for the
Fifth Regiment.
Col. George A Mercer returned yesterday
from Atlanta, where he was in attendance
on the NEE ting OF the military advisory
board to select an encampment for the pres
emit year.
Col. Mercer said that the impression that
the board had reversed its former
action is entirely wrong. It was
found, after selecting Macon as the
site for the permanent encampment,
| that the act under which the selection had
I been made was unconstitutional, and there
was nothing left but to consider the matter
| as if no selection had been made.
! Acting under this construction of the law
the board decided to call for bids for a site
under the act Of 1888, and so advertised
/ Only four bids were offered-those of Chick
amauga, Salt Springs, Marietta and Rome.
| Neither Macon or Atlanta made a bid,
and they were, therefore, out OK the contest
entirely.
THE CHICRAMAUGA OFFER
Chickamaugas offer was by far the best
| and the board voted unanimously to ccept
| iJ. ChicEamauga offered fifty acres or
more If necessary, cash donation OF s., 900,
or to pay the cost of the transportation of
| the troops from Griffin, which was cousid-
cred the most central point in the state.
| The hoard f0urpd an the nuasti0n and
| finally came TO the conclusion that it would
be better to accept the cash.
The offer also includes plentiful supply
| Of water from the Crawtish springs, for
| drinking, cooking, ablution. and all other
necessarypurposes, TO be pumped through
the pipes running from the spring to the
camp, all at the expense Of the company
offeriDgthe bid.
The company is to put the grounds in
first-class military condition, to be approved
| by the quartermaster general and United
| States army officer to be selected for that
purpose.
The company further, and lastly, agrees
to furnish free hospital quarters for the
sick, should there be any needed.
This site is on the line Of the Chatta-
nooga, Rome and Columbus railroad, thir-
teen miles from Chattanooga by rail aud
sixty-fOnr from Rome, within a stones
throw of the famous old Crawfish springs,
and half mile from the national park now
being laid out on the site of the famous
battlefield.
TO OPEN JUNE Is.
The encampment will begin Monday
| June Is, and will last from four to six
weeks. The troops will be ordered into
| camp one regiment at a time, with what
ever unattached regiments the adjutant
| general may decide upon. Those farthest
| away from the site will be ordered into
camp first. The Savannah troops will not all
| go at once. The First Georgia, under COM
| mand of Col. Mercer, will christen the new
| grounds, and the Guards battalion may be
| ordered in Immediately after OF after an
| intermiSsion of a week or so. This matter,
however, is altogether discretionary with
| the RdJutant general The commandant Of
tue camp each week will be the senior officer
| in command.
Had 1t not been for the presence of Col
| Mercer at the meeting the Fifth Georgia
| Cavalry, commanded by Col. Gordon,
| would have gone into camp at
Chickamauga with the balance of
| the state troops. Col. Mercer ex-
planned how much better it would be to
accept the proposition to have this particu.
| lar regiment camp in Savannah during
Nay than 60 to the expense of transport
| ing it nearly 400 miles in June. A little
! opposition was manifested, but it was finally
decided to order the commands composing
the Fifth cavalry regiment into camp at
| Savannah
| ONLY THE FIFTH GEORGIA TO CAMP HERE.
Col. Mercer said that many people had
| understood from some Of the published &C.
| counts that all the cavalry companies are
to camp in Savannah. but that is an errone-
GUS impression, as it would be as much
| folly to order the troopers from Atlanta
and nfhaF arfa int - -,
iU would be to take those IN this section to
| Chickamauga Col. Mercer said that the
| decision of the board on the cavalry uues-
ton is wise one, as he thinks had it been
otherwise the cost of transportation would
have been so great as to overbalance the
| appropriation.
In reply to question as to the possibility
OF Chickamauga being selected as a perma-
! nent slte Col. Mercer said that the place is too
much out Of the way to be even considered.
| Unless the legislature takes hold of the
matter aud frames a new law with regard
to permanent encampment, the advisory
board will be compelled to advertise yearly
for temporary site.
THE CoLoRED TROOPS
| The colored troops are left out in the cold
| on account the defect in the permanent en-
| campment law. Under the act of 1888 the
appropriation will not be sufficient to give
them an opportunity of testing the delights
and hardships of camp life this year.
One dollar per diem will be furnished the
troops for seven days. or time actually in
camp and on the way.
Thirty-five cents will be allowed for for
age for the cavalry and artillery. The
adjutant and inspector general was re-
quested by the advisory board to write the
war department for thu detail of Capt.
Edward Field, Fourth artillery, U. S. A.
for this encampment. The minimum num-
Der allowed any command to enter camp
will be twenty nine, rank and file.
The board also decided to invite the legis-
lature to visit the encampment
Bottoms Art Lectures.