The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-21
TO FORM ANEW BATTALION.
4 General Change About in the Mill
taTy Organizations.

The Adjutant Generals Order Likely
to Be Modihed-The Surprise 1t
Caused Among the Rank and File.
The Purpose of the Change-Only
Four Companies Permitted in a
Battalion and One of the First Regi-
ment's Companies to Be Put in the
New Organization.
| The recent order issued from the adiu-
| tant generals Office changing the forma-
tion of the two infantry organizations Of
Savannah, throwing both into one,
has been the favorite topic of
discussion with the members of the Sa-
vannah military during the last week.
! BY this order the old First Georgia regi-
ment, consisting of five companies, and
the Third Georgia battalion, the Savan-
nah Volunteer Guards, consisting of
three companies, are combined in a new
organization, to Bee known as the First
| Regiment, Georgia infantry.
| The new order created considerable
| surprise, as it was not expected by the
members generally of the two organiza-
| tiOns, though the higher officers under
| stood several months ago that such a
with the provisions of the new law
| for the reorganization of the state mill
tary upon the basis of three battalions to
| a regiment.
THE GUARDS SURPRISED.
The surprise was greater among the
| Guards, as they appeared to have been
thrown into the regiment without having
their opinion asked on the
subject. Upon second thought,
| however, it is seen that the change IS as
great for the regiment as for the battalion.
| The five companies which formerly COM
posed the First Georgia regiment are now
only a battalion of the new First regi-
ment, and one of these companies will
| have to be thrown into the Third battalion,
| which it is intended to form later as the
basis allows only four companies to the
battalion. A battalion may consist of
not less than three companies, and with
the Pooler Rifles, which now belong to
| the state service, and one company
from the old regiment, and one
or two new companies from
the neighborhood of Savannah the for
nation of the regiment will be completed
with third battalion
The present condition of affairs is
somewhat anomalous, however, in the
| judgment of military men.
The spectacle presented by the parade
belonging to the same regiment, each
| headed by its own band and having its
own separate staff and practically march
| ing as separate commands, was somewhat
| peculiar
WHERE ARE THE STAFF OFFICERS ATT
The question which the military men
are asking is, that if the staff Off
GERS of the old regiment compose
the staff of the new regiment,
do the staff officers of the battalion also
| belong to the staff of the regiment and if
not what are they anyway The regi-
ment at present appears to have double
staff.
Col Garrard was asked this question
! by MORNING News reporter
| yesterday. Col. Garrard replied
that there would probably be a
modification of the order which will al
low each battalion to retain portion of
| its staff.
Each battalion" he said, twill prob
ably be allowed to have a separate com
missary, as the commissary is also the
ordinance officer. Each battalion should
also have its own inspector of riff
practice, as our inspector would not be
sufficient for the whole regiment, and
then the battalion will probably continue
their separate practice days, and will
! also be in camp at different times. AS
arranged"
In speaking of the reasons for the
! change in forma ton, Col. Garrard said {:
1.-The change in military tactics now
makes the battalion the unit of the regi-
ment and not the company, as formerly
Instead of being composed of ten COM
panies as formerly, a regiment is now
! composed of three battalions of not less
! than three, nor more than four
companies each. This sImplifies things a
great deal. Instead of having ten COM
pany commanders to deal with, as form
erly, the regimental commander will now
! have only the three battalion commanders
who will be responsible to him for their
separate commands.
WILL NOT AFFECT THE GUARDS.
1.-THE new order will not affect the in
tegrity of the Guards, or any other bat
TALON organization, for that matter Each
battalion being a separate union, it will
have no difficulty in maintaining it's own
separate organization. The distinctive
feature of the Guards has always been
that, while existing as a battalion
of three separate companies, the or
ganization has always been a unit
as to purposes andsinterests and was con-
trolled and directed as one body instead
of three separate organizations. Having
originally sprung from one company this
was natural.
The new formation will not effect any
change in this and the old esprit du corps
which has always distinguished the bat.
talon will remain
Col. Garrard said that it was the inten-
ton to form the fourth company of the
Guards, which was authorized some
time ago, this spring, which will give the
battalion its full complement of foul
companies
In response to a question as to what he
thought of common uniform for the
! whole regiment, Col. Garrard said it was
not unlikely that such a change might be
brought about some time in the future.
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