The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-03-22
ONLY ONE DESERTER.
ABOUT THE NEW MILITIA LAWS.
An officer Thinks the Minimum.
Strength OF II Company " Placed
too lIigh-liuntlnGtOn TO llRvO II
Now ArmOry SoOn-rlIG Local Mill
tury Company Project Resting.

Among military people generally all
ovcr tho state it Ia n matter OF congratu.
lation that in the recent troubles be.
tween the miners and operators in tho
Big Kanawha valley there was but one
instance OF cowntdice in the rank aud
flo OF tho Second regiment. Tho onc
case was that Of private in Company
ii, RoncevCrtc, who deserted in order to
escape going 10 the scene Of strife. A
court.martial WIS held, at which the
young man was dismissed from the SER
vice. On tho other hand there was
quito q contest among tho commanders
OF the various companies, several max.
ing personal application to Colonel
Hodges to DO allowed to sorvo. Alto.
gcthcr tho rCorganizcd West Virginia
soldiery has como out OF the Kannwha
incident with a record Of which they
arc Justly proud. Among the officers
who were in tho field, Major w.. II.
Banks. Of Huntington, has been o.
pecially commended for the capacity
shown in the Difficult position he &C.
cupiGd.
Tho militia law introduced at tho last
session Of tho legislature, aud which
will probably he acted upon ut the scs-
sion next winter, is not entirely salts.
factory TO tho soldier boys. One objoc-
ton seems to be n valid one. The law
provides that tho minimum strength OF
a company shnll be soventy-ono men
and the maximum lOl men. A Second
regiment officer thus gives his views:
Tho present maximum strength ia
sixty.four, and not Il company in tho
state has TINT many enlisted men. II
tho minimum strength is placed at
scvcnty-onc, or cven ~sixty-four, it will
be impossible to organize Il company in
any oil the smaller towns. and nine
tenths OF the companies now in the SER
vice would have to DO mustered out"
This being tho case 1t might be well for
the legislators 10 pause before passing
the bill rs it stands.
Huntington, Just now, Is the military
metropolis OF the state. Besides being
tho regimental headquarters OF the Sec
ond, it is tho only community in tue
state that BOASTS OF two compnues.
There will be 4 council Of the officers
stationed in Huntington, including
Colonel. Thomas L. Hodges, Major W.
H. BInks, A%djutant Captain K. l.
Archer, OF the Second regiment, and the
line officers oftde Huntington companies
to-day for the purpose OF discussing tho
advisability and considering ways and
means ior the erection OF 4 new armory
in Huntington, one that will be used by
the two infantry companies. & and |.
MILITARY NOTES.
Tho amended militia billto be pushed
before the legislature will contain pro-
vision ior a first class brigade hospital
corps.
Tho young men interested in the for
nation of batteryof artillery here, to be
attached to the First regiment, are still
waiting for another letter from the gov
ernor as to tho furnishing OF guns.
Tho gatling gun used in tho Kama
wha region is now i'll tho charge OF
Company &, Captain Lyons Hunting
ton company. and attracts lots OF inter
est at the armory there. This compa.
ny, by the way has fifteen applications
for membership.