The Washington times., 1895-01-06

have reserve corps. twill be known rs the
Third Separate Company and the nucleus of
| the organization4is Company A, Fifth Bat
talon, Capt. Simmons commanding. This
company is composed of veterans OF the late
war and the average age Is about ffty-fiye
/ years. The men do not feel like turning out
to drill and attending to other guard duty as
the younger men do, and so in the future they
\ are to be excused from all this. No more
drills, no more detail. the Third Separate
Company is to be the honor company of the
Guard. Men who have earned the right to
rest can enjoy it in this company, which will
always march at the head of the column when
the brigade turns out The service OF its
members is to be recognized, and man can
remain in the Guard as long as he pleases.
| Major Suess, OF the Fifth Battalion. is re-
| sponsible for all this. He made the sugges-
ton TO headquarters. At first it did not meet
/ with approval, but a precipitation OF affairs
/ in the Fifth brought matters to head, and
+ the majors suggestion was acted upon. Gen.
\ Ordway, however, goes farther than Major
Suess and opens the reserve corps TO all
| classes. Anyone can Join who served in the
| Civil War, or who has served in the army. or
/ the member OF the Guard who has served
two terms and still wishes to keep up his
| connection with the Guard, but who dislikes
| the active duties, can join this company.
| There is no limit to its membership and it is
thus open To all.
THE GENERALS VIEWS.
In speaking OF the formation OF this COM
pany. Gen. Ordway said "Yes. have de-
cided TO form third separate company.
| Capt. Simmons company "a, Fifth Battalion)
/ will be the nucleus OF the new organization.
The men are getting too old, and / am glad
| to relieve them from active duty. In the fu-
ture the company wifi report directly to head
quarters, and enjoy lis ease with dignity.
These men. though. are dropping of right
! along and as tits my intention TO make per-
manent reserve corps, intend TO open its
| membership to men who have served in the
/ Army, Navy. or Marine Corps or who have
/ served two terms in the National Guard. In
! this way the organization will always be re-
! ceiving new blood. OF course it will keep up
/ its company organization and look after its
/ property. but il will be relieved from allhard
| duty. We will honor them for their record. :"
! "Will the Fifth Battalion have only three
! companies hereBiter?
| ''Yes. for the time being anyway. 1t is
| probable the designation of Company G will
/ be changed to Company A. Then in the fu-
/ ture new comp pany can come in as Com
pany. l am opposed to new companies just
! at present. Last week / told some young
! men who called on me, that il they wanted 10
! join the Guard they must go into some otthe
I existing companies. These can all be
I strengthened frst. After that We can talk OF
new companies. But they suggested
4 to me that some companies might be
mustered out, and | told them such might be
| the case, but first of all the existing COM
psnies must be strengthened. So they left
me. and il they want to join the Guard they
must do ii in the way suggested"
. .t,-sr. -
/ yet?3I s85 ASA y.
mo, haven't, andits worrying me. I'm
| trying to select the proper man and I'll flnd
hiIA soon. He has just slipped me-
Il don't Know when we will get into the
new arhhefy.f 1t was to have been handed
over TO me Wednesday. but il was no.. 1
! went down there and looked around. A
| dozen men were working where fifty or sixty
could have been employed. I could have
| handed the building over on the I'd. They
were working with the heating apparatus. 1
! think we may get in by the end or the month.
| am going 10 have the entire building calci-
/ mined after the walls have set. Until then the
| boys will have TO take things as they find
! them. We l-.4s
A GALLANT WAR VETERAN.
The Second Regiment is very proud OF the
record of Its "old man." Col Cecil Clay
is Philadelphia boy and on New Years Day.
| 1862, he was mustered into the Fifry-eighth
| Pennsylvania Volunteers as captain of Com
! pany K, and was just twenty-one years old.
He served with his com pany taking part in
all its marches and campaigns until the cap
ture OF Fort Harrison, September 90, 1864.
He led his company in this action and was Sc
verely wounded in the left hand while his right
arm was so badly shattered with bullets as to
make amputation necessary. 1t was here
! that the colors OF the Fifty-eightb, which had
threa tiYna oil in
were planted on the parapet by Capt. Cecil
| Clay, who. With Adjt. Johnson, were among
the fist into the fort. AS Capt. Clay, who
had just taken the flag from the hands of the
! fallen corporal. attempted to raise it upon the
| fort he received two gunshot wounds in the
right arm. The flag itself was completely
riddled and the staff twice shot oil. (History
Pennsylvania Volunteers. Volume II, Page
| 290)
For this gallantry medal of honor was be-
slowed upon him, and after scarcely two
months of enforced absence on account of
wounds he returned to his regiment. The
bars on his shoulder straps had. however,
been replaced by the silver leaf of the lieu
tenant colonel, and. before the close of the
year. these were exchanged for the eagle
the insignia ofthe colonel's rank. His ability
as commander was so well and continuously
| demonstrated that on March 13, 1865. when
only twenty-four years of age, he was
| brevetted brigadier general OF volunteers. He
was honorabiy discharged January "a, 1866
| the date his regiment was mustered out. In
| 1887 he was appointed aide on the staff of
Gen. Ordway, and November &C. 1887, was
appointed colonel OF the Second Regiment.
Col. Clay is chief clerk at the Department
OF Justice, and the fact that his right arm is
gone makes no difference. He is a genius
He is a painter of no mean merit and is an
accomplished musician. He has accomplished
some feats in penmanship which are extraor-
dinary. He is a very fine shot, too. He has
qualified as sharpshooter for a number of
years, and for tho past four years has been
an alternate on the brigade team. He holds
the gold badge for the officer making the
highest official score in the District for gall
| lery and range praetice in 1S93 He is
mighty hunter, and the Smithsonian is the
richer for many OF his trips to northern
Canada and Newfoundland He is respected
and admired by all his officers and men.
Capt. w. Ii. Meyer, the adItant of the Sec
ond Regiment, halls from Williamsport. Pa.
He joined the Pennsylvania National Guard
in 1882, enlisting in Company d, Twelfth
Regiment He was made corporal in 1884.
sergeant in 1856, and regimental commissary
sergeant in 1886. AT the creation OF the Of
fee of inspector of rifle practice he was ap-
pointed in 1887 aud recommissioned IN 1888
| and 1885, He was honorably discharged in
1892, when he enlisted in the Second Regi-
| ment and was appo 'nted regimental commits
sary sergeant the same day, December 81,
1892. He was appointed regimental sergeant
major July 10, 1893, and captain and adjutant
February 8, 1894 As sharpshootsr Capt.
Moyar has a ranutatian "a xvo tha oha