Omaha daily bee., 1896-06-19
SECOND GOES TO FORT kEOCH
Orders from Headquarters to Move from
Omaha to Montana,
TWENTY-SECOND GETS FORT CROOK
Eight Years on the Frontier to Be
Followed by a Season in the
Finest Post in
America.

WASHINGTON, June 1S.-(Special Tele-
gram)-Late last evening Secretary of War
| Lamont and Quartermaster General BatChel-
der, after ascertaining the amount avail
able in this fiscal years transportation &C
count, decided to make but few transfers,
but these transfers directly concern Omaha.
The Second infantry goes to Fort Keogh,
Mont, while the Twenty-second, now in
| Montana, will occupy Fort Crook. This
change and the transfer of two companies
of the Eleventh infantry, now at Whipple
Barracks, Ariz., to the new fort at Little
Rock, Ark, are all the transfers contem-
plated during the present fiscal year.
1t was probably a great surprise to the
Second infantry officers to receive the news
which sent them into the brush instead of
Fort Sheridan, near Chicago, for which they
had hoped. The Importance which was at
tached to Lieutenant Abercrombies bicycle
trip from Omaha to Chicago, and which
was stated in eastern newspapers as being
planned for the purpose OF mapping out a
route for the march of the Second overland,
may have had something to do in switching
the Second westward instead of confirming
its march eastward. Telegraphic orders
were issued this morning from the Office
Of General Brock, assistant a~djutant gen.
eral, to prepare at once for the transfer
Of what amount available may be used for
the transportation OF these troops before the
close of the fiscal year. Bids will be
invited at once for moving these regiments"
said General Breck, and by June 80 We
hope TO have the troops domiciled in their
new quarters
Omaha is TO be congratulated on securing
so famous a regiment as the Twenty-second
for next door neighbors. 1t is a regiment
that has seen a lot of service, having been
under command of Colonel Stanley from
July Is, 1866, to March "a. 1884, when the
present commanding officer, Colonel James
S. Casey. succeeded TO command, a soldier,
every inch of him. The record of the Twen-
ty-second has been made on the frontier.
For sixteen years it has been practically in
Montana and Dakota, having been at Keogh
eight years prior to IA. From IA to 79 1t
occupied the lake region. Thence it was
transferred to Texas, '79 to 80; thence to
Colorado, 50 to 'SS, since which time it has
been in Montana.
The Twenty-second infantry is provided
with a full complement OF men, 525 in all, A,
and with a fine regimental band. Captain
Theodore Mosher, a%dtutant general OF the
District of Columbia militia, is a membe
of the Twenty-second, and is jubilant over
his m assignment to dedicate new
Fort Crook. by the first week in July"
said General Breck, Il trust these changes
will be effected. Department commanders
are instructed to issue orders at once Tor
the transfers"
Leave of absence is granted the following
officers: Major James NJ. Bell, First cav
airy; Captain Richard G. Shaw, First ar
tillery; Second Lieutenant George w. Cole,
Seventh cavalry; Captain George A. Cor
nish. Fifteenth infantry; Major Ernest A.
Darlington. inspector general; Captain Thad-
deus W. Jones, Tenth cavalry.
The official order for the transfer of the
Second infantry to the Department of the
was received at department head
quarters during the afternoon and was i'm
mediately served upon Colonel Bates, the
commanding officer at Fort Omaha, who at
once issued orders for the officers and
to moving to Fort Yates. N. D.,
and Harrison and Keogh, Mont.
At army headquarters last night the Of
hcers said that it was impossible to state
just when the Second infantry would be
ordered to leave for the northwest, as there
as inviting bids for transportation and dis
posing of some individual property about
the post. They were OF the opinion, how
ever, that the troops would leave here about
the last of the present month, and that as
soon as they reached their destination. the
Twenty-second infantry would start for
this city.
The Twenty-second infantry will not be
at Fort Omaha, but instead, will
go direct to Fort Crook, which post is
completed and ready for Oc-
cupancy.
The Second infantry is the oldest regiment
In the service, having been organized since
1915, by the consolidation OF a number of
old colonial regiments. Since the or
ganization, the regiment has been stationed
at nearly all of the eastern and southern
forts. as we'll as at many OF those in the
west. The regiment fought through a num-
Der Of Indian wars, did service in the Mexi-
can war an drought through the war OF
the rebellion. The Second infantry has
been stationed at Fort Omaha since 1886.
The Twenty-second regiment. that comes
10 Fort Crook. was organized In 1861, and
through the war of the rebellion,
after which 1t went into the southwest
and In 1869 was consolidated with the
regiment. Some fifteen years
ago il was transferred to the northwest,
since which time ii has been stationed at
Forts Yates, Harrison, Keogh and other
posts. The regiment is commanded
by Colonel James s. Casey. who enlisted
rom New York In 1861 as a private.