The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-19
Infantry and Artillery Stationed
There Will Be Sent to
the South.
THE CHANGE NOT RELIsHED.
officers With Families Will Be Put
to Much Inconvenience and
Expense.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. 18.-A
prediction was made in THE CALL several
weeks ago that there would be general
shake up" of infantry troops and batter
les of artillery, and that the Fifth Artil-
lery, now at the Preside of San Fran
CISCO, might be transferred TO some other
point. Several days later this prediction
was confirmed by a statement made to
THE CALL correspondent by one of the SUI
perlor officers of the War Department.
General Miles several weeks ago recon-
mended to Secretary of War Lamont
transfer of infantry companies and bat
teries of artillery, and after careful con-
sideration of these recommendations Sec
rotary Lamont to-day issued his formal
orders. They are technical and brief but
the Adjutant-Gener will in day or two
issue statement of the reasons actuatlng
the department in making these changes.
The most important transfer is that OF the
Fifth Artillery, which, with the exception
of one battery, is now at the Preside of
San Francisco, one battery having been
recently ordered to Fort Monroe, Va.
The Fifth Artillery has been stationed
on the Pacific Coast since 1891, and many
of the officers will receive the news of
their transfer with regret. The batteries
of the Fifth now on San Francisco Bay
will take the places of the batteries of the
Third Artillery, which are now distributed
along the Atlantic Coast.
The headquarters of the Third Artillery
are at st. Francis barracks, Florida, and
its batteries are scattered along the coast
at Barrancas, Fla, Fort Monroe, Va, Fort
McHenry, Md, and the Washington Cd.
Co. barracks. The Third was stationed on
the Pacific Coast before the war.
When the orders in detail are published
tomorrow, as expected, it will be known
where each of the batteries of the Fifth
Artillery will be stationed along the At
lantic Coast and where each battery of the
Third Artillery will be stationed on the
Pacific Coast.
There is also shake-up in the infantry.
The Fifteenth, now at Fort Sheridan, Ill,
is ordered to relieve the Twenty-fourth
Infantry, which is at Fort Bayard and at
other posts in New Mexico and Arizona.
The Twenty-fourth will be sent 10 Fort
Douglass, Utah, ana the Sixteenth, now
at the latter post, will take the place OF the
Fourth Infanty, which is now distributed
in companies at Fort Sherman, Idaho,
Fort Spokane, Wash, and Fort Boise,
Idaho.
The Fourth Infantry is sent to Chicago
to relieve the Fifteenth, now at Fort Sheri-
dan.
The dispatches from Washington an
nouncing that the Fifth Artillery would
be ordered away from San Francisco to the
Atlantic Coast produce profound feeling
of regret at the Presidio. The subject was
discussed in all its phases at the Officers
Club and at the canteen last night. Com
missioned officers and enlisted men alike
were eager to ascertain if THE CALL had
received definite news that the Fifth had
been ordered to relieve the Third in the
South.
There is still small CLEAN of hope that
the Fifth may be sent to New York to re-
lieve the First and the First be sent to
Florida, Louisiana and Texas.
A prominent officer, whose name cannot
be published, said: 1T would be grievous
injustice to send the Fifth to Florida.
Since the war this regiment has served in
the South from 1865 to 1869. and again
from 1875 TO 1881. Since 1865 the First
Artillery has been South only three wears.
w Z nave OceA mere SIX dDQ u nan years,
and should remain two and half years
longer. There is no question in my mind
that pull was exerted in Washington
and New York to get the Third out here
so as to keep the First from going South.
sit is unfair and unjust to the Fifth
Artillery, and will work a severe and I'M
called for pecuniary hardship upon many
of the officers, non-commlssioned officers
and enlisted men. 1t will cost each officer
having family at least $500 to make the
change"
Should the Fifth Artillery go south, two
batteries will be stationed at Jackson Bar
racks, New Orleans; two at Pensacola,
two at Key West, headquarters and two
batteries at st. Augustine, two at Fort
Monroe, one light battery at San Antonio,
Tex, and one at Washington Barracks.
The officers at the Presidio who have
families are: General Graham, Majors
Darling and McCrea, and Captains
Roberts, Thorp, Riley, Hills, Wood and
Mcclellan, and Lieutenants Miley and
Arnold. At Alcatraz-Lieutenant Col
onel Sinclair, Captain Morris and Captain
Lomia. At Fort Mason-Captain Vogdes
and Lieutenant Blunt.
Nearly all the bandsmen and quite q
number of the non-commissioned officers
have families,
At the canteen last night one soldier in
a group at a round table said: "Say in
THE CALL that San francisco treats the
soldier better than any other city in the
United States. Here the uniform is re-
spected and citizens are kind and polite.
Some of the men, who are always pleased
with the prospect of any change, will say
before they have been two days in Florida
that the Presidio of San Francisco is the
most delightful post in the world. The
going away will be sorry break up for
many OF the men who have formed tender
attachments in town, but, you know, a
soldier must expect these things"
Officers who have had experience in
moving across the continent assert that
the transportation which the Government
allows is sn insignificant part OF the ex-
pense attending change OF quarters such
as this one contemplates. the foreshad-
owing of the transfer in recent number
of the Army and Navy Journal was con-