Omaha daily bee., 1898-06-17
RUSH WORK OF EQUIPMENT
Ordnance Stores Arriving Rapidly Now at
Camp Thomas.
ARE EXPECTING ORDERS TO MOVE SOON
Grigsby's Cowboys Practically As
sured They viii BE Among the
First to Sec Active
Service.
ARE EXPECTING ORDERS TO MOVE SOON

WIN VI SiuIBliiS NV
accordance with the rush orders received
from Washington is now progressing at
Camp Thomas. These rush orders, which
were responsible for the rumors that fifteen
regiments would go south at once, are taken
by the officers to mean that a large part
of the army will be used as soon as 1t
can be gotten into serviceable condition.
Just how long it will take to fully equip
the whole army cannot be exactly estimated,
but the indications are now that the work
can lie soon finished.
Ordnance supplies of every description
began pouring into Chattanooga today. This
afternoon 1000 rifles arrived from the Co
lumbia, Tenn, arsenal, and tomorrow they
will be sent to the camp and distributed in
| several regiments where a large number of
| guns have been thrown out as defective.
These regiments will be provided for from
this first lot.
Colonel Grigsby has received word that all
equipment for the cowboys is on the road
and will arrive here within a day or two.
The message stated they had been shipped
two days ago. When the supplies reach the
camp they will be distributed at once, and
it will take only a short time for the regi-
ment to be fully equipped. 1t is practically
assured that Colonel Grigsby's men will be
among the first to see service.
Several hundred recruits are now arriving
at the camp daily, and the prospects are
that all the regiments will be recruited up
to the full strength during the next few
weeks. The recruits come from all over
the country and are secured by the recruit
ing officers sent out from here a short time
ago.
During the next few days nearly all the
regiments will have rifle ranges for target
practice. This feature of the training work
has been considerably delayed, but the army
officials have now become so impressed with
it's Importance that there will be little fur
Their delay.
The method adopted by Captain ]. A.
Dapray, %adjutant general of the First di-
vision, Third corps, General Grants com
mand, for the instruction and guidance of
the brigade a%djutant general and regimental
adjutants of the commands, is producing
excellent results and will probably be gen.
orally adopted. The fullest inquiry is at
all times invited by Captain Dapray, who
explains fully all the details of Office ad-
ministration and occasionally all concerned
are required to meet at the division adjutant
generals tent for conferences and i%nstruc-
ton. the Improvement has been marked
and the paper and record work SO neces-
sarily connected with the affairs of the
soldiers is now moving admirably and is
executed with great promptness. Text books
governing guard duty, service of troops
and campaign administration of the court
martial laws have been distributed through
out the division and volunteer officers are
now beginning to follow the line of official
red tape, so inexorably insisted upon by the
War department. Captain Dapray was until
recently ~adjutant general of a brigade of
) regulars.
Today is again partly cloudy and an ex-
cellent day for drilling. 1t is being taken
advantage of by all commands. The custom
to allow enlisted men 80 cents extra pay
for clerical work has been done way with
by an order from army headquarters. Under
the new ruling non-commissioned soldiers
can be required to do these duties without
extra pay. The order proved bad news to
| hundreds of ~privates who have been making
l extra money in this way.
= Rifles Come Today.
g Captain Rockwell, chief of the ordnance
! department, announced today that the ship
5 ment of 1000 rifles from the Columbia ar
I senal would arrive at the park tomorrow and
. would be Immediately distributed among the
! regiments. The large shipment, which Will
I be sufficient to equip most of the regiments
I OF the command. is not yet In sight, but is
Y expected within a few days at the farthest
S Lieutenant John Lind, quartermaster of
0 the Twelfth Minnesota regiment, who was
yesterday nominated by the fusionists OF
Minnesota for governor, did not know OF
:, the action of the convention until he saw the
e press account of the convention this morn
e ing. He has not yet been officially notified
e Of his nomination. To an Associated Press
y representative he said today that he had re-
= tired from politics with his mind made up &c
never again seek any political honors, He
n said his acceptance would depend upon the
+ reasons for his nomination.
s An order received at headquarters today
from Adjutant General Corbin ~disposes OF
s the dispute which caused a considerable stil
n In the First Missouri regiment a few days
7 ago, when Lieutenant Colonel Lavender de-
s clined to recognize as battalion a~djutant'
II First Lieutenant Giboney House and FRS
v Lieutenant Edward A. Hickman, who were
k recently appointed to be battalion a~djutant'
g in the regiment by Governor Stephens o
9 Missouri.