The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-24

Washington, April 23-The president
today called upon the people of the
United States for the first time in 80
years to manifest their martial
strength, the call this time being upon
q united people to go forward to battle
with a foreign foe. The secretary of
war created new army corps. The
two taken together, with other news of
the day, showed that the regular army
soon will move on Cuba and that
meanwhile the volunteers will be equip
ped and drilled.
The presidents proclamation, while
actually issued. was not certified to the
governors Of the states and territories,
and will not be until Monday. The
reason is two-fold. In the first place,
the war department desires to avoid
destroying the present organization Of
the National Guard, which is to be
called into service first. The guard
regiments are composed of twelve COM
panies, and. being Differed more nu-
merously than the regular army regi-
ments, would have to be changed to
correspond to the army organization,
in order to comply with the order as
it exists.
ADVANTAGE TO MILITIA.
The pending Hull bill. however, pro-
,-vides for meeting just such an emer-
gency, and permits the use of the Ma
tional Guard as organized. This con-
sideration is more important than
would appear at first, inasmuch as
many of the National Guard have vol
unteered only under condition that
they may serve as now organized. The
second consideration which Influenced
the department in postponing the GER
tification Of the call until Monday, is
desire to make sure that adequate ar
engagements can be completed by quar-
terlnasters and the coniSsary depart
ment for transporting and feeding the
large number of men called for. This
is no light task, as the volunteers must
be taken by the government at GER
tain point in every state where they
are to be collected by the governors.
THREE GREAT DEPOTS.
Telegrams have been coming from
almost every section of the country to
Secretary Alger from governors and
militia officers conveying information
as to the length of time, surprisingly
short in many cases, that would be re-
auired by them TO gather their forces
mustered in by regular army officers in
the various states, will be brought to
one Of three great depots, namely,
Washington, Richmond or Atlanta,
where they will be organized to meet
the requirements of modern army tao
tics The fact that Richmond is named
as one of these points is taken in some
quarters as an evidence that FitZhugh
Lee is to receive a volunteer commits
sion, either as one of the four major
generals, or one of the nine brigadier
generals provided for in the volunteer
bill, for it is believed to have been
largely at his instance that Richmond
was selected as one OF the points of
concentration.
PATRIOTIC OFFERS.
In anticipation of the certiication of
the presidents call, a vast number of
letters and kilograms have begun TO
flow in upon Secretary Alger. Offering
the services of the SenderS as Volun-
teers in the army. So numerous are
these communications that the secre-
tary has asked The press to notify the
people that such communications
should be directed to the governors of
their respective states and territories,
as he has no authority under the law
to accept volunteers directly.
WHAT IT MEANS.
corps in the department of the south,
with headquarters at the three gulf
ports, is an evidence that the govern
ment is to move upon Cuba at once
with troops of the regular army, leav-
ing the volunteers just called for to
be disciplined and worked into shape
for future use in the campaign. The
formal order FOR the creation of this
grand army division, issued at the
war department at the close of office
hours, was as follows:
THE ORDER.
Headquarters of the Army, Adjutant
Generals Office, Washington, d. c.,
April %.
General Orders No. =.
BY direction of the secretary of war
the following orders of the president
are published for the information and
guidance of all concerned:
l. The United States troops assem-
bled in the Chickamauga national
park will form an encampment to be
known as Camp George II. Thomas,
and will constitute, temporarily, an
army corps, under the command of
Major. General John r. Brooke. The
corps viii consist of one division of
cavalry, one division of infantry, and
one brigade of light artillery. The
cavalry divisions viii each be COM
posed of not more than three brigades,
consisting of three or more regiments
each. The artillery brigade will be
composed of two battalions, each COM
prising five batteries. The corps COM
mander viii assign the senior officers
present for duty with each arm TO the
command of divisions and brigades.
2 The infantry regiments concen-
trated at New Orleans. La, Mobile |
Ala, and Tampa, Fla, are consti-
tuted divisions under the command of |
Brigadier General William r. Shafter, |