The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-01
ENLIsTING REGULARS.
Captain Black Is Finding Plenty OF
Recruits Here.

hccru1NS mere
Contrary to the tenor of the reports sent
In from various parts of the country of a
scarcity of men desiring to enlist in the
regulars, Indianapolis and the immediate
neighborhood is furnishing about all the
recruits that can be handled at the local
recruiting Office. In fact, as Captain Black
says. business is good" While not in a
position to speak accurately on the subject.
the officers of the recruiting station on Illi-
nois street state that 1t is their belief that
these accounts of the government having
trouble to secure men as rapidly as 1t would
like to do are greatly exaggerated.
During the past month Captain Black has
enlisted 247 men and shipped them all to the
different regular army posts at the front.
This makes the average number about ff-
teen a day, which, when it is considered
that each man is thoroughly examined and
otherwise investigated, is about all the Of
flee force can attend to. Yesterday was a
particularly good day for the captain, thirty
recruits accepted being the sum total of the
day. Altogether the station is q good one,
and no matter what trouble the government
is having elsewhere in getting men there is
none at all here.
Instead of a falling off there is g. distinct
increase in the number of applications for
enlistment. Most of them, however, come
from the smaller towns in this part of the
State. All arms of the service are recruited
at the station infantry, light artillery and
cavalry. OF these the infantry is by far the
most popular with the recruits and each
applicant is allowed to not only choose
which branch of the service he will serve in,
but may also name his preference as to
regiment and company. Since the beginning
of the war the station has enlisted over half
a regiment or nearly 700 men. OF all these
only one in fifteen was thirty or over As
fast as accepted the infantry men are sent
to the Sixteenth Regiment at Tampa un-
less the men desire to serve in some other
regiment. The heavy artillery men go to
Pensacola, the cavalry to Columbus, o., and
the light artillery to Tampa The almost
universal reason given by recruits for their
desire to enlist is that they want to go to
war and to those desiring to see immediate
service Captain Black always recommends
that they enlist in the heavy artillery. He
is guided especially at this time in this re-
spect by the fact that he yesterday received
telegram from the War Department re-
questing him to secure as many men as
possible for the First Regiment of heavy
artillery, the inference being made that this
regiment Will go to Cuba at once to be used
IN all probability on Seige work in the re-
auction Of Havana and other fortified towns
held by the Spaniards. In addition to this
Captain Black is making an energetic enlist
ment of men for the hospital corps of the
regular army and believes that this branch
OF the service cannot be spoken of too high
ly. The pay is higher in the hospital corps
than in any other branch of the service
prlVateS received $21.6 and stewards $50 a.
month. He also calls attention to the fact
not generally known that under the recent
act Of Congress increasing the regular army
establishment and the consequent promo
lions there are now 1000 second lieutenant
vacancies in the army to which any enlisted
man with the necessary educational uualifi-
catlons is eligible. If enough men cannot
De found in the ranks to fill the vacancies
life. -