The age-herald., 1898-09-03


 gallant First have won n victory and by
 October 1st it is expected that that organ ization will have been relieved from camp life and the thought of garrison duty in
 Cuba.
 The news came through Representative Underwood that both the First and Sec ond were among the number on the mus ter-out list and yesterday this was confirm ed when Secretary Alger gave it to the press.
 It is expected that by December 1 the volunteer force of the government will not reach 50,O0O. A good beginning has been made in this direction and it is expected that the names of other favored regiments will now be given out more rapidly.
 The First Alabama regiment consists of fifty officers and 1,274 men; the Second of fifty officers and 1,1S9 men. They have both seen nearly four months of camp life and have been denied the opportunity of reaping any of the real glory of the late war When all possibility of actual service vanished the men desired to be relieved while an overwhelming majority of the officers desired to remain in the service.
 Victory for the Privates
 It was victory for the private.
 For weeks the privates of the First, backed by their friends, have been clamor- ing for release. Governor Johnston re- commended as a solution likely to prove satisfactory that companies which desired to remain be transferred from the Second to the First, and that those of the First not desiring to remain be transferred to the Second to be mustered out.
 A few days ago, as noted in The Age Herald's Jacksonville dispatches, the men of the First began addressing personal let ters to Governor Johnston. He was in the city yesterday and said that up to the day before he had received 492.
 Kennedy Would Have Resigned
 It was not generally known, but never theless a fact, that Captain Kennedy, of the Jefferson volunteers Company CD, in tended resigning if the regiment had not been mustered out. Captain Kennedy was mucn DelONeu Dy HIS CoIHPeiiiy, eto SsiuSilSNu by the fact that forty-nine of the men who served under him in the national guard. enlisted in body to follow him to Cuba The company voted in favor of mastering out and it is now probable that Captain Kennedy will remain until the organization is disbanded
 Colonel Higdon left yesterday afternoon for Jacksonville to resume command Just Secretary Alger's order.
 That's good," said he, flor believe the boys wanted to come home."
 Win Go to Mobile
 The two regiments will first be ordered to Mobile and there honorably discharged from the service. A recruiting officer for the regular army will be in Mobile and all those who prefer military life will have an opportunity to enlist. The dispatches from Washington give no intimation as to how long it will be before they will be ordered to Mobile. Judging from the course pur- sued with other regiments ordered muster ed out it will only be question of a few days.
 There was some talk of a movement here yesterday to have them ordered to Birmingham, but 1t is thought by many that the war department will carry out the programme as first announced Petition Numerously signed The citizens of Birmingham were de- termined that the First regiment should be mustered out and the petition circulated |, by Henry B. Gray had received the follow | ing signatures up until the time the news | was received:
 | Hon. Joseph F. Johnston Governor, Mont l gomery, Ala.
 | Dear Sr:-As the president of the United | States has signiied his intention of mus | tering out one hundred thousand of enlist | ed men from the volunteer army and fur ther expressed his desire to muster out | those men who did not wish to continue in l tlSe service we hereby request you to give he enlisted men of the First regiment | Alabama volunteers the right to express l their opinion as to whether pr not they | L<-AA A---A-- A AA-. s-.---a>A> I>AA iAA AAAa>