The San Francisco call., 1898-06-02
TROOPS AT CAMP MERRITT
Brigade Commanders Issue
 Orders-Regimental Equip y .-.--.. rl1ent Pronressas :.

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 If Major-GeneraI. Otis succeed in holding off the Spaniards at Manila as he is now doing the press of San Francisco, he can sustain a siege there of indefinite length without any base of supplies The general has surrounded himself with staff officers and sentinels. who keep an eye open con- tinuallly for the scout for news who in an unguarded moment crosses the line and approaches Headquarters
 The atmosphere around headuuarters Is exceedingly frigid, and while the alert. staff officers. and sentinels observe a for nal courtesy there is beneath 1t all the hollow mockery of passing pomp and pea cock grandeur. The merest general or- ders, relative only to the routine business of the camp, are guarded with the same secrecy. as some deep-laid plot of anarchy.
 The chief event of interest In camp yes terday was the issuing of an order by General Otis designating the senior col onels in the various brigades who are to command until the brigadier-generals ar rival. -s.-1" - =
 In the First Brigade Colonel Ovenshine of the Twenty-third Infantry Commands: in the Second, Colonel Reeve of the Thir- teenth Minnesota; in the Third, Colonel Hale of the First Colorado and In the Fourth, Colonel kessler of the First Mon tana.
 The order designates the following off, cers as composing the generals staff:
 Captain John L. Sehon, A A c. and aid adjutant-general; First Lieutenant F " Sloden, Fourth Infantry, aid; Captain George Ruhlen QHartermaster's Depart- ment, acting chief quartermaster; Cap tain Charles McCluer, Eighteenth Infan- try, acting judge advocate; .Captain ! S Mallory, second infantry, acting inspec- tor-general, and First Lieutenant J P Bell, Seventh Cavalry, acting eneineer; and ordnance officer. '. .....' = : ::
 The order provides for the routine hours of camp service. All signals are to be given from headquarters, and to be nniE form in all camps: As soon as the order had been issued from hradquarters tie senior colonels called to pay their re- spects. All except Colonel yyenshine inn nediately. issued orders assuming corn. mand. Colonel Reeve refused: to rnal[a his order public, but the following was is- sued by Colonel Hale: .*..G ...i.. :. Headquarters Third Brigade Independent nj,
 vision Philippine Islands Expeditionary
 CAMP MERRITT, San Francisco 1,,,. =. !. <. ;. General Order No. l. FF-',: A. - :.
 1. In obedience to general. order No. 1. head quarters Independent Division Philippine Is- lands Expeditionary Forces, dated June 1 1sas the undersigned assumes temporary comma nd of the Third Brigade as designated in that tions: Tenth Regiment Pennsylvania Infantry United States Volunteers. First Regiment Colo rado Infantry United States Volunteers First Regiment Nebraska Infantry United States Volunteers. First Troop Utah Cavalry United States Volunteers. Batteries A and B. Utah Light Artillery, United States Volunteers -:
 2 The following named officers will constf- tute the temporary brigade staff in addition to their regimental duties:.. First Lieutenant 4 McD. Brooks. assistant adjutant general; First Lieutenant William B. Sawyer, assistant quar- termaster. First Lieutenant Charles S Hauph wout assistant commissary of subsistence First Lieutenant Charles H. Sleeper. ordinance officer. IRVING HALE, Colonel First Colorado Infantry United States
 Volunteers Commanding Third Brigade.
 As to what brigadiers will command the different brigades. at present all talk is merely speculation. The present brigade formation is purely temporary and sub- ject to change at any moment, and many of the officers seem to think that there will certainly be a reorganization when the troops reach Manila. There was some talk in camp yesterday of the second ex- peditfon sailing tomorrow, but no definite information could be secured upon this subject from any of the officers. All of the different commands are practically equip- ped and ready for service in the field.
 The Blackwell Durham Tobacco Com pany, through their agent, Heynemann. distributed sack of smoking tobacco yesterday to each soldier in the different