The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-10
Will be Sent from Here 10
Chickamauga.
AS SOON AS EQUIPPED
THIS WILL TAKE AT LEAST 4
WEEK.
THE TENTS WILL REACH HERE TO-DAY
Guns and Uniforms are Daily Expected--The
United States Hard Pressed 10 Properly
Fit out its Volunteer Army
Orders for Rations.

u OuA ITO NOiuhtCOl
Orders for Rations.
Within the next two weeks, certainly,
and possibly within ihe next week, the
First regiment of North Carolina vol
unteers will leave here for Chickamauga.
The entire regiment of 1,001 men is
row mustered into the United States
service. and the only thing now neces-
sary before moving is new equipment.
This is expected at any time.
The tents will be here to-day for the
Second regiment and the State is re-
quested to let the United States have all
the equipment and supplies it has, as it
is hard-pressed to provide properly for
the volunteer army.
As the uniforms and guns have not
yet come. it will be week yet before
the First regiment will be ready to move,
and q week later before the Second regi-
ment will be ready to go.
The Governor yesterday received Il
telegram stating that when the First reg
iment is completed it will he at once or
dcred TO Camp Geo. III. Thomas, Chick
amauga Ga: but that it must be fully
equipped before leaving here. Equip
ment means rifles, uniforms, tentage.
etc. etc.
The following telegram, also to the
same effect, was received by Lieutenant
Marshall, who is in charge of the camp
here:
Governors Island. y y, May S, '9S
Lieut.. Marshall, Commissary, Raleigh.
y. c.:
Ordered to arrange travel rations and
ten days field rations in addition for
North Carolina regiment. going to Chick
amauga. Purchase i'm local market and
send certified vouchers to me for pay
ment. Answer.
WOODRUFF,
Assistant Commissary General.
Acknowledging receipt of this telegram
Lieutenant Marshall inquired rs to when
the rations for North Carolina troops
should be delivered.
The following came in reply:
Governors Island. n Y, May 0, 9S.
Lieut.. Marshall. Commissary, Raleigh,
n. c.:
just when troops will move not known.
but | desire to give you time so that
when ready to move travel rations and
ten days field rations additional would
be ready. WOODRUFF,
Commissary
The army officers here are of the opin-
ion that the First regiment will be here
ten days longer. Gen. Cowles and Lieu
tenant Marshall think that they cannot
be ready in less time.
The Second regiment and the negro
battalion will be sent to Florida where
they will be used in coast defense, and
MS Il reserve force for the army in Cuba.
They will hardly leave the State for
two or three weeks.
Once in the service of the government.
the idea is that after Uncle Sam has in
cured all the expense of calling out the
National Guards and equipping them and
making them ready 70 fight his enemies,
that he will feel like giving them little
experience. even il their services should
not be required during the present war.
The army men are generally of the inn
preston that the services of the Nation
al Guards will hardly be required for
invading Cuba, and that even il some
of them do take part in the invasion. it
will be the Southern troops, because they
are better able to stand the climate On
this basis they reason that the North
Carolina National Guards will hardly
try has some other enemy than Spain 10
deal with.
From the same authority comes the
opinion that so long as the government is
engaged in the business of waging war
and has called out the National Guards,
that it would only be the part of wisdom
to keep them in service until they are
fully equipped for any future emergency
that might come up, even granting that
the present war can be terminated with
out their assistance.
The State has one source Of cOngratu-
lati0n in regard to the mobilization of the
National Guards, and that is the saving
of expense. Adjutant General Cowles
IS Of the opinion that the total cost in
Cured by the State, aside from the
equipments purchased, will hardly exceed
$1,000, while in Illinois. it is said, the
cost has now exceeded 100000 and the
National Guards of that State are no
nearer in the service of the government
than those in camp at Camp Bryan
Grimes here this week This is n mat
ter General Cowles points to with pride
and he says it shows what little pa
tience will accomplish. Weeks ago
many of the North Carolina National
Guards were ramant to be modified
and if their requests had been needed,
the State would have incurred a debt of
probably 100000. and the troops would
be no further advanced than they are
to-day. General Cowles waited until the
War Department advised him to move
the men, and at the same time the gov
eminent assumed the cost of their main
tcnanco.