The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-11
DON'T KNOW HOW THEY STAND
SOLDIER BOYS sORELY PERPLEx-
ED BY GOVERNMENT ORDERS.


Come Home Find 1t Difficult to
Secure Discharges - The Colonel
Turns Many Down-SecOnd GeOr-
gia Now Likely to Get Out-SoI-
diers Are Well Fixed when They
Leave the ArmY-Privates at Hunts
willie VIII Get From $50 to $50 on
Leaving.
The Second Georgia Regiment may now
be mustered out of the service Of the Uni
ted States, and the Third be kept in. The
joy of the Third caused by the report of
Friday night that it was to be set free
is changed TO sadness, while unbounded
delight has followed close upon the heels
of great sorrow and depression in the
ranks Of the Second.
While the war was in progress the sol
diers in all branches of the service thought
the war department. could not tell one day
what il meant to do the next, orders were
so frequently and continuously counter
manded and revoked, and now that the
clouds of war have been dispersed and
the sweet spirit of peace seems lowering
over the land the men of the Georgia
regiments, who are so greatly interested
in the vital question of their being soon
mustered out of the service, doubtless
have not had their opinion altered
One day the news comes that the Third
is to be mustered out and that the Sec
ond is to be retained in the service, but the
next day the thing is reversed and the
mounrners' bench is occupied by the Third.
The soldiers are kept guessing by the I'M
certainty that seems to distinguish the
department, and they will not rest as
sured that any order will not be revoked
or altered until their desire is at last at
tanned and they are again private citizens
instead of private soldiers.
From all that can be gathered from re-
ports and from those who should be aware
of the situation, 1t would appear that the
proportion Of those who would like TO re-
main and those who would like to get
out of the army is about the same in the
Second as in the Third Regiment. A fair
estimate of this proportion would be
per cent Several weeks ago when there
was considerable disappointment over the
war having closed without their having
gotten an opportunity to go to the front
and distinguish themselves, and when the
men, especially those of the Second Regi-
ment, were not as comfortably situated as
they now are, there was doubtless a larger
percentage that desired to be mustered
out.
Since the Second moved from Tampa to
the far superior camping grounds
in the vicinity of Huntsville, the men are
much more content and there are many
who would like to remain In the service.
Under the promise made by the depart
ment when the men were mustered in
Ihose desiring TO do so may still be SOL
dlers after their commands are mustered
out. Many officers and men have been
heard to express the opinion that when
the time comes for them to choose there
will not be few of the private soldiers
who will elect TO stay in the army.
According to the most recent decision of
the war department. Washington dis
patches state. the First and Second Geor-
| GA Regiments are to be the fortunate
ones in which the men are to be given
| the option Of remaining In or getting OUT
OF the service. Although the plan that
! wall be followed has not yet been announc-
Ell, 1t Is not unlikely that those in these
| two regiments who wish to do so will be
allowed to transfer to the Third Georgia
and TO Rays regiment. Those who are
least impressed with the beauties of army
| life do not hesitate to say that they do
| not believe enough men could be secured
! from the two regiments to be mustered
! out 10 fill out the ranks of the Third
and Rays to their complement. This
means that they do not think as MANY az
lOO men from each Of the regiments would
| care TO wear the uniform of Uncle Sam
any longer than they could help. The
number named is probably about that lack
ing in the Third and Rays to fill their
ranks.
Were 1t not that they feel deep inter
| est in their friends who have remained be-
! hind and whom they know would like to
| q he
| of eX-members of the Georgia regiments
| Who would not care If the commands were
| kept in the service. These are the fortu-
nate ones, as they consider themselves
who have secured honora bic discharges
! There have been many of these more from
the Second than from either of the other
| two regiments, and more from the First
| Battalion, the battalion formed by The
| savannah Volunteer Guards than from
either the Second or the Third Battalion
| of the Second Regiment. Nearly twenty
of the Savannah men have gotten their
discharges, all of which were secured
! through influences brought to bear on the
war department, rather than through the
regular military channels
To secure a discharge from the army
| through military channels, an application
must be made out by an enlisted man,
be Endorsed by the company and regi-
! mental commanders, and be passed upon
by the war department. All that is nee
essary for an application TO receive fav-
orable consideration by the department, it
! Is said is for IL TO bear the Endorsement
| of the captain and the colonel Col Brown
Of the Second Regiment has had many ap-
| plications submitted to him bearing the
Endorsement of the company commanders
of the applicants for discharge, but he had
| not forwarded them all a few days since
| owing doubtless TO there being such a
| number Of them and to his knowledge of
the recognition the department gives appli-
| cations fully indorsed The colonel prob
ably did not wish to appear to be presum-
| ing upon the custom that has been estab-
| lished and have his regiment decmated.
So many discharges have recently been
! secured by men of the Second without
applications having been formally made
that the department wished to shut down
on them. Soldiers who have been working
the wires to get their political friends
| assistance, nave been wired back to get
their colonePs Endorsement and send for
tt,.tr ,1f,,s,t