The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-26


AND OFFICERS - TH1RTEENTITs
RECRUITS HAVE MADE A HIT.
Lieutenant Colonel G. G. Mates, of
the Thirteenth regiment, but who was
by courtesy entitled to be addressed
as Colonel" before he left Camp Alger,
Va, yesterday morning, reached home
last evening. He is here on leave or
absence of ten days, but would shorten
his stay If the regiment was ordered
to move, contingency not liable TO
materialze, judging from Tribune re-
porter's interview with Colonel Mates
at his home on jefferson avenue last
evening. Until his return to camp,
Major Stilwell will be in command OF
the regiment.
When asked about the appointment
of Colonel Coursen to a brigadier gem
eralship and the consequent shifting of
several of the Thirteenth's officers,
Colonel Mates said:
"Over $4,000 men were in Camp AL
ger when 1 left this morning and no
doubt several regiments have arrived
since then. Until yesterday there was
no regulation division organization
from the fact that there were not
enough commands there to make di-
vision. General Graham found it nee
essary finally to divide the regiments
into brigades and to name the senior
colonel of each brigade it's acting brig
adler general.
Until / left camp / was in command
of the regiment by Colonel Coursen's
orders, but not it's colonel. l was act
ing commander of the regiment in the
same sense that he is now acting as
brigadier general. That rank could not
be fully attained without formal ap-
pointment from Washington.
A SECOND DIVISION.
"Outside our division, which is the
First division, there were this morn
| ing three regiments, newly arrived and
| unassigned, in camp. They are the
nucleus of another division, the Sec
ond, which will be divided into bri-
| gades as soon as a sufficient number
| Of new regiments are in camp.
I'VE have not had opportunity to
pass final judgment on General Gra-
| ham, who is in command Of the camp
| and our corps, the Second, but every
| thing indicates that he will be popular
| with the officers and the ranks. He is
|
| bad soil, bad drilling grounds, delay
in furnishing supplies and other an
| noyances which featured our arrival or
| are continuing. Neither is General
| Counter, who was first in command
| there, to blame. The latter was with
out instructions and without orders
| other than TO take charge of the camp
until General Graham's arrival.
| nd a
firm way General Graham has begun
trying to get things in proper shape.
There are no frills on him and the
boys like him for this agreeable dis
appointment as they had the impress
sion that a major general was a Great
ure of much fuss and feathers who had
little direct thought for the rank and
file. He walks as we'll as rides about
the drills and parts of the camp and is
alert to detect anything that needs his
attention.
IAN incident the other day Illus
trates General Graham's character. He
and several aides We're out in a heavy
rain and on account of their cloaks and
bedraggled appearance got we'll upon
our lines before their rank was de-
tected. Adjutant Mates was in charge
|
out the guard. The general, noting
the movement, urged his horse from q
slow trot into a canter and hurried
through, calling out Never mind the
guard, adjutant; this rain isn't pleas
ant for the boys 1t was only a little
thing but it shows that common sense
and a consideration for other people
are qualities possessed by Genera
l - I,1,,1, ,hl nr1 Of hi 20,
, red tape.
FINE LOT OF RECRUITS.
Recruits? I'm glad you ask M
about them. l think the Thirteenth
has the most intelligent, respectable
and best put-up lot of recruits in tn
division. They are disappointed tina
I the regiment is not fully equipped
and recruits naturally suffer from tina
but they console themselves with tn
fact that they are part and parcel O
the command and that it cannot Sc
| | active service without them. They ar
becoming very proficient in drill. Il
g | many cases it is difficult to pick tn
recruit from the veteran member"
/ Colonel Mates said things when ask
= ed about the camp site. lie could no
n relate any one redeeming feature abou
: 1t. The only available drill groun
near the Thirteenth was. none to
large for a battalian and would no
- permit much manouevering of tn
!, whole command. Since the first sun
: ply of ten-day rations had been eX
5 hausted or exchanged Tor better stuf
there had been no complaint othe
e than was always experienced in
i regular army camp. The men wer
: learning to use the buzZacOtt stove
e and in other ways hardening into til
life of the soldier. The fact that sicl
: ness had been conspicuous only fC
its absence showed how soldering
Il was agreeing with them.
+ Much restlessness had been avoide
a Colonel Mates said, in the belief thf
y the troops from Camp AlGer would
s. the first ordered into active duty aft'
II those at Chckamauga were dispose
Of The equipping and supplying {
= the latter, he said, accounted for VIII;
= might otherwise look like neglect
A the Virginia camp.
XII Private John Malta, of Company
Y returned home on the same train wit
Y Colonel Mates. He is here to after
Of Is 20 10