Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-08-01

NEW REGIMENTS WILL CONSIST
OF BUT SIX COMPANIES EACH.
SIX COMPANIES ARE NOW IN Elk
IsTENCE AND SIX MORE WILL BE
ORGANIzED-THE STATUS OF OLD
OFFICERS-THE SECOND REGI-
MENT HAS NO GUNS AS YET-AN
ORDER FROM THE ADJUTANT
GENERAL-RANK OF OFFICERS
Special to the Register.
Charleston, w. Va, July 31..The
resignation of Colonel S. B. Baker as
brigade .adjutant OF the West Virginia
National Guard, has resulted in the re-
moval Of the brigade headquarters to
Charleston. Captain Sims, of the adj
jutant generals office, will act as bri-
gade adjutant temporarily. Who will
be appointed to the position is not
known. Probably no appointment
will be made for, several weeks yet.
The only officer of the First brigade,
West Virginia National Guard, is Gen
eral' George w. Curtain, of Sutton, who
was appointed brigadier general some
months ago. Steps are being taken to
reform two regiments Of the national
guard. At the beginning of the pres
ent war there were two regiments OF
nine companies each. Twelve compa-
.Iies-six from each regiment-were
taken to make up the first volunteer
regiment, and there were left at home
three companies of each regiment.
There were also quite number of
men in the companies which were TAX
en- to form the First regiment of vol
unteers who failed to pass the physical
examination on account of defective
eye sight and other things, and who
are still members of the National
Guard they having enlisted to serve
three or five years. They will go In
to the several companies which are to
form the new guard. While they were
rejected for service in the army they
will be perfectly competent to serve
in the National Guard. 1t seems to
be the intention of the Governor to
form two regiments Of the National
Guard with only six companies each.
With the six companies from the old
guard still intact, there remains only
six more to be formed. The formation
Of the new companies are now under
way.
Captain c. c. Rand is forming COM
pany in Charleston. Captain A. A.
Smith, Jr., is forming a company in
Montgomery, and Captain A. H. Brown
is forming a company in Parkersburg.
AS there are no colonel for either re-
giment, Major r. B. Ash, Of Burton,
will be placed temporarily in command
of the First regiment, and Major Par
ker, Of Hinton, will command temper
arily the Second regiment.
There has been considerable specula
ton as to what will be the status Of the
officers Of the old guard who went into
the service of the United States when
the war with Spain began. These Of
ficers were not given furloughs Gas was
done in some States) to serve while the
the National Guard upon their return,
but were given honorable discharges,
which means that when they return
home after the war is over they will be
out of office unless the Governor shall
BEE fit to call them again into active
service.
There was considerable grumbling
among the officers Of the First regiment
. before they left here on account of heir
\ discharge from the national guard They
/ thought that their willingness to enter
Ahe service to fight for their country
should not operate to deprive them of
their official standing at home. Their
2rNtest against discharge was. however
Df no avail. On their return from the war
they will be placed on the supernumerary
list to be called into service in the ma
tiona1 guard when they are needed. AS
the new national guard regiments will
PROBABLY De 1OrmeU Wltnln q snort time,
there will be no room for the old officers
Z Ind they will probably be practically out
IF the service.
The Second regiment has never receiv
I'd their guns, and are consequently grow
Ing very impatient. Since peace negotia-
lions are going on they have about lost
hope of distinguishing themselves on the
field of battle. However, the regiment
become quite proficient. With a few days
of handling the guns the Second regi-
ment would be prepared to do some fine
fighting, if they only had opportunity.
The Governor had not, when he left
here Friday to join his family at Atlantic
City, received any assurance from the
War Department that the First regiment
now at Chickamauga, would be sent to
the front
The adiutant general has just issued
General Orders No. I, as follows:
''The President of the United States
having called upon the governor Cor one
regiment of infantry for the volunteer
army of the United States, under procla-
nation of June %, 1898, a regiment will be
formed of the provisional regiment at
Camp Atkinson, near Charleston, to be
known as the Second regiment of West
Virginia volunteer infantry, and the fol-
lowing officers are hereby appointed to
the positions of rank and command set