The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-08
WAR TALK.
The Naval Reserves and tho Mosquito
Fleet in the Event of War-The Big Gun
for Fort Caswe'l-Orders Issued to All
Enlisted Men of the Naval Reserves
R~esIgnations Don't Hold

for Fort Caswe1-Orders Issued to All
Enlisted Men of the Naval Reserves
Resignations Don't Hold
Nothing that can be termed as truly
exciting transferred yesterday in the
naval and military affairs in this city,
although many matters worthy OF note
and of interest took place.
In this city there are about twenty
five men who hav at one time been
members of the Wilmington -ivision,
Naval Reserves, and enlisted for SER
vice for five years, but before the ex-
piration of that time they resigned.
Their resignation was accepted py uHe
division and their names stricken OH
the roster, but no discharge papers
were gfven them by division, as no
authority was there to dictate such an
act. These men failed to attain their
discharges, which can only be signed
10y the adjutant general, and onse-
quently they are still members OF the
Naval Reserves, and are liable to the
call for active service. To all in the
class just named Commander Geo. l..
Morton had the following ISSUED, viz:
GEO. L. MORTON, Commander,
Commanding U. s. S. Nantucket"
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA,
Headquarters Nava Battalion,
Wilmington, N. c., April 4, 1898.
Special Order No. 2.
Sir:-The North Carolina Battalion
having been ordered on "a war footing
10y the navy department through His
Excellency, the Governor and Com
mander in Chief, you are hereby mott
fed that your name is still on the
battalion roster, no official discharge
having been issued to you. Consequent
ly, you are ordered and directed to re-
port for duty at the Armory of the
Wilmington division on Tuesday night,
April 3, 1898, at 8 o'clock p. m.
Failure to report as ordered will be
summarily dealth with according to
the Articles of War, u. IS. navy, under
which we are now acting.
BY order of
GEO. L.. MORTON,
Commander.
w. M. ATKINSON, Adjutant.
Commander Morton Informed a Mes
senger representative last night that all
the men to whom the above order had
been issued would have to be present
at drill tonight. However, as the had
resigned in good faith, before even a
thought of war, he will give them one
or TWO alternatives, that he will give
them the opportunity of serving their
company or will assist them in obtain
ing an honorable discharge.
Work OF the monitor Nantucket has
not yet commenced, but will prob
ably be shortly, and then ON double
quick time.
Lieutenant Ernent Kinds, of Battery
l., arrived in the city Sunday, and went
down to the fort yesterday.
NEWS OF TWO OF OUR WAR
SHIPS.
The United States buoy-tender, evils
teria," came up the river yesterday
about 2 o'clock, and left for Charleston
about 5 o'clock in the afternoon. Chief
Engineer j. S. O'Brien informed a Mes
senger representative that h double
turret monitor, Puritan" which has
been at Charleston coa1ing and get
ting painted, went to sea yesterday.
The Puritan has been painted a
dark shade of green.
1t is very likely that the Miantono-
NAH will go to Charleston on the same
mission.
THE RESERVES I'm THE WAR.
The following was sent by The Mes
senger's Raleigh bureau yesterdays
THE adjutant general has received
the report of Commander George L..
Norton, of the naval reserves. In this
he says he is recruiting the division to
seventy-five men each and wants per-
mission TO bring them to eiSthty-SiX
each. He thinks that two b%attaTions
should be formed, one of the Whining
ton, Southport and Kinston divisions,
the other of the Newbern, Eliza
beth City and Washington divis-
ions.
He reports as to the inspection of
vessels available for war service; that
as a rule those on this coast are not
we'll suited to the needs of service.
He finds one sea-going tug, which can
mount a ~4-pounder rifle, six tugs for
laying mines; that the steamer Neuse
can mount two 6-pounderS, two
4-pounders and two rapid-fire guns,
and the steamer Wilmington half as
many. He recommends the purchase
of the steam yacht Bessie May, of
Wilmington, as a spar torpedo boat.
A special need is a swift steamer draw
ing nine to ten feet of water and a
very speedy steam launch, both for
work in the sounds and inlets."
A BIG GUN FOR WILMINGTON.
The following special dispatch is TAX
en- from The Plaintield On. j. Press:
New York, March 31.-Contracts for
transporting more big guns to fortifi-
cations along the South Atlantic coast
were awarded yesterday at Ia public
opening of bids, at the office of the
nIiaf IN o,ta,~po $40 - 49, 4Lox