The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-22
A HOST OF VOLUNTEERS
ENOUGH COMPANIES FORMING TO
DUPLICATE NATIONAL GUARD.
Lieut.. Mays Schedule for Moving
TrOops-ROster Of Two Local Conn
panies-City Employees.

The Governor and adjutant general have
long since ceased planning about the for
NATION of the first" regiment to be sent
by Indiana in response to the Nations call
for troops. The theory that the full Indiana
National Guard would be called for has
taken possession of the con mander in chief
and HIS right-hand man and they are now
figuring on the manner in which the voIun-
teer regiments shall be raised. The Gov
ernor believes that the War Department at
Washington will follow out a plan in line
with the recommendation made in the petit
ton sent to the President Wednesday by
the state officers. He believes the first call
will be for enough troops to make a dem
onstration that will impress Spain with the
power and resources of the Nation, and
which may result in quickly terminating
the war.
Adjutant General Gore said yesterday
that, while he had received nothing in the
nature of an order or official communica-
ton on the subject, ne was satisfied that
the first call would be for the entire bri-
gade of the Indiana National Guard. THE
question which is now occupying my mind"
he said, lis that of raising volunteer regl-
ments. 1t seems to me now that Indiana
will be called upon to furnish all her
guardsmen al the first call and it is we'll
enough to prepare for a second CALL which
would likely come in a short time. / be-
lieve the number of troops to be raised
ought to be apportoEed according to the
population of the sections of the State. Dur
ing the civil war the number was divided
equally among the congressional districts"
1t is said at the Governors office that
there are enough companies, over and above
the National Guard. formed throughout the
State to more than double the number of
troops that could be raised by calling out
the entire National Guard. There is great
rivalry among those engaged in the patri-
otto work of organizing these companies as
to which shall be called into service first
Ex-Governor Matthews is among the first
to apply for permission to raise regiment
and there are a number of others in the
State who have applied for this privilege
V. M. Backus of this city, has already the
nucleus of a regiment and will have one or
gained before the call is made. Both these
men cannot so from this city with regi-
ments without causing feeling among
those of other sections of the State which
have regiments in the course of formation.
The Governor was besieged yesterday by
men of military inclination. A score of them
wanted commissions to raise regiments or
companies and hundred others wanted to
get into the service as volunteers in any ca
pacity that the Governor might name All
were informed that there was no authority
vested in the Governor for the commission
ing of men for this purpose. All were given
to understand, however, that they were
working in the right line lin preparing for
the emergencies of war which might come.
In case that volunteers are called for COM
panies or regiments already formed will,
doubtless, be given preference. The mail of
the day at the Governors office was. the
heaviest since the war scare has been on.
1t was expected yesterday that the call
for the National Guard would surely come
When the word was received from Wash
ington that Minister Woodford had been
given his passports and had left Madrid
before he could submit to the Spanish gov
eminent the Presidents uItimatum and
that the North Atlantic squadron had
started for Havana, the feeling was that
war was on and 1t was believed the War
Department would hesitate no longer about
issuing the call. 1t had not come at the
time Col. c. e. Wilson, war secretary to
Commander in Chief Mount closed the Gov
errors office for the night
1t is probable that Lieutenant May, United
States army. the instructor of the Indiana
National Guard, will be sent to the front
in some capacity in connection with the In
diana National Guard. His regiment, now
stationed in Arizona, was not included in
the call for the mobilization of the regular
troops. He was asked yesterday what he
thought of the situation. II think there is
no need for a large number of troops ne
said. 1.-THE first proposition to call out
eighty thousand of the National Guard, I
think. is good one This number of troops
could drive the Spanish out of Cuba in a
short time, before the ill effects of the cl-
mate began to tell on the Americans. This
would probably end the war;