The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-24
TO MOVE IN TWO WEEKS
LIEUT.. WATERWAYS HOPES FOR
THE NEW REGIMENT.
Governor Announces the Omcers for
the 1e1st Indiana-Dr. #. w.
Hays 10 Be Surgeon.

BY Tuesday of next week Lieutenant Wa
ternan, the designated regular army officer
who is to muster the new regiment of vol
unteers, hopes to have the mobilization be-
gin at Camp Mount. 1t will be the policy
to have but one or two companies day
leave home, so that the men may pass the
final physical examination by the regimental
surgeons and be mustered into the service
at once by companies. Until Lieutenant
Waterman received definite instructions
from the War Department yesterday, it was
supposed that the regimentaI surgeons, after
they should have been nominated by the
Governor, would proceed to the various
towns from which the regiment is to be
drawn and there pass upon the companies,
after which they would be followed by
Lieut.. Waterman who would muster them
in by companies before they came to the
rendezvous. But after looking over the sit
uation carefully Lieut.. Waterman reached
the conclusion that this would take too
much time, on account of the remoteness
of towns and the lack of railroad facilities.
Hence the plan of having preliminary ex-
aminations made by local civilian physicians
will be followed. After the companies reach
Camp Mount the men will be passed on by
the regimental surgeons and will be mus
BY this policy the lieutenant hopes that the
entire regiment will be organized and ready
to move to some government camp within
ten days or two weeks.
The lieutenant said that there were on
hand enough rations of a substantial char
acter to serve regiment ten days. He re-
ceived inquiries from Washington yesterday
as to what would be needed in this respect
and designated what would be required.
Considering that the weather is warm the
lieutenant thinks probably the bedding the
State has on hands will be sufficient. There
are no tents, but it is believed the buildings
at Camp Mount will be sufficient to shelter
the men in warm weather. The main thing,
rations, being provided for, the men will
not be to great hardship if they do not have
an abundance of tents and blankets, One
blanket to two men will probably suffice.
Then the policy of having but one or two
companies a day come to Indianapolis will
leave plenty of time to provide for each adj
ditional company that may come. Lieut..
Waterman said he hoped to have the mobii-
cation begin next Tuesday, although it
might be a day or two later dependent on
preliminary medical examinations and other
circumstances.
Information that the Governor has re-
ceived indicates that most of the companies
have been organized with 1O6 enlisted men,
and that physical examinations have been
made Some weeks ago the Governor indi-
Gated to men who were forming companies
that this would be required. Yesterday tel
egrams were sent to the captains of the
various companies asking whether they had
complied with these requirements. When
companies Indicate that they have lived up
to the Governors suggestions, they will be
accepted and ordered here. The order from
the War Department indicates ninety-six
enlisted men as the minimum and log to the
company as the maximum that may be ac-
cepted by recruiting officers. 1t is supposed
that the minimum figure is mentioned to
provide for shrinkage between the prelim-
mary examinations made by local civilian
physicians and the more rigid examinations
that will be made by the regimental sur
geons. Lieut. Waterman had about the same
experience in recruiting the National Guard
of Iowa as the recruiting officers here had
with the Indiana National Guard In Iowa
about 80 per cent. of the men failed to pass
the rigid regular army examination. Here
the percentage was from % to 40. Lieut..
Waterman thinks that with preliminary ex-
aminations being made before the men are
brought here, there should not be more than
10 per cent. of them rejected by the regimen
tai surgeons. Companies that fall below the
minimum of ninety-six men cannot be MUS
tered in by the lieutenant until they have
been recruited. This will give some Indian
apolis men show to step in and take the
places of men from the various towns who
have been passed by local physicians, but
who cannot come up to the regular army
requirements.
Lieut.. Waterman thought that after the
mobilization began it would be possible to
have the entire regiment organized and
ready for service within ten days. 1t is his
hope to have the work well accomplished
by the Fourth of July although he realizes
that there are many difficulties in getting
200 raw recruits ready for entrance into
the army in so short time.