The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-07
EauIPPrNG THE STATE TROOPS.
savannah Military Fixed for Cam
paign Work.

Col. W. W. Gordon and Capt. Jordan F.
Brooks are expected back this morning
from Atlanta. where they have been dur
ing the last two days in attendance upon
the meeting of the state military advisory
board.
The meeting of the board was a very
important one, the main question. as sta
ted in the Morning News dispatches, be-
ing that of placing the volunteer troops
of the state on war footing in view of
the possibility that their services may be
needed. AS stated in the Morning News
the committee in charge of the matter of
equipments have $4,000 at it's disposal.
This includes the annual appropriation 10
the military by the state of So, 900, the
governments appropriation of not quite
$4,000. and the special appropriation by
the state for overcoats
1t seems that the board has decided TO
lump all its funds and make the whole
available in case of emergency. If there
should be trouble with Spain the boys
would get all the camping out they would
want without going to Griffin or Chicka-
manga.
If there should be no trouble with Spain
money enough will probably be held out
for an encampment of those commands
The question of equipment is a very i'm
portant one in view of possible campaign.
The Savannah troops are fairly well equip
ped, barring tents and mess outfits chief
~ at their own expense. They have over
coats, blankets, knapsacks, blanket bags
and other military paraphernalia. The
Savannah troops paid for their own over
coats and much of the rest of their out
fits and If the overcoat appropriation is
will Alaah IA oil
instead Of being issued overcoats. Probably
half the state militia are without over
coats, blankets and other needed equipment
for campaign work and thorough out
fitting of the force would eat a big hole
in the committees fund
Col. A. r. Lawton, commanding the First
Regiment Infantry, said yester-
uay that his men are fully
equipped with the exception of tents and
mess kits. He received 100 shelter tents
the other day. The shelter tents come in
halves, each half being given TO a soldier
and when tent is put up it shelters two
men. Col. Lawton said that al least 100
more halves are needed for his regiment
a requisition for mess kits has been made
and viii probably be honored.
Besides equipment for the men, there
are many other things to be considered in
placing a regiment on a war footing" said
Col Lawton. There must be baggage
wagons and teams to transport the bag
gage, provisions and supplies, and the pro-
visions and supplies must be had of
course. The item of transportation Is a
very considerable one. Tt costs money to
handle large body of troops. War is an
expensive luxury nowadays"
The soldier will have a considerable bur-
den to carry when he is in heavy marching
order Besides his gun and his cartridge
belt, he will have his blanket bag. con-
tanning his blanket, his clothing and sup
plies. On top of that will be strapped his
overcoat Besides this, he will have a
canteen, a mess kit and few other tri-
fles. When it is all added up the soldier
has a pretty hefty load. He soon gets
used to II, though, and then he is not al
ways in heavy marching order Often it
is light marching order. Campaigning
win be more than play though, should
the boys ever try it.