The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-04-26
HoNoRABhY DISCHARGED.
Signal Corps win Not Volunteer and
Places Are Filled With Recruits.


The almost total annihilation of the
second section of the brigade signal
corps of this city is a casualty that
has opened the eyes of many New
Haveners to the results of war on some
militiamen. Of the original corps of
ten men only two remain. They are
Lieutenant Broatch, the officer in COM
mand of the corps, and A. Y. Stilson.
The other eight men who made up the
corps have been honorably discharged
from the militia and their places filled
with recruits, who are ready to volun-
teer for active service as the honorably
discharged men We're not. This rapid
disintegration of the signal corps was
the subject of much adverse criticism
at the armory last evening among both
officers and men of the various COM
panies.
Colonel Burpee said that he could
hardly believe it possible. Other Off
GERS expressed surprise that men
should refuse to give the government
the use of the training which the state
has presumably provided for just such
emergencies as the present. The rea-
son said to have been given by the
honorably discharged signalmen was
that they had bright business prospects
which made 1t necessary for them to
stay at home and leave the work of
signalling to men whose business pros
poets are presumably less bright.
Lieutenant Broatch was seen in re-
gard to the matter last evening. He
1a
Friday to find out how many men of
! the corps would volunteer for regular
service. A meeting was called and
eight of the nine men declined to vol
unteer. The ninth, Mr.. Stilson, stuck
| by his guns, or rather his flags, and
| expressed his willingness to volunteer.
| The eight expressed their readiness to
serve out their enlistments as militia
| men, but said that they would with
| draw in order that men who were will
| ing to volunteer might be enlisted into
| the corps. This was accordingly done
and last evening enough men had en-
| listed to fill the vacancies. Lieutenant
| Broatch politely refused to express an
| opinion on the soundness of the reasons
| given by the eight men who We're hon
| orably discharged. but his opinion was
| easy to guess. The corps ha1 been re-
Gently provided with new bicycles by
the state 1t will take time TO get the
new recruits up to as high standard
| of efficiency as the corps was before
it's annihilation.
| Lieutenant Sears of the machine gun
battery said every member of the bat
| terry would volunteer. The officers OF
| Companies, B, G, d and E all express
| the opinion that the men in their re-
| spective commands will enlist almost
| to man There is every reason to
! suppose that the same will be true OF
Company F. Men having families de-
| pending on them for support will OF
course find it impossible in most cases
| to go out with their companies. Re-
| cruits are forming in at the armory at
| a rapid rate. DR.. Townsend is kept
| busy examining the applicants while
| the new recruits are being broken in
/ by the officers of the companies In
| which they have been enlisted. Thus
far the Light Guard have sixty recruits
| and the old men are said to be ready
to go to a man. The Blues have en-
| listed five men and have thirty-five APP
| plications for enlistment The Sars-
| fields have about sixty, the City Guard
| fifty and the Grays thirty applications
| for enlistment. Lieutenant Goodridge
| is looking for new recruits for the
| Naval Militia and will accept recruits
| up to $50 men or SO, though of course
so many could not be taken into the
First division.
The crowds at the armory are sc
great that last evening a guard Of q
dozen men was furnished by Captain
Smith of the Blues to keep men an6
boys from crowding into the armory
and breaking down the doors.
The Horse Guard had fine drill las
evening. Their annual meeting will bt
held next Monday for the purpose o1
electing civil officers.