The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-02
WAITING FOR THE CALL
MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS THAT
ARE ANXIOUS TO SERVE.
List of Organized Companies Ready
for Duty-Cavalry Regiment Being
FOrmed-Nev National Guard.


only the Governors opinion, but by docu-
mentary evidence IN his possession and the
statements Of scores, even hundreds, of men
interested in the raising of companies and
regiments In the State. The truth of the
situation with regard to the original First
Indiana Volunteer Regiment" organized,
Differed and promoted by Victor NJ. Back
us, Is that the project is Dead so far as
that organization itself IS concerned. Mr..
Backus is just as earnest in his desire to
serve his country as he ever was, but his
regiment Is doomed as a body. AS at first
organized, there we're six companies from
this city and an equal number from out of
town, but, as it is, the regiment is disinte-
grated and it would be impossible to get 1t
together again.
The six companies from this city are dis
banded, while those of Linton, Monticello,
Muncie. Scottsburg, Edinburg and Lebanon
have become merged into companies from
nearby towns that in many cases now form
part of the new Second" Regiment organ
lied under the direction of Peter linn, of
this city, or else were sent to the front in
some of the companies that were raised to
fill up the gaps in the four regiments re-
Gently sent from this State to Chickamauga.
The Second Regiment, because of the fact
that it is organized along the lines laid down
in the Governors plan for filling the second
call for troops, has a chance to be accepted,
in the opinion of it's promoters. Each con-
gressional district, up to the limit, is repre-
scented by a company or two. Indianapolis
has two companies Company A is differed
by Capt z. A Austin, First Lieut.. A N.
Fisher and Second Lieut.. N. E. barrow.
Company B is under Capt Theodore Por-
teus. First Lieut. S. A. Collamore and Sec
ond Lieut.. A. s. Porteus. Company C is from
Kokomo, in the Eleventh congressional dis
trict. The officers are Capt. David A. Me-
grady, First Lieut. Charles S. Butcher and
Second Lieut.. George E. Thorne Company
D, Eighth congressional district, from De-
catur, has Capt. c. M. King, First Lieut..
c. N. Christen and Second Lieut.. j. H. Hell
Ter. Company E, Fourth congressional dis
trict, Seymour, is Differed by Capt. G. G.
Greassle, First Lieut.. George Peter and Sec
ond Lieut.. John M. Lewis. Company F.
Third congressional district, Salem, by Capt.
George w. Elliott, First Lieut.. ]. A Soil
day, Second Lieut.. George C. Clark. Com
pany G., Second congressional district, Bed
ford, by Capt o. P. M. Davis. First Lieut.
J. J. Lynch, and Second Lieut.. M. H. Mes
sick. Company H, Fourth congressional dis
trict, North Vernon, is headed by Capt. B.
w. Hobson. Company I, Second congress
sional district, Princeton, by Capt. w. E.
Simpson Company K, Fourth congressional
district, Madison, Capt. Marcus d. Rem
froe, and Company L, Tenth congressional
district, Fowler, by Capt. J. H. Richey.
Company M is from Jeffersonville, in the
Third district. David H. Drummond is cap
tain
THE o. P. MORTON BATTERY.
Among the organizations which seem to
be successful so far is the o. P. Morton
battery of this city. This company is be-
ing slowly and carefully recruited, it being
the rule of the members that each new ap-
plicant for admission must be vouched for
in every respect by some member of the
company. There are at present 102 members
including officers on the list and the boys
are in no hurry to complete the roster until
the Governor decides that the company will
be available. In the meantime the officers
have been chosen as follows: Captain, James
p. Twiname; first lieutenant, Homer Van
VIE; second lieutenants, Will Allen and
John Ruckelshaus; first sergeant, Ross H.
Ritter, and quartermaster sergeant, A. r.
Irwin. The battery is the creation of Cap
tain Twiname, who was Michigan aHtil-
leryman throughout the civil war. The
scheme has the strong moral support Of
Judge Allen, OF the Circuit Court, whose
son is an officer in the company. Just now
nothing is being done except to wait for
some action on the part of the Governor.
but the company can easily be raised to any
strength that may be desired. The battery
will be first offered to the Governor for ac-
tive service, but if not used will apply
for admission to the National Guard
The new National Guard being organ
lied under the leadership of Lew Wallace,
jr., is going along smoothly with its forma-
ton, and as it is built on sound principles,
is looked on favorably by those interested
in Indiana military affairs. 1t is designed
by Mr.. Wallace to recruit battalion Of
picked men from this city, who as con-
dition of their enlistment will assume the
obligation of being at the absolute call of
the Governor to serve anywhere either in or
out of the State at need. 1t is not the pur-
pose of the organizers to go after great
number OF men so much as to get the right
sort of men on the muster rolls. There
fore while little is said about the work
of recruiting it is because of the fact that
the work needs no booming and because
when the organization is complete it is
hoped to have in the battalion the best of
the manhood of this city. The recruiting
Is going on very satisfactorily and no hurry
is INDUCED in because the nature of the SER
vice demands no haste AS soon as the or
ganlZatlOn is complete there will be an cleo
ton of officers of all grades. Governor
Mount has not indicated a new National
Guard is needed.
NEW CAVALRY REGIMENT.
The promoters of the cavalry regiment in
this State are just now in condition of
great activity as to the probable outcome of
their efforts TO send the regiment to the
front in it's entirety. Governor Mount, 1t is
claimed, has expressed himself as strongly
in favor of such move, but there is a feel
ing Of uneasiness among those identified
with the organization which amounts to a
conviction that there will be hardly more
than a squadron, at best, allowed to go from
this State. At this time there are two squad
rons thoroughly organized in different parts
of the State that have banded together for
a common purpose, that of sending a full
regiment Of three squadrons of cavalry from
Indiana. Many believe it will be impracti-
cable for the authorities to send the men
out on the present call, but it is certain that
If no further call is in prospect great infiu-
ence will be exerted on the Governor to Sc
cure the acceptance of a portion of the men
at least. The way the election of officers
has been carried on is an indication of the
alrymen as to the success Of the regimental
idea.
The organization, as it stands to-day, is as
follows: First squadron organized April 26,
Wallace Sherwood, major conditional on the
squadron being accepteO; first company,
wood, first lieutenant James Collins, sec
ond lieutenant. This company which is from
this city, WILL It is claimed be accepted in
the event cavalry is wanted and, therefore,