Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-16
TWENTIETH TO co TO MANILA
Regiment at Fort Leavenworth Ordered
West Immediately.
lTS ROUTE LIES VIA SAN FRANCISCO
Movement TO he Conducted on the
Basis of Three Years Stay In the
Philippines-Strengt of the
Regiment mt Present.

regiment 0t fresents
Orders have been received at the head
quarters Of the Department OF the Missouri
for the transfer OF the Twentieth infantry
from Fort Leavenworth to San Francisco
in readiness to be moved to Manila. The
! orders call for the movement in time for
the troops to embark on the transport Scan
dia, now at San Francisco, allowing as lit
tie time as possible for the soldiers to re-
main in the city before sailing.
The enlisted men OF the regiment are to
be carefully inspected and those who are
married, sick, or whose term Of enlistment.
expires within three months and who do
not express a willingness to re-enist, are to
be discharged from the service or trans
ferred to other regiments which will be
kept in the country.
Commissioned and non-commiss!oned Of
fcers will be allowed to take their families
with them on the transport and mounted
officers may take their horses
The orders are that the command shall
be put in condition as to equipments and
clothing for service in the islands Of
two or three years.
The orders dispose OF the theory that the
troops were to be sent to New York and
thence to the Philippines by way Of the
Suez canal.
Department officers at headquarters are
busy today making arrangements for carry
ing the orders into effect. kilograms have
been sent to San Francisco to learn the
probable date for the sailing Of the Scan
dia and the moving Of the troops will de-
pend upon this date. Captain Baxter, the
quartermaster, and Major Duval, the COM
missary, are at work planning for the equip
ment and stores necessary for the journey
and the quartermaster is also preparing to
advertise for transportation. Major Koer-
per, the surgeon, is listing the medical
supplies which the regiment will need and
all the officers are busily engaged in the
work incident to the moving OF about 1900
men.
Strength of the Regiment.
Tuesday morning the strength OF the
regiment was: Present and absent, 43 Of
icers and 1,112 men; present. 81 officers and
1,044 men. The regiment therefore needs
165 recruits to fill it up to its full strength
which is 1877 men. The losses which will
occur by discharges or transfer will prob
ably be double the number Of recruits now
necessary to fill the regiment.
The field hospital supplies are all ready
packed and Grated and cots and bedding are
also ready to be shipped.
Dr. Van Tuyl, acting assistant surgeon,
DR.. McCallum and Lieutenant butcher, as
sistant surgeon. will be the surgeons who
will accompany the regiment besides one ex-
perienced hospital steward, two acting stew
ards and thirteen privates. Acting Steward
Altman and seven privates will be taken
from the post hospital. The steward and
the other acting steward, with six privates,
are expected to arrive at the post soon to
join the regiment.
Brigadier General ]. H. Patterson, United
States volunteers, formerly lieutenant colo
mel Of the Twenty second infantry who
was seriously wounded at Ell Caney, is colo
mel OF the Twentieth infantry, but Is at
present detached as chief mastering officer
for New Jersey 1t is not yet known whether
he will accompany the regiment to Manila.
The regiment Is now in command Of Lieu
tenant Colonel w. S. McCaskey OF the Sec
ond infantry, formerly stationed in Omaha.
1t Is expected now that orders for the
movement Of other regiments In this depart
ment will follow this one in due time, but
the War department seems disposed to
profit by experience and not order any
movement until 1t is prepared to properly
handle and care for the men. In other
words, troops will not be sent to San Fran
cisco to put up temporary camps while
waiting for the transports to get ready. The
Scandia has been in port several weeks.
and is now believed to be ready to start
on another voyage, SO that when the troops
reach that city they may 60 on board with
out any delay. 1t is not probable that more
than one regiment will go on this transport
as 1t will also carry q large stock OF stores
for the men already in the Philippines.
Two Other Regiments Going.
The Twelfth and Twenty-second regi-
ments Of United States infantry will follow
the Twentieth to Manila via San Francisco
within very short time. The Twelfth is
now located at Jefferson Barracks near st.
Louis. Mo- The Twenty-second is stationed
at Fort Crook.
The other three regiments of the regular
infantry that will go to the Philippine
islands will go via the eastern route,
through the Suez canal and the Red sea.
This will evenly divide the movement be-
tween the eastern and the western routes.
three regiments going in each direction.
Information to the above effect was given
to the railroads in this city by the De-
partment OF the Missouri, U. s. A., yesterday
afternoon. Immediately thereafter the west
ern lines set their freight and passenger
rate clerks at work preparing bids to be
submitted for the western movement within
few days. 1t is probable that the regi-
ments may start to San Francisco within
week 1t was announced that the Twen-
tieth Is not in condition to move yet, but
1t will be put In such shape as soon as pos
sibfe.
The news that three regiments will travel
via the western, instead Of all going by the
eastern route, was welcome news to the
officials OF the transmissouri lines. who had
been dsconsoate since 1t was first given
out that all six regiments would go to the
Atlantic seaboard and sail from there.
Department Notes.
Lieutenant Colonel J. v. D. Middleton,
deputy surgeon general U. S. A., who has
been stationed at San Francisco, retired yes
terday on account Of reaching the age limit,
and 1t is expected that Major e. A. Koerper,
chief surgeon for the Department Of the
Missouri, will be promoted to the vacancy,
as he is the ranking major in the medical
corps.
Seven recruits for Fort Crook came IN
from the east yesterday morning Three were
former members Of the Sixth Illinois. who
were at Porto Rico. and four were from the
Eighth Ohio. who were at Santiago. They