The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-10
GUARDS ABOUT READY TO GO.
FOUR COMPANIES WILL BE RE-
C3UITED TO-DAY.

From the Country-SurgeOn Jar
reIPs Busy Day-HOw the VOIun-
teers VIII Go 10 Camp-The Oath of
Allegiance Taken When Mustered
Into Serveice.
The four companies of the Savannah
Volunteer Guards going to war will be
completed in their numerical strength by
noon to-day. This is the opinion of the
officers of the battalion and there seems
to be every reason to indicate that such
will be the case.
A number of recruits were received yes
terday, and many arrived from neighbor-
ing points last night, who win be counted
in with the men already on the rolls kept
at the arsenal. Some of the men who have
been enrolled by the recruiting officers.
who went out into the country, will ar
rive in the city this morning.
Several officers and men of the battalion
having been doing good work in the way
of raising recruits during the last few
days. Lieut. Newell West was over In
Tattnall county yesterday, and wired tina.
he would be back late al night with
twenty men. Lieut.. Wright Hunter and
Corpl. John McDonough will return this
morning with about twenty men, it is said,
from Louisville. Private c. J. Hunter OF
Company got in yesterday with six re-
cruits he had gathered along the line of
the Georgia and Alabama Railroad. Prr-
vate B. H. Williamson of Company D
was expected back late last night from
Jesup, where he had gone to bring up a
party of ten. The addition of all these to
the ranks will give the four companies
their maximum number, even after some
of the men are thrown out on account of
inability to stand the medical examination.
Lieut.. j. G. farrell, assistant surgeon
OF the First Regiment began the examina-
ton OF the men of the four companies
yesterday morning. He made very good
progress, examining 125 during The day.
rory OF this number, however, were mem
bers OF the Chatham Artillery. The ex-
animation of that command had not been
completed, and as it was to leave las:
night, Lieut.. FARRELL devoted his time to
hhishlng UP his work with them
VI the l25 men examined twenty were
thrown out on account of physical defects.
The proportion rejected in both the Guards
ana The Galatians was about the same.
WIN one or two exceptions, all the old
members Of both commands were passed,
those thrown out being the recruits who
had been taken in. 1t was found that
there was rather a large percentage Of
these who had physical disabilities that
preclude their giving good service in the
aruuous duties of the field and camp
Inc examination Of the Guards will be
continued to-day. Lieut.. FARRELL will begin
his work at o'clock, and continue until
II, when rest of half an hour viii he
taken. Ee will then resume and stop al
when an hour viii be had for dinner. AT
3 he will again start. and at he will con-
Guide his days labors. Lieut. farrell be-
lives he will finish The examination of the
men by tomorrow night Three or four
of the officers have been examined and
have passed.
The proportion of recruits rejected IL
rather larger than was Anticipated bur
the officers do not fear that enough viii
not remain to enable them to fill the com
panies to their limit. Company d, Can't.
Hopkins, has already between ninety and
one hundred men, and il can easily stand
the depletion that will be caused by the
examination. Fifty of the men of Com
Pany d were examined yesterday Com
pany Il, Capt Screven, has eighty-five
men enrolled. The other two compa MES
Aaand Z, are progressing satisfactorily.
Company A has seventy men, and G Is
not very far behind. The members of ali
the companies are greatly elated with the
success that has been achieved in getting
recruits
Company D and Company B will leave
tomorrow morning. The remaining COM
panies will leave Thursday and Friday
one on each day. Which of these two. A
or {, will leave first has not yet been de-
termned. Col. Garrard has decided to
send the men up in the morning. rather
than at night, as they will be less used
up by day than by a night trip.
lt IS not thought there will be any com
mands acting as escorts when the Guards
ieaVe. Ihe.r going in detachments and in
the day will preclude many members of
other commands, which would otherwiee
act as escorts, from turning out. There
will doubtless be a great manv Deonle
down at the train to see the men off how
ever. Most of the members of the Guards
who will remain behind will go down to
tell their comrades goodby.
The departing companies will not be fully
armed and equipped. The Guards have
not enough rifles and equipment to supply
all who VIII go, and only a few extra RI
fles and part of the equipment and ac-
couterment of the companies Of the Vol
unteer Guards will be taken by the vol
unteers. As far as may be possible the
service uniforms consisting of blue fan
mel shirts and jeans trousers, will be worn
Only very few clothes and necessary ar
ticles will be taken to camp from Savsn
nah by each man. The company COM
manders will impress upon their men the
advisability of everything being made up
into compact package by each man.
The arms and accouterments that will
be carried away by the troops belong to
the state. Orders have been received from
the adjutant general to send the men
armed and quipped as far as possible
There will be plenty of rifles left at the
arsenal to arm the members of the Volun-
teer Guards who will remain. Those
taken away by the volunteer commands
will be sent back to Savannah from orif
fin as soon as they are supplied with other
arms and equipment by the government.
The volunteer forces of Georgia win Re
armed with the Krag-Jorgensen riAea
Col. Garrard says his command win have
the magazine guns. and Col I.awton
commanding the First Regiment stated
before leaving for camp that Lieut. Kirk
man. U. s. A. who is acting as quarter
master at Griffin for the volunteers from
Georgia, asked him when he was last in
Atlanta what style of rifle he desired. The
Krag -Jorgensen or the Springfield. Col