The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-05
TO RE MUSTERED TO-DAY.
Gen. Mckee Asks the Privilege of
Naming His Own StaR.


The most important development of the
day regarding the muster of the Indiana
troops was a piece of information which
came to the Journal through a private chan
mel and which justified the assertion of Gen.
Mckee to the effect that Colonel Wriah t
would go with the Indiana troops Iieuten-
ant May, in an interview, stated that it
was beyond his power to muster in anything
but four regiments, with their leaders and
the artillery. that the selection of staff Off
GERS of brigades a, function that was
exercised wholly by the War Department.
This, he said, did not include the general s
personal aids. He stated that it was gener-
ally the policy throughout the country in
mastering in brigade of volunteer troops
under a volunteer general to appoint to his
staff as executive officers regular army men
who would thus give the brigade the bene-
mt of their experience and training He sup
posed that in this case the same rule would
follow. Developments in the headquarters
of General Mckee, however, make it APP
pear that whatever may be done in this re-
spect in other States Indiana will have none
of it. In proof of this the general yesterday
sent request to Governor Mount who is
the only person authorized to present the
matter to The War Department asking that
he be allowed TO choose the members of his
virtually an intimation that Il strong effort
is making to have the entire Indiana guard,
as at present constituted. from General Nc
kee to the latest recruit, assimilated by
the War Department as it stands to-day
The general. in his efforts TO keep all his
men with him, yesterday telegraphed to
Senator Fairbanks, at Washington asking
him to request that the State quota be in
creased in order that the third battery,
which is Company G, of Dana, may be in
cluded in the artillery complement and that
he be allowed to take with him the full sig
nal corps of the Indiana guard When Lieu
tenant May was asked as to the propriety
OF General Mckee'S request that he be al
lowed to choose his own staff he said that
doubtless, the request of the Governor i'm
the matter would be honored by the War
Department. Thus IL viii be seen that Gen.
Mckee was not speaking blindly when he
stated to the Journal that Colonel Wright $
position with the brigade was assured
Lieutenant May stated that many things
were allowed volunteer regiments and bril-
gadeS that were not a part of the regular
army regulations. He cited, as an example
the allowing of majors to take with them
their battalion adJutants. Preliminary to
the mastering in of the different companies
to-day there will be in each company the
appointment Of six additional corporals,
making total in each company of twelve
which is one of the exactions of the regular
army footing. The medical examination
which precedes the muster has been ac-
cording TO the wish of Lieutenant Nav
placed in the hands of the surgeons of the
different regiments. with the only restric.
tion that no regimental surgeons will ex-
anime the men of their own bodies Those
who were assigned to the Fourth Regiment
will examine the men In the First those In
the First will care for the men in the Sec
ond. The medical staff of /the Second will
lcok into the condition OF the men of the
Third while the surgeons of the Third will
put the men of the Fourth through their
amined ii was at first his intention TO mus
ter them in with their tsfiawers al once but
he stated that e this plan was impracti-