The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-12-06
THE v MALTA
Commander George l.. Morton Reclee-
ted TO That Position by the Line on
GERS Of the North Carolina Naval Hat
TALON Yesterday

| In accordance with the recent gen
eral orders of the adjutant general of
North Carolina authorizing the reor-
ganization of the state guard, the line
officers OF the North Carolina Naval
Battalian met in this city yesterday
afternoon at $3.50 o'clock for the pur-
pose of electing field officers.
The following officers. representing
four OF the five divisions of the a
TALON. were in attendance.
Lieutenant w. B. Coleman. Of the
Kinston Division.
Lieutenant T. c. Daniels, of the New
Bern Division.
Lieutenant. Junior Grade. Percy
Canaday, OF the Southport Division.
Lieutenant n. II. McIlhenny, Lieu
tenant Junior Grade r III. McKoy
and Ensign H. L. Miller. OF the Will
mington Division.
The Elizabeth City Division had no
representative present. 1t was repre-
sented by proxies. and absent officers
OF the other divisions also sent proxies.
The senior officer, Lieutenant Nc
1lhenny, presided, and Lieutenant Dan
iels acted as secretary.
After routine business, the meeting
entered into the election OF field offi-
GERS.
Lieutenant Coleman nominated Com
mander George l.. Morton, OF Will
mington. for commander OF the bat
talon. and he was unanimously re-
elected by reclamation.
On motion the election of a lieuten-
ant commander was proposed.
Lieutenant Canaday nominated Nav
igator T. NJ. Morse, of the Southport
Division, for navigator, and he was
unanimously reelected by acclama-
ton.
After the election, Commander Nor
ton appeared before the meeting and
was greeted with applause. He ad-
dressed the meeting, expressing his
thanks for the honor n this renewal
of trust and confidence. He assured
the battalion hat he would use his
utmost endcavorS in behalf OF the ma
val militia and officially informed the
officers that he had secured for the
use of the battalion as a training ship
the United States steamship Hornet,
which was one of the converted yachts
used as an auxiliary cruiser during the
war with Spain. He stated that the
Hornet was expected to arrive i'm VIII
mington in ten days or two weeks. He
also stated hat he was making eff
forts to secure small steamers for the
use of each of the divisions. He an
n that he would appoint his
staff officers, some eighteen in number.
at some future time. selecting them
equally from the different divisions in
the battalion. His remarks were heart
lily a~pplauded.
| Commander Morton also read a let
ter from Lieutenant F.. A. Anderson,
of the United States steamship Sando-
val, which letter appears in full in the
proceedings of the Chamber of Com
merce in another column of The Mes
senger this morning. Lieutenant An
derson informs Commander Morton
hat he will be here in about ten days
with the Sandoval and bring with him
several trophies captured from the
| Spaniards during the wal and which
will be presented to the naval militia
of North Carolina. Commander Nor
ton also announced the appointment
of Lieutenant H. H. McIlhenny, Lieu
tenant Junior Grade r. H. McKOy and
Ensign H. l.. Miller as a committee tC
make arrangements for a formal &C.
ceptance of the trophies and make
preparations for the entertainment OF
Lieutenant Anderson and Lieutenant
Blue, who will accompany him tC
Wilmington.
The mea-!ng then adjourned.
Commander Morton and all the line
officers who attended the meeting, ex.
cept Lieutenant Canaday and Ensigr
Miller, left last night at 7:15 O'CLOCK
for Philadelphia to attend the meeting
of the National Association Of the Ma
val Militia Of the several states, which
will be held in that city today and TO
morrow.