The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-10
WAITING FOR GEN. LEE.
SEVENTH CORPS COMMANDER EN-
PECTED IN SAVANNAH TODAY.


port to GEN. Lee To-day-NOthins
Yet Done by the City i'm Preparing
the Camp Mt AvOndnIe-MnyOr
yscIdrfm says There VIII BE No
Delay when the city Is Advised
What to DO-MOvement of the
Troops to Be Arranged This After
noon-ordcr in Which the Regi-
ments VIII Come.
The staff officers and aids from the Sew
enth Army Corps, who were expected to
arrive from jacksonville yesterday, reach
ed Savannah this morning at o'clock in
a private car. attached 10 train No rs on
the Plant System. Among those in the
party are: Capt C. b. Baker, quarter
master; Mai. H. ]. McGrath. chief engin-
Ger; Capt. z. St. J. Greble assistant ad-
jutant-general; First Lieut.. c. B. Car
bonef and Second Lieut.. Fitzhugh Lee,
aids
Much interest centers in the coming OF
these officers, who are here for the pur-
pose Of meeting Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, com
mander of the corps, on his arrival from
Virginia to-day, and making such pre-
liminary arrangements as are necessary
for the coming of the corps 10 Savannah,
to embark for Cuba.
The whole party will no doubt be quar-
tered at the De Soto, where a suite of rooms
has been engaged for Gen. Lees head
quarters.
So far nothing has been heard of any
transports for moving the corps to Cuba,
and as the greater part of it at least, viii
doubtless be in camp here for sometime,
there is an important work ahead of these
officers In the matter of arranging the de-
tails for that encampment.
The city authorities have, as yet, receiv-
ed no official notice of the coming of the
troops, either for the purpose of embarka-
ton or encampment. Mayor Meldrim, how
ever, has had reliable information amount
ing practically TO official notice that Sa-
vannah had been selected as the port of
embarkation for troops. But, with regard
to the movement of the Seventh Corps, he
has heard nothing other than the infor-
nation conveyed through the newspapers.
Not having received any official notice
the city has taken no steps toward pro-
viding for a water supply at the Avon
dale tract, further than notifying manu-
facturers of pipe that an urgent order
might be sent in at any minute, as has
been stated.
Not knowing whether the troops ex-
pect to camp here for any length of time
or simply come 10 go right aboard trans
ports" Mayor Meldrim said yesterday,
I'VE are, of course, not in a position to
take any definite action. 1t will take
some time to get pipe here for water
supply, but it will require only about for
ty-eight hours to put it down after it
comes. In view of the expected coming
of the troops, I am inclined to the belief
that il would be a good plan for the COM
mission TO order the pipe at once, to De
used when necessary. 1t would be a
6-lnch iron pipe, such as we frequently
use in laying water mains and such as
we will need very shortly, whether II
be used for the troops or not 1t could
be put i own temporarily for the purpose
of carrying a water supply to the camp,
and then used elsewhere as soon as its
service III that respect had been per-
formed"
Mayor Neldrm lntimated that the mat
ter Of ordering the pipe at once would be
looked into to-day. 1t is said about 5000
feet win be required to carry a water
supply to a central point on the camp
ground, IL is proposed to locate 1t. The
officers of the corps will no doubt see the
city authorities to-day and the plan OF
action is likely to be decided upon at once.
The acting quartermaster of the corps
Capt Baker viii open bids in Jackson
vile this afternoon al 4 O'Clock for the
transportation Of the regiments of the
corps from that city to Savannah. The
two railroads interested the Plant Sys-
TEN and the Florida Central and PENN
suiar. have been notified of this and each
VIII have its bids on hand.
1t is expected that the business will be
divided between the two roads, though
this may not be done equally. 1t has
hitherto been the policy of the war de-
partment to give competing lines a share
of the business that has been done In the
way of hauling troops and their equip
ments. In most cases the movements have
been equaiized the government endeavor-
ing to show no partially. 1t is also con-
sidered that a division will be all the
more likely in this case owing to the in
creased facilities that will be thereby af-
forded Both the roads could move the
troops and their equipment from Jack
eonville to Savannah TO much better adj
vantage than either could alone
The roads have figured on moving ten
regiments each Of LOCO men and forty
five officers. The request for bids asked
that they be made upon the basis Of trans
porting the corps by regiments. Each man
is to be allowed $50 pounds of baggage and
excess viii be charged for,
Telegraphie instructions from Gen. Lee
in which the regiments are 10 move. 1t
viii be in the following order: Ninth Mi
nois, Second South Carolina, Fourth Hi
nois, First Texas one Hundred and Sixty
first Indiana, Second Illinois, First North
Carolina, Forty-ninth Iowa, Fourth Nir-
esnia and Sixth Missouri There are three
other regiments now assigned to the corps
but the order does not state when they
viii move. These regiments are the Third
Nebraska, Second Louisiana and the Sec
ond Cavalry
The acting chief quartermaster has ask
ed the roads TO bid upon the transporta-
ton of the men per capita, excess baggage
sleeping car accommodations, live stock
and camp equipage. They are also 10 state
what notice will be desired in advance Of
a movement. All these things will be taken
into consideration in the award of the
movements, if this is to be done on the
merits of the bids submitted.
In making up the bids both the freight
and passenger departments of the roads