The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-24
SEVERAL IMPORTANT ORDERS
ISSUED BY SECRETARY OF WAR AL
GER AND GENERAL MILES.
Fully Three Thousand Troops Now
Camped in Chickamauga Park-Na-
tioRaI Guard Active.

rangementS for holding the large number
of men called for. Then a decision to make
Washington, Richmond and Atlanta points
of concentration for the levies involved a
good deal of preparatory work to make
ready for the reception of the men at these
points. A later order creating a grand
army division in the Department Of the
South preliminary to q general advance on
Cuba by transports in support of Captain
SIMPSONS squadron was also regarded as
Of the gravest Importance. The order
seemed to indicate that General Brooke is
to have the honor of commanding the army
of invasion directly, at least in the begin
ming.
The President to-day called on the people
of the United States for the first time in
thirty years to manifest their martial
strength, this time the call being upon a
united people to go forward to battle with a
foreign foe The fact that the secretary Of
war created a new army corps, taken to-
gether with other news of to-day, showed
that the regular army soon will move on
Cuba and that meanwhile the volunteers
will be equipped and drilled. The Presi-
dents proclamation, while actually issued
was not certified to the Governors of the
States and Territories, and will not be until
Monday. The reason is twofold. In the
first place, the War Department desires to
avoid destroying the present organization
of the National Guard, which is to be called
into service first. The guard regiments are
composed of twelve companies, and, being
Differed more numerously than the regular
army regiments, would have to be changed
to correspond to the army organization in
order to comply with the law as it exists
The pending Hull bill, however, provides
for meeting just such an emergency and
permits the use of the National Guard
organized. This consideration is more i'm
portant than would appear at first,
inasmuch as many of the National Guard
have volunteered only under condition that
they may serve as now organized. The
second consideration which influenced the
department in postponing the certification
of the call until Monday is desire to make
sure that adequate arrangements can be
completed by the quartermaster's and COM
missary departments for transporting and
feeding the large number of men called for
This is no light task, as volunteers must be
taken by the government at a certain point
in each State where they are to be collected
by the Governors.
LEE MAY BE MAJOR GENERAL
kilograms have been coming from almost
every section of the country to Secretary
Alger from Governors and militia officers
conveying information as ito the length of
time. surprisingly short in many cases. that
would be required by them to gather their
forces ready for muster. The men, as fast
as mustered in by regular army officers in
the various States, will be brought to one
of three great depots, namely, Washington,
Richmond and Atlanta, where there will be
Of
ern army tactics. The fact that Richmond
is named as one of these points is taken in
some quarters as an evidence that Ftzhugh
Lee is to receive a volunteer commission
either as one of the four major generals or
one of the nine brigadier generals provided
for in the volunteer bill, for it is believed
that it was largely at his instance that
Richmond was selected as one of the points
of concentration.
In anticipation of the certification Of the
Presidents call vast number of kilograms
ard letters have begun to flow upon Secre-
tary Alger offering the services of the
senders volunteers in the army. So nu-
merous are these communications that the
secretary has been obliged to request the
press to notify the people that such COM
munications should be directed to the Gov
ernors of their respective States and Ter
ritories. as he has no authority under the
law to accept volunteers directly.
The formation of grand army corps in
the Department of the South, with head
quarters at the three gulf ports is an evil
dence that the government is to move upon
Cuba at once with the troops of the regu-
lar army, leaving the volunteers just called
for to be disciplined and worked into shane
for future use in the campaign. The formal
order for the creation of this grand army
division, issued at the War Department at
the close of office hours, was as follows:
GRAND ARMY CORPS.
BY direction of the secretary of war. the
following orders of the President are pub
lished for the information and guidance of
all concerned:
/. The United States troops assembled in
the Chickamauga National Park will form
an encampment, TO be known as Camp
Geo. H. Thomas and will constitute tenn
porarily an army corps under the command
of Maj. Gen. John r. Brooke. This corps will
consist of one division of cavalry. one di-
vision of infantry and one brigade OF light
artillery. The cavalry ana infantry divi-
sions viii each be composed of not more
than three brlgades consisting of three or
more regiments each. The artillery brigade
Will be composed of two battalions, each
comprising five batteries. The corps COM
mander viii assign the senior officers pres
ent for duty with each arm to the COM
mand OF divisions and brigade
q The infantry regiments concentrated at
New Orleans, Mobile. and Tampa, are con-
stituted divisions. Under the command of
Brig Cen. williafn 81. Shafter. Brig. Gen.
John r. Copplnger and Brig. Gen James f.
vraHa rnSuacffvelv The ffvamfon rora-