The age-herald., 1898-10-04
MORE TROOPS
 FOR PORTO RICO Three Regiments Ordered tO Proceed
 to the Island. SOLDIERS AT CAMP MEADE WiL Soon Be Moved to Points Through
 out the South.
SOLDIERS AT CAMP MEADE
REORGANIZATION IS NECESSARY
The War Department is Overwhelmed With Requests for Mus tering Indi- viduals Out ofV Volunteer Service
 Tired of Soldier Life.

Washington, October 9.-The war depart
 ment has decided to send more troops to Porto Rico Orders have been issued di-
 recting that the Fifth Regular cavalry now
 at Huntsville, Ala, the Sixth United States
 Volunter infantry, now at Chickamauga, and the Forty-seventh New York at Fort
 Adams, shall proceed to such port in Porto Rico as may be desired by the commanding
 general in that island. The Eighth United
 States Volunteer infantry and two com
 panies of the Indiana colored volunteers now at Fort Thomas, Ky, will relieve the
 Sixth Volunteer infantry at Chickamauga. All the troops at Camp Meade will soon be ordered to points in the south. Some of them may go to Cuba, but the majority will for the present occupy the new camps re- gently selected in Georgia and South Caro- lima. It is thought that the troops sent to do garrison duty in Cuba will not remain long, but when they have seen service for few
 months will return to this country. The
 same is probably true as to Porto Rico.
 Sixty Days Furlough
 It is also intimated that when the troops
 return the volunteers will be given sixty days furlough and be mustered out. By
 that time congress will have opportunity
 to determine what shall be done in regard
 to garrisoning the new possessions.
 This determination is no doubt due to the
 pressure that has been brought by members of congress for the mastering out of the volunteers from their states and districts. The responsibility for furnishing the troops for garrison duty and for army duty generally will be upon congress. The rec concentrations of the president and the war department will have been made before the return of the troops from either Cuba or Porto Rico and the necessities of the case made known.
 i Although there has been some pressure | for mastering out of volunteers since the announcement was made the troops could not be spared, the demand continues with | sufficient persistency to convince the war officials that a reorganization of the army will be necessary and that some arrange ment will have to be made to secure force | for garrison service in the islands which | will not be subject to the same difficulties experienced in the case of volunteers
 Department Overwhelmed
 l Although the pressure for the mastering | out of entire regiments is not so great. the demand for the discharge of individuals has overwhelmed the department. There is not a senator or representative, scarcely who has not presented requests of this kind, and there is constant demand for the dis charge of one man or another upon some pretext which would not be deemed valid in the case of men in the regular army. Per sonal appeals are made by fathers, moth- ers wives, sisters and sweethearts.
 Every man in the department supposed to have any influence is sought to secure the discharge of enlisted men who have tired of the life of soldering.
 These requests and the demands for mus tering out have no doubt had their effect in making the war officials seek some more satisfactory method of army organization | for the purposes which the army will be in the future
 The troips which have been ordered to Porto Rico will relieve a like number of l regiments now in the island, the organiza- l tions to be designated by General Brooke.