Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-06-02
4 SECOND CALL.
The President Asks for $4,000
More Volunteers.
The Proclamation was Surprise to Nearly
All Army Ofiiccrs-The Term of En-
listment il for Two Years-The
Call Does Not Limit Enlist
ment to the Militia.

Washington, May 26.-The event of
Wednesday in the war situation was
the issuance of a proclamation by the
president calling for IS, 900 more volun-
teers, to serve for two years unless
sooner discharged. 1t added a stirring
phase to the lethargic conditions which
have prevailed of late and came with
unexpectedness even to many high Off
cials in the army. The proclamation
means not only the assembling of a
large force of troops, but also the ap-
pointment of a number of ma jor gem
erals, colonels, ma jors and staff and
field officers, for the organization of
this additional force of $4,000 men into
army corps, divisions, brigades and
regiments.
The call was not due to any latent
or serious emergency, but was rather
in the line of getting together large
body of men to be drilled and seasoned
and to constitute a sort of second re-
serve to be drawn upon later when the
campaigns were fully under way. Sec
retary Alger stated that the deter
mination to issue the call had not been
reached until Tuesday. Coming thus
unexpectedly the war department had
made no preparations for executing
the call, and it will be some days be-
fore the details are worked out as to
the quotas from each state, the calls to
the respective governors of states, the
mastering points and the general
points of concentration.
All that is settled thus far is that the
enliStments are to be thrown open and
are not to be restricted to the militia
organizations of the several states. 1t
will be an encouragement to the or
ganization of independent volunteer
companies and regiments. These will
retain their identity to certain eX-
tent as state troops, as the governors
will have the appointment of all com
pany and regimental officers, while
only the brigade, division, corps and
staff officers will be appointed by the
president.
The IS. 900 men will suffice for the
formation of IS regiments. With three
regiments to a brigade, which is the
present basis of organization, this will
make % brigades. In turn, eight di-
visions of three brigades each will be
formed and out of the eight divisions
the entire force will be divided into
three army corps.
The new force will require, either by
appointment or by officers already APP
pointed, three major generals and
about "a brigadier generals. The law
authorizes the president to appoint
one major general for each army corps
and one brigadier general for each
brigade. Brigadier generals are also
assigned to command divisions when
the organization advances to that
stage. The colonels, lieutenant colonies,
majors, captains and lieutenants are
appointed by the governors of the
states.
1t was stated at the war department
that the details for the work of organ
izing this new force would not be act
.vely taken up for the present. Just
low the adjutant generals Office is en-
gagged in completing the enlistment of
the 125, 900 volunteers under the first
call 1t will take some time to COM
plete this work, and not until then
will the real work of organizing the
volunteers under the second call begin.