The record-union., 1898-10-04
MORE TROOPS FOR PORTO RICO
THREE REGIMENTS ORDERED
TO THE ISLAND.
Are the 9Th Cavalry, the 9Th u. S
Volunteer Infantry and the
47th New York.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3.-The War
Department has decided to send more
troops to Porto Rico Orders have been
issued directing that the Fifth Regi-
ment of Cavalry, now at Huntsville.
Ala, the Sixth United States Volunteer
Infantry, now at Chckamauga, and
the Forty-seventh New York, now at
Fort Adams, shall proceed to such point
in Porto Rico as may be desired by the
commanding General in that island
The Eighth United States Volunteer
Infantry and two companies of the In
diana colored volunteers, now at Fort
Thomas, Kentucky, will relieve the
Sixth Volunteer Infantry at Chicka-
manga.
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 selected in Georgia and
South Carolina. 1t is expected that the
troops sent to garrison duty in Cuba
will not remain long. but when they
have seen service for a few months
VIII return to this country. The same
is probably true as to Porto Rico. 1t is
also intimated that when the troops
sixty days furlough, and be mustered
out. BY that time Congress will have
had an opportunity to determine what
shall be done in regard to garrisoning
the new possessions.
This determination is no doubt due
to pressure that has been brought by
members of Congress for the muster
ing out of the volunteers from their
4 IA l al
for furnishing troops for garrison duty
and for army duty generally will be
upon Congress. The recommendations
of the President and the War Depart
ment will have been made before the
troops return either from Cuba or Porto
Rico and the necessity of the case
made known.
Although there has been less pres
sure for the mastering out of volunteers
since the announcement was made that
the troops could not be spared, the de-
mand continues with sufficient per-
sistence 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
| and the States. which will not be sub
! JcNl u the same uillCullltS experienced
in the case of the volunteers.
Although the pressure for the muster
out Of entire regiments is not so great,
the demand for the discharge of indi
Viduals has overwhelmed the depart
ment. There is not Senator or Rep
! resentative. scarcely. who has not pre-
/ scented requests of this kind and there
is q constant demand for the discharge
of one man or another upon some pre-
text which would not be deemed valid
in the case of men in the regular army.
| Personal appeals are made by fathers,
mothers, wives, sisters and sweet
| hearts. Every man in the department
who is supposed to have any influence
! is sought to secure the discharge of en-
| listed men who have tired of the life of
soldering.
! These requests and the demands for
mastering out have no doubt had their
effect in making the war officials seek
some more satisfactory method of army
| organization for the purpose for which
they viii be needed
| The troops which have been ordered
to Porto Rico will relieve like num-
Der of regiments now in the island. the
/ organizations to be designated by Cen
eral Brooke