The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-21
DID MUCH GOOD WORK
GEN. GREELY's TRIBUTE TO THE
VOLUNTEER SIGNAL CORPS.
It's Efficient Service I'm Cuba, Porto
Rico and Philippines and i'm the
Harbors at Home.
TO BE MUSTERED OUT SOON
PAYMENT Of CERTAIN SOLDIERS
WORRYING WAR DEPARTMENT.
Instances Where Sick and Fur.
of by the Disbursing Officers.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2o-The disintegra-
ton of the Volunteer Signal Corps was be-
gun to-day when orders were issued for
the relief from active duty of the Four
tenth Company with a view to it's furlough
and muster out. General Greeley. in issuing
this order takes advantage of the oppor-
tunity to issue an address to his men of
whose record in the war he Shas just
sons to be proud. He says that while de-
tanned himself by his multIiuolnous duties
from participating at the front he cannot
permit his men to return to private life with
out acknowledging their loyal, efficient and
valuable services to the Nation.
In reciting the services rendered by the
corps General Greeley says: I'm the Sam
tiago campaign you were the first of the
army to arrive, you were the last to
leave, destroying within range of Spanish
guns the submarine cables that gave the
enemy daily information of inestmable
value. When the occupation of Santiago
was ordered you repaired cables with such
celebrity that you opened communication be-
tween the United States marine camp at
Caimaneira (Guantanamo) and New York
city on June 81 the day prior to the landing
of the Fifth Army Corps off Santiago. Bat
ties may be fought and epidemics spread,
but speedy communications must neverthe-
less be maintained and owing to your eff
forts the American army in Cuba has not
been isolated Geographically a single day.
I'm the Cuban campaign you arranged,
maintained, and operated a system of cable
and land lines, partly commercial, partly
war cables, partly flying telegraph lines,
and partly telephone lines, that enabled
messages to pass in twenty minutes from
the executive mansion in Washington to
the headquarters of the army before San
tiago and which offered direct and immedi-
ate communication between the secretary of
war in his office and the signal corps men
in the advanced rife pit on the right, the
left, and in the center of our intrenched
army within four hundred yards of the
enemy When The city fell your lines fol-
lowed Immediately army headquarters as it
moved therein. No enc will ever know the
dificulties-physical and moral, climatic and
service-under which you labored in Cuba.
Heat and thirst, hunger and fatgue-these
present sufferings with impending disease
and death-you endured and faced uncom-
plainingly with the rest of the army, but
these conditions never prevented the prompt.
cheerful, and efficient discharge of the i'm
portant duties devclving unremittingly day
and night on the signal corps.
advance, participating as scouts and Skin
mishers in the capture and occupation of
towns From the beginning to the end of the
campaign yor kept each important COM
mand in telegraphic or telephone connection
both with the corps commanders and also
with the base of operations.
I'm the Philippines you were always to
the front and throughout siege operations
constructed and maintained telegraph and
telephone lines in the advanced trenches
at Manila, remaining with the rest of the
army under fire daily, under conditions so
dangerous that five officers were breveted
and several men recommended for medals
of honor.
1.-The connections by able of the principal
forts In our great harbors and the initiation
and instalment of an entirely new electrical
fire control system were also your labors.
while your service everywhere has been
of the highest character you have especially
illustrated that development of character
necessary to expert work by your devotion
officers and your obedience as come
under the trying and monotonous conditions
of camp and garrison life, where the SOL
der and officer are fashioned day by day
for the supreme moment Of battle. The
lessons there learned have served you well.
1.-The signal corps has filled neither the
guard house nor the hospital Serving in the
field in Cuba, in the Philippines and IN
Porto Rico, and in home garrisons. at
Tampa, Chickamauga, Camp Alger, Jack
sonville and Montauk, yet your total aggre-
gate of over thirteen hundred has lost by
disease in camp and field to date, only f1ve
officers and men included.
las our roads part and the greater num-
Der of the signal corps go back to the paths
of civil life, the chief signal officer of the
army gives you all Godspeed hoping that
the hardship of war; while making you adj
vocates OF all peace that is not shameless
and unpatriotc, will ever make you mind
full of the value and welfare of the regular
signal corps, of which you have been so
great part in the war, to the glory of the
american army.