The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-02
TO GET A DIVISION READY.
PART OF GEN. LEES CORPS MAY
SOON GO TO CUBA FOR SERVICE.


Gen. Lee Instructed TO Make Prep
arations for the Immediate Re-
movaI of One Division of His Corps
to Cuba-Has Heard Nothing OF
Transports and Does Not Know
which Division He VIII Send.
Looks as If 1t Might Re the second.
win Likely Take Sometime to
Move 1000 Soldiers.
Gen Fitzhugh Lee has been ordered by
the war department 10 make immediate
preparations for the removal to Cuba of
one of the divisions of the Seventh Army
Corps.
This announcement was received with
much interest by the officers of the corps
yesterday. as most Of them are DESTROYS
of getting to Cuba as quickly as possible.
They want to get the men settled in Cuba,
and are of the belief that when they do
there will be less desire on the part of
many of the men TO get out of the army.
When asked about the matter yesterday
afternoon, Gen. Lee said he had received
a telegram from the war department
which stated in effect, make immediate
preparations 20 send one division of your
corps for service in Cuba at once"
Il do moi know" Gen. Lee said, in
answer to questions, when the movement
will begin. l do not know which of the
two divisions I will send. have no in
formation as TO what transports will be
sent here to take the men, as have heard
nothing about them. 1 take it that the
order simply means that the quarter
masters and commissary stores for the
division preparatory to its removal must
be gotten ready
Further than that Gen. Lee had no in
formation on the subject. He is satisfied
from the word sent him, however, that
mart of his corps will be sent to the ISL
and at once. and indeed, private advices
from Washington Indicate that it IS the
intention of the department to send Gen.
Lees corps to Cuba at soon as possible.
The question now is which division of
the corps will be sent at once. Gen. Lee
says this has not been determined, but
there seems 30 be reason for the belief
that it win be the Second Division, since
Cen. F. V. Greene, the commander Of that
division, with a number of his officers, is
already in Cuba. This division is COM
posed of the Second Illinois, One Hundred
and Sixty-first Indiana, First North Caro-
lima, Forty-ninth Iowa, Fourth Virginia
and the Sixth Missouri. On the other
hand, Maj. Gen. J. Warren Keifer of the
First Division, is the senior division COM
mander, and some of the officers express
the belief that his division may be the one
TO go. The balance of opinion, however,
appears to be in favor of the Second Divls-
ion for the reason stated 1t will probably
be determined within a day or two which
of the divisions win be sent at once.
IN either case the arrangements for send
ing one of the divisions will be pretty near
the same. The important matters to be
attended to are the quartermaster's and
commissary stores, which the troops will
have 10 carry with them, and Gen. Lee
will see to this feature at once. 1t will
be a matter of interest 10 know what
transports win take the division, especial
ly as all the transports which have been
sent to Savannah so far are In most active
use with other troops
Another rather absorbing question in this
connection, especially with the officers is
whether the corps staff and headquarters
win accompany the division to be sent. 1t
is usually the case in the transportatio
OF troops that the division and corps head
quarters goes with the first shipment of
troops belonging TO the command sent 1t
Is question, however, whether it will be
done in this case, as the telegram from
the war department says nothing about
that feature. There is no doubt that the
officers want TO go, and 1t will be only
a question Of the location of corps head
quarters
There is a general belief that whichever
division of The corps is sent viii not be
in Cuba for two or three weeks yet. Some
of the troops may get there before thar
time but under the present arrangements
for moving troops it does not seem that
1t will be possible to get the 5000 to 1000
men there within less time The trans
ports now in use by the government do
not carry an average of 1000 men, and
the rate at which they are being sent
here is very slow one. II takes some
time for loading, and usually there is some
work to be done on the vessel. So the
chances are that it viii take almost untu
Christmas TO get division to Cuba. even
with preparations made at once
No instructions whatever have been re-
ceived with regard to the other division
The troops will camp, as has been stated
about seven miles TO the west of Havana
toward the province of Pinar del Rio The
camp site selected is to the north and west
OF Marianao on high open ride overlook
ing the ocean.