The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-09

A Feeling of Experimentation
of First Regiment.


A feeling Of quiet intense interest in
executive affairs prevailed at the brigade
headquarters last night after the important
developments of the day, and the staff Of
fcers who called themselves prvates after
the news went out that the brigade was to
be split up and there probably would be
no brigade staff, sat in groups in the cor
ridors and discussed what the morrow might
bring forth.
Much attention was paid, among those
who knew of it, to the unofficial tender to
General Mckee of the colonelcy of the First
Regiment, made vacant by the accident
that put Colonel Pennington in the city
Hospital with no prospect of standing alone
for three months in the event that he
should fail of appointment to be brigadier
general which latter case seemed i'm
peritive if the plan of splitting the brigade
were not abandoned. Since Governor Mount
turned over to the officers of the First Regi-
ment the privilege of appointing their own
colonel there had been much uncertainty in
the regiment as to who should have the Of
flee. and the plan of offering it to General
Mckee was not thought of until his APP
pointment to be brigadier general was de-
layed for so long the fear became general
that it would never come; then the officers,
after much elaboration, decided to propose
to him that he should take the Office, and
it was also decided that if he refused Lieu
tenant Colonel Mccoy. who has been in
command since Colonel Pennington's acct
dent, should be elected. 1t was felt that the
regiment should not accept, unless it was
forced on it, the appointment of any other
man than either Mckee or Mccoy. There
fore the officers of the regiment communi-
Gated with General Mckee their intention
of offering him their command If he were
not appointed brigadier general. No action
in the matter was taken by the general
further than to thank the officers for the
offer, he bidng the time when 1t should
become finally known to him that he was
or was not appointed to command the en-
tire brigade.
At headquarters last night the informa-
ton. was gathered that those who had be-
lived that unless General Mckee was APP
pointed to command the brigade he would
end his twenty years service and retire to
private life had changed their opinion to
that II he failed of appointment he would
accept the position of colonel of the First
Regiment. 1t was Known that he had kept
in communication with Senator Fairbanks
at Washington all day in regard to his APP
pointment, but 1t was not believed that he
had received any final information in re-
gard to it, About s o'clock the general
changed his uniform for civilian costume,
and, leaving headquarters in charge of the
ranking private" as it was expressed,
went to the city.
At mess last evening at headquarters
there was a feeling of soberness in anticipa-
ton of the dissolution of the StaH, which 1t
was felt was imminent. The officers said
that at brigade review, though General Nc
Kee led his staff around the brigade with
his horse at the top of his speed in a wild
ride and paid strict attention to the details
of the drill, there was no light-heartedness.
1T was like funeral" one of the officers
said. General Mckee. Colonel William M.
Wright, who was chief of the hospital corps,
and Assistant Adjutant General Frank have
worked together for che perfection of the
Indiana National Guard for ten years, and
at the prospect LAST night of their being di-
vided from the brigade, the work of the
best part of the time of their manhood Slip
ping from them, induced sadness that had
not they been military men would have
come closer to the surface than it did. It
was decided that the staff should remain at
headquarters until it became known that
General Mckee would not be appointed
brigader general, and that then all should
leave together. 1t was related that General
Mckee had not given up hope of being APP
pointed, and thereby keeping with him his
staff, and that he expressed to intimate
friends that he was not worried-that he
still expected his appointment
After the crowds of the day had gone the
same depressed feeling that prevailed at
headquarters seemed to have seized on the
whole camp except among the couples that
strolled on the main drive To the north the
tents of the First and Fourth regiments
were bank of white. diffusing the light of
the candles within. The talk and singing
went up in a low harmonious hum. More
and more quiet the camp became until
taps" when a deep stiffness tell-a strange
stiffness of hundreds of men sleeping to-
gether.