St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-08-24
WAR NEWS.

|
order issued Monday afternoon and re-
lating to the mastering out of 100000
volunteers:
Only officers of the regular army Will
be detailed by the war department to
muster out troops.
TO avoid expense to the government
and hardships and annoyances to indt-
viduals concerned by unavoidable de-
lays that will occur in the final payment
of officers and enlisted men absent from
their commands on must~' out, COM
mandng officers will MAKE every effort
to effect the return Of all absentees and
detachments prior to muster out OF the
organization.
The supply department of the army
will continue to furnish organizations
with needful supplies until date of final
payment and discharge.
All persons borne on the muster-in and
on other muster rolls. and all who have
joined or belonged to the organization at
any time since it's muster-in, must be
accounted for on the muster-out roll,
which is required to be a complete record
Of all the officers and men who ever be-
longed to the organization.
Discharge certificates will be prepared
for every officer and man present and
absent, except absent officers and men
held in service by proper authority, and
deserters. The certificates will be de-
l!vered to the regimental and company
commanders.
The discharge from the United States
volunteer service in the case of all alb
sentees Except in special cases) Will
take effect on the date of muster out of
the organization.
In the case of enlisted men absent,
who, on account of sickness, are unable
to Join their commands, the discharge
certificates, with carefully prepared de-
scriptive lists of account of pay and
clothing, giving the address of the SOL
der, will be given to the mastering Of
ficer for transmission with the muster
out rolls to the adjutant general of the
army and the soldier will be officially
notified to apply by letter to the pay
master general of the army for final
payment.
Officers absent from any cause will be
furnished discharge certificates (unless
specially held to service), and will be
notified to apply to the paymaster gen.
eral for certificates of non-indebtedness
and settlement of their accounts.
AS a rule the muster-out Of organiza-
lions and their final payment will take
place at the state or regimental rendez-
vous except when otherwise ordered by
the war department. The preparation
and completion of the muster-out rolls,
returns and papers, and the inspection
and transfer of public property to the
officers of the supply departments of the
army, except as hereinafter provided,
will take place before the organization
Is ordered to its state. The only prop
erty that will be allowed to be retained
until muster-out, unless otherwise or
dered, is the rifles, cartridge belts cups,
canteens, meat cans, knives, forks and
spoons, necessary medical supplies and
tent equipage, the colors, and the regi-
, mental and company records.
The supply departments concerned will
arrange through the chief commissary
and chief quartermaster of the depart
ment within which the state rendezvous
Is located for meals, camp ground shell
ter transportation and quartermaster's
supplies for the time of the encampment
7 Of the organization at the state or regi-
mental rendezvous.
{ AS soon as the muster-out rolls have
been fully and satisfactorily completed
, the mastering officer at the place of de-
; parture will fill in the date of the mus
= ter-out as Of a date 10 days later, the
probable time necessarily required to
transfer the organization to its state
. rendezvous, the making of the physical
examination of officers and men, etc.
AS soon after the arrival of the or
l ganization at its state rendezvous as
s possible the physical examination Of all
: officers and men will be made before
a muster out and payment to facilitate
| the settlement of pension claims that
may be made on account of disability
incurred in the United States service,
and to protect the rights of persons who
3, may be entitled to the benefits of the
l pension laws, as well as to guard the
: interests of the government.
No Review Intended.
U Washington, Aug. 23.-The navy de-
partment is receiving many inquiries as
Q to whether the collection of so many
: warships at Hampton roads will result
s in naval review there. In reply it is
i said that no review Is contemplated
1 as the assembling of the ships at that
v point Is purely for administrative reas
b. ons. In the main the vessels are the
J.. small ones Of the auxiliary fleet. They
! are to be inspected to determine what
:. repairs are needed, and what ones can
v be disposed of to advantage. The big
: battleships and cruisers now at New
> York are not to go to Hampton roads
Q according to present plans. Commodore
Remey, who was in command of the
: naval base at Key West, will now take
: command of the base at Hampton roads
What the War Department Accomplished
In the Way of Preparation.
4 Washington, Aug. 22.-Under cover of
4 letter to C. M. Depew, ostensibly in
o answer to request for information as
0 to the responsibility for the conditions
0 that hindered the work of the invaders
, of Santiago, Secretary Alger answers
a the charge of incompetency preferred
r against himself and others in connection
=. with the prosecution of the war. The
- defense reads in part as follows:
= My dear Mr.. Depew-The great pres
sure of business has up to now prevented
me from sending to you the statement
you were kind enough to ask for, as tc
what had been accomplished in the way
Q of Quitting the army for the fold the