The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-04-20
THE ARMY WILL MOVE.
Boys In Blue ere Ordered to Go
South.
Twenty-Five Regiments of Infantry, To-
gether with Hundreds OF Cavalrymen
and Artillerymen, WIN Render
vous at -Four Points Within
Easy Reach of Cuba.

Washington, April 16.-The most war
like step taken by the war department
in preparing for an encounter with
Spain was inaugurated Friday, when
orders were issued for the concentra-
ton at four points in the south OF six
regiments of cavalry, 20 regiments of
infantry and the light batteries OF five
regiments of artillery. At Chickamau-
ga there will be six regiments of cav
airy and the light batteries of five regi-
ments of artillery; at New Orleans
eight regiments of infantry; at Tampa
seven regiments of infantry and at
Mobile seven regiments of infantry.
Since the civil war no such proportion
of the army has been mobilized and the
movement itself is the best evidence OF
the gravity of the situation as looked
upon by the president and his ad-
viSers.
The determination to rendezvous the
troops in the south, where they can be
acclimated to the conditions of more
tropical climate, has been under con-
sideration by the president and his
cabinet for some time. 1t was not un-
til yesterday, however, that the presi-
dent, in view of the enormous expense
which will be entailed, felt justified in
taking this step. When Secretary
Alger returned from the cabinet meet
ing he at once called into conference
Gen. Miles and Adjt. Gen. Corbin and
acquainted them with the result of the
cabinets deliberations. There were
hurried consultations in which the
quartermaster general, who has charge
of the transportation of the troops; the
commissary general, who looks after
their subsistence, and representatives
of various railroads running to the
south, participated.
The two new regiments of artillery re-
Gently authorized by congress have not
been recruited to their full strength
and in addition are not well equipped
with horses and other necessary requi-
sites for service and therefore are not
| included in these orders. The depart
ment has so distributed the % regi-
ments of infantry at convenient places
on the gulf that they will be accessi-
BILE for transportation to Cuba. Pro
posals have been invited from steam
ship companies for chartering vessels
to the government for this work.
Secretary Alger also selected the
commanders of the divisions of the
army that are to assemble at the
places named. For the division at New
Orleans Brig. Gen. w. B. Shafter, now
at San Francisco in command of the
Department of California, was desig-
mated; for that at Tampa, Brig. Gen. j..
F. Wade, now in command of the De-
partment of Dakota at st. Paul, Mimi;
for Mobile, Brig. Gen. j. j. Coppinger,
who is in command of the Department
of Missouri at Omaha, Neb.; for the
post at Chickamauga, Maj Gen. Brooke,
in command of the Department of the
Lakes, with headquarters at Chicago,
was chosen. These officers have au-
thority to take with them to their new
commands their entire staff of officers.
The command of the army will de-
volve upon Maj. Gen. Miles, who is now
at the head of the military branch OF
the government. His temporary head.
quarters probably will be at Atlanta.