The gold leaf., 1898-03-31
Especial Corr espondence. }

|
| Especial Correspondence.
Raleigh, N. c., March 10.
| There was no national guard in
| 1861, and hence the new method Of
| putting it in service Of the United
States is Of general interest to persons
whose idea of warfare is comprised
between the years 1S61-65 The
national guard now, under the
changed order of things, is the first
reserve, coming next after the regular
army. SO the guard in North Caro-
lima. in the event of call for troops,
would be mobilized as it stands. 1t
| is therefore of peculiar interest to
take a look at the force. Every dav
for a fortnight or more the ordinary
citizen has been heard to say: II
hope | will not be drafted.' No
greater evidence Of ignorance could
be presented. A war under present
conditions is volunteer war, with
out the rigors Of the draft or the con-
scription or the horrors of Nassau
bacon,n and worse still, nothing at
all, for your Uncle Sam is backing
things now.
There are four infantry regiments
now in the guard in this State. a
section Of artillery, five divisions Of
naval reserves, and colored company
The total strength December 81,
1897, was 1,764 officers and men.
The four regiments are now "skele-
tons'-that is, have only two bat
tallons of four companies each,
whereas they should have three
battallons, or twelve companies Of
nlnety-six men each.
The roster is as follows: First regi-
mcnt, Colonel w. b. Rodman, of
Washington, Linetenant Colonel W.
I. Hughes, Majors, Alfred Williams,
Jr., and S. S. Meadows; Captains,
Company A, Tarboro, John w. Cot
ten; Company B., Scotland Neck,
Claud kitchin; Company c.. Raleigh,
A. j. Crawford; Company D., Colds
boro. +. H. Rain; Company F., Ply
mouth. J. f. Ried; Compan F., Hert-
ford. Thomas &. skinner; Company G.,
Washington. F. G.. Mallison; Com
pany H., Greenville, J. T. Smith.
Strength of regiment, 400.
Second regiment-ColOnel John f.
Bruton. of Wilson: Lieutenant Colo
mel. Walker Taylor; Majors, w. Z.
Warren and (vacancy Second bat
tlion); Captains, Company A. Clinton,
H. J. Hines; Company B., Lumber
Bridge, S. j. Cobb; Company c.. Will
mington, ID. MacRae; Company d.,
Edenton, j. G. Bond; Company F.,
Maxton, w. M. Jones; Company F.,
Wilson, S. NJ. Bobbitt; Company G.,
Charlotte. Thomas r. Robertson.
Strength OF regiment, 322.
Third regiment-Colonel, w. A.
Bobbitt, of Oxford; Lieutenant Colo
mel, Henry Pervey; Majors, T. j.
Winston and J. II. Craig; Captains,
Company A, Winston, j. c. Bessent;
Company c., Henderon. p. T. Jones;
Company d., Durham, j. c. Wichie;
campany F., Oxford, H. l.. Skinner;
Company F., Franklinton, w. L. Nc
Gee: Company g., Reidsville; r. L.
Gladstone; Company L., Reidsville, A.
}. Ellington. Strength of regiment,
$40.
Fourth regiment-Colonel. j. F.
Armtield, of Statcsville: Lieutenant
Colonel, b. c. Hamrick Majors, Geo.
F. Rutzler and w. j. Smith, Cap
tains. Company A.. Statesville, r. L.
Flanagan; Company c., Wayncsville,
w. J. Hannah, Company E., Char
lotte, II. S. Chadwick; Company F.,
Asheville. L. w. Bookheart; Com
pany g., Concord, Edward Hill; Com
pany II. Shelby, j. L. Gardiner.
Strength of regiment, PA.
Naval battalion Commander, George
l.. Morton, of Wilmington; Lieu
tenant Wilmington Division, w. H.
McIlhenny; kinston division, w. ID.
Pollock: Elizabeth City division, w.
I. Old; New Bern division, r. S.
Primrose; Southport division. NJ.
Fargusson. Strength of brttalion,
253.
Artillery section-Lieutenan W.
F. Moody, Of Charlotte. Strength,
240.
Unattached infantry Company,
colored. at Charlotte, Captain. c. S.
l.. A. Taylor; strength. 43.
The infantry are armed. with
Springfield rifles. calibre 45. which
was the model used by the regular
army four years ago when the krag-
JorgenSen magazine was issued. The
naval reserves are armed with the
Lee magazine rifle. also with cut
lasseS and revolverS. Each infantry
officer also has a revolver, calihre As.
The artillery detachment has calibre
i5 gatling. a 3-inch howitZer and re-
volvers. There are in the possession
of the State two Hotchkiss rapid-tire
l-pounder mountain guns: four naval
howitzerS. etc. At the battery at
Wrightsville are four 1O-inch mortars
and two 10-inch smooth bore cannon.
all muzzle-loading, al utterly obso-
lete. and nothing more than so much
old iron.
Major Hayes. I. S. A.. who is on
duty here at headquarters. in his re-
port for 1897 to the Secretary of war.
gives the strength of the guard
available for immediate duty. He
says the authorized strength of COM
panieS is 90 men. There is no bridga-
dier general. Company officers are
elected bi-ennially by the enlisted
men and are required to pass an ex-
animation before board within six
months after election. There is no
ambulance and hospital corps. There
is a signal corps. but not yet COM
pletely equipped. There is no fund
for encampment. As to the time re-
uuired for mobilization it is stated
as follows: For service out of State,
Norfolk thirty hours, Weldon seven
teen, New Bern seventeen, Whining