Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-05
HUMILlATING FOR WEST VIRGINIA

The bungling and off1ciorsness OF the
politicians at Charleston have borne
their natural fruit, and 1t is now
doubtful if West Virginia will be rep
resented at the seat of war by even one
scant regiment. Owing to various
causes-chiefly disgust and dissausfac-
tion-not sufficient of the West VIZ
ginia National Guard have enlisted to
make half full regiment.
The disastrous laundering began
when the Governor assumed charge OF
things military and endeavored TO re-
organize the two regiments into one
with new officers and pushed friends
and political favOrites to the front to
supercede the regular tried and trusted
officers of the militia. This the troops
naturally refused to stand and there
was rebellion right at the start OF
such dimensions that the Governor was
compelled to change his plans and
compromise the situation. When this
matter was finally half way patched up,
then came the Governors wrangle with
the War Department as to where the
troops should be modified. This was
supplemented by minor wranglings and
misunderstanding galore. When things
were finally half Strengthened out
and an account taken of volunteers, 1t
was found that half the troops, sick
and tired of the situation, had re-
solved to decline to serve. Thus the
"Commander-in in Chief was left with
about 500 soldiers on hand to form
regiment of 1000.
Then the word was sent along the
inc to hustle up the work of recruit
ing. But the people had got wind of the
situation in the meantime and the
work or recruiting. which began with
a patriotic boom before the politicians
at Charleston put their fingers in the
pie. noticeably began to lag and the
recruits to drop off While distrust Of
the Governors methods doubtless had
influence in cooling the enthusiasm of
the would-be soldiers, the methods en-
ally, the places selected for recruiting
stations certainly had much more to
do with keeping down the number of
volunteers. Instead of following the
plan of the United States army and
stationing recruiting Offices at the CEN
tres of population, the Charleston au-
thorities selected small towns and vii
lagos as recruiting stations, for what
reason we doubt if any man knows.
For example, in this section, instead
OF locating a recruiting station at
Wheeling, whence the bulk OF the vol
unteers might be expected to come, the
station for this section was placed at
Moundsville, where intending recruits
from this city had to make journey
of twelve miles to find out whether they
would make acceptable soldiers or not
Consequently, after the few local re-
cruits were gathered In the work of
the station was practically ended, for
young fellows in Wheeling, for exam
pie. who would have been glad to vol
unteer at home. either overlooked the
matter. were ignorant of the location
of the station. or found it too inc0n-
venient or expensive TO make the trip
to Moundsvile for the purpose or
undergoing examination. The gateway
to the army must be more or less at
tractive if enlistment is to be made
popular and it certainly is not making
it attractive to station the recruiting
offices in out-of-the-way towns distant