The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-30
SOLDIERS BY THE THOUSAND.
WITH OFFICERS AND MEN THERE
ARE NEARLY $4,000 HERE.


Loose on Pay Day, and There win
be Lots of Fun-Many Soldiers Now
Being Discharged and Paid on.
Major John l.. Bulls Settling Ac-
counts - Hospital Corps Moving
From Jacksonville As Rapidly as
Possible Tents of First Texas to
he Condemned.
Both camps of the Seventh Army Corps
are now well established in Savannah,
the division hospitals are about in shape
and the men have almost forgotten that
they have moved.
There are now nearly 1900 soldiers in
Savannah. There are eleven regiments
here, six belonging to the First Division
and five to the Second Division. It is said
these regiments viii average about 1000
men each. In addition to these there are
four brigade STATS, two division STATS and
one corps staff. There is a portion Of
the hospital corps here, and there are 100
men In the signal corps, so it may well
be said that the number of soldiers be
longing to the corps who are now located
here does not fall far short of 1900.
Some few of the soldiers are leaving the
inherent regiments just at TINS Tune, ana
there has been quite lively scene around
the office of Maj. John l.. Bulls, paymas-
ter at No. pa Lincoln street, for the last
two days. Maj Bulls was sent here for
the purpose of paying off discharged SOL
diers and settling officers accounts.
A number of men have been discharged
from some of the regiments, and not a few
have gone from the First Texas and the
Third Nebraska. Many of these dis
charges are secured through influential
friends, and are ordered by the war de-
partment from Washington. Several Tex
as and Nebraska men went to Maj. Bulls
office yesterday and secured a settlement
of their accounts, preparatory to leaving
for home. The men are given travel pay,
which is one days pay for every twenty
miles of distance to the place of enlist
ment, Communication of rations balance
due on clothing account and whatever is
due them for their services to the date of
their discharge. Two.Texas men, who left
the paymaster's office, had checks for
good comfortable amounts. One of them
was for more than $l00, while the other
was about $95. They headed straightway
for railroad ticket Office, and left on the
night train.
Maj Bulls makes all of his payments
IN checks. He prefers to do 1t this way
for several reasons. It does away with
the necessity of keeping money on hand,
and with the necessity for having a pro-
vost guard or two around his Office al all
hours He pays officers accounts and
mileage as well as the amounts due dis
charged soldiers.
Mai Bulls, however, will not pay off
the men of his corps when their pay day
comes. Three or four paymasters VIII be
sent here from Atlanta or some other
point In the department of the Gulf, and
they win pay the regiments off at the rate
of two or three day. until all have been
III. nav a-fa nc
will either bring with them or secure on
there arrival here a supply of cash for
the purpose of paying the men and Off
GERS. They do not use checks unless the
men want their pay in that way. AS a
rule, however, both men and officers want
their money in the most convenient shape
for spending and procuring what they want
most.
Pay day with an army corps Of y, 900
men will make things here about as lively
as Savannah has ever seen them. 1t comes
somewhere between the 4th and 10th of
November and by the latter date ala of
the troops no doubt, will have received
their money There win be paid to Off
GERS and men somewhere between $3.50, 900
and 5000, OO0 1t is said that the average
life of a soldiers pay Is between seven
and eight hours. OF course, this refers
only 10 the privates and some of the nom
commissioned officers. for with them the
around pay day makes big business for
the provost guard, for during the week
following there are two or three thousand
stray soldiers picked up here and there
and many of them get good cold water
bath. That is Maj. Harrison's way, and
the chances are it win have to be applied
before this week Is over.
The two division hospitals are now in
first class shape and ready for business
though they have not had much in Sa-
Vannah and ii does not look as If they
will. Lieut.. Col L. M Maus, chief sur
geon of the corps said yesterday that the
general health of the men Is good, and sc
far he has had no complaints to speak oi
with the exception of the few cases ot
muTnps and measles in the Second Soutf
Carolina Regiment.
A hospital train loaded with sick sol
diers has been sent from Jacksonville e
Fort Myer, Va, where the men win b,
cared for until fully recovered. The ThirC
Division hospital and the First Division
hospital at Jacksonville, will probably b'
broken Up within the next ten days, az
will also the hospital at Pablo Beach
Mai jefferson r. Kean, chief surgeon o
the First Division, left the city last nigh
for Jacksonville to arrange for the boil
ishment of the First Division hospita
there as soon as possible. The hosplta
supplies win then be brought here at once
1t is the intention to retain the Secon'
Division Hospital in Jacksonville for tn
present, and all cases which can be bette
treated there and which need to remail
in the hospital viii be retained in tina
hospital. AS soon as il is possible to d.
so, all of the hospitals in Jacksonville vii
be abolished, and all Of the nurses an
members of the hospital corps will com
10 Savannah 1t is expected now tia
some of them will be coming every da
or two until they are all here.
Saturday is a sort of an Off-day In tn
camps. The men were all glad of IL o.
account of the drizzling rain, which both
cred them all day long. There is no dres
parade on Saturday and Sunday so tn
men could keep pretty well in their tent
in the bad weather.
The First Texas Regiment is going {
have new set of tents very soon. With
a day or two the tents now used by tha
regiment will be condemned by Maj. job
Gary Evans, inspector general of the F'irs
Division, and new supply will be issue
by the quartermaster. These tents are a
old ones. having been used for some year
In the ST to service in Texas