The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-05-03
HE STATE MILITIA CALLED INTO SERVICE,
A MILITARY COUNCIL HELD IN
COLU
Ih" Quota ofSOuth Carolina viii BE
Rcady-Companies May Select Their
own Officers.

Ah'0 Suo'u Oh oohth CafOllna WIN Is
o Rcady-Companies May Select Thci
own Officers.
l rhc State.
War clouds, dark and gloomy, q
well as clouds charged with rain an,
} driven by biting wind, rolled abou
the State capitol on Wednu sday. Blu
stormy as was the weather the wa
council Of the State militia chicftaip.
and the commandcr-in.chief pro
cecdcd without interruption anC
; before the dinner hour had arrived
IT had been settled as to how the quota
oi volunteer troops asked CT this State
would be called into active service
Inc State militia is on top and the
ordinary citizen volunteer is not in il
Tor The present Neither arc there any
troops yet in the field in this State,
but 1t is expected that the full quota
viii b5 in the next few days.
Whether Columbia will be the point of
mobilization or Charleston remains to
be seen. II is understood that Cover
nor Etlerbe Is insisting on Columb bia,
viii! the war department wishes
Charleston.
| I.c fact that the troops are TO be
taken entirely from the State militia
because 1T exists as an organization
ana because the war department eX-
pressed the wish that most of the men
should be SO selected has sorely dis
appointed Il large number OF citiZ IN
volunteers, and it is doubtful if they
Will bother to enlist in the ranks of cX-
lstlng commands to any large extent.
The council Of war began at the ex-
e2utlvc chamber at 10 O'clock and con-
tinued for several hours. The even
Ing fore the Governor had called all
the generals and coloncls to Columbia
oy wire. Those present were Generals
ltlchb bourg, Anderson and Stoppelbein,
and the following colonies Caify,
First regiment: Wardlaw, Third regi-
ment; Boyd, Fifth regimen; Aud,
Fourth regiment; Jones, Second regi-
ment, and Lightsay, First regim ent
cavalry. Others Ia ticipating in the
council were Adjutant General Watts
and Col. Bruce, his assistant. The
whole situation in South Carol ma was
thoroughly discussed, even to the mat
ter OF Immediately filling in the gaps
caused by companies going into Uncle
Sans army. The matter Of the semi
GRITTY OF generals in this State was also
decided the council holding that Gen
Anderson was the ranking general. 1t
was determined not to call for the |
colorcd troops under the first demand.
After full discussion Of the entire |
matt r the council took Col. Boyd's |
idea that each regiment Of infantry be |
called on for SO many companies Gen |
Stoppelbein insisted that his brigade |
OF cava ry, though no cavalry had been
called for, should be recognized. |
Finally 1T was determined to leave the |
furnishing OF heavy artillery to Gen. |
Andcrson'S brigade, TO CAL for one full |
company OF infantry from Gen. Stop !
peibein's command, and to take the |
other ID companies from the infantry |
rcgiments-th from each
Inc Governor issued his proclama-
ton in accordance with this plan |
How it will work out remains to be !
seen. All the colOncls though that !
they would have no trouble in getting !
up the required nImber Of companies. |
Under the plan adopted the colonels
are to return to their homes and com
municatc with the several captains of |
th" companies. When the commands |
have been selected and the required !
number OF men have mus tered in to
make up the full company quota for
each, the captain will report to the |
colonels who will notify Governor Il. |
lcrne that the company is ready to be |
iAoved. The Governor will then order |
the command to the mobilization point. |
The cost Of doing this is going to be |
that the preliminary expenses of the |
mobilization be kept down as much as |
possible. 1t is thought that it will be
several days before anything can lie |
heard from the colonies.
The men will be permitted to select
their own commissioned officers. This |
was the Governors assurance, and he
stated when asked about the appoint
ment OF the rcgimcntal officers that he
would not announce them until the
troops were ready to take the field.
very likely, as he wished to "build from
the ground up
The Gov arnor was furnished by Ad-
jutant Genera Watts with a complete
report as to the available arms and
equipments now in the possession OF
the State authorities. The report was
wired to war department. 1T is
thought that none of the arms will be
OF much service to the United States
volunteers.
Capt. Moblcy OF the Catawba Rifles,
OF kock Hill, was in the city. Capt.
Mobley's company has already tender
ed its services to the Governor. 1t is
one OF the best in the State. Capt.
Moblcy said that he had seer most OF
the employers of his men and secured
promises that their positions would be
held for them when they re vurnel from
the field. Some Of the older people
did not wish to see some OF the Younger
members enlist. He remarked also
that he had a volunteer list that would
run his company up to the full quota.
This is one OF the companies OF the
Palmetto regiment.
The following Is the proclamation of
| Governor Eilerbe in regard to the
quotas OF the several commands in this
State
COLUMBIA, S. c., April u, 1898.
In obedience to the proclamation Of
the President OF the United States for
volunteers in the service OF the United
States: and and secretary of war hav-
ing fixed the quota Of South Carolina
at one regiment and one battalion of
infantry and one battery of heavy artil-
lery, and direct I'd that the present
State militia shall be used as far rs
possible, now, therefore, /, w. II.
E lcrte, governor and cOmmander.in-
chief Of the State militia, do call upon
the foll)wing commands to furnish
their respective quotas as hereinafter
designated:
Gen. Edward Anderson, command.
ing Fourth brigade, one battery OF
heavy artillery.
Gen. r. N. Richbourg, commanding
Second brigade, nine companies OF in
J fantry, three from each of his regi