Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-05-13


Arrived Yesterday-Changes ir
the officers The Question Of
Precedence Still Important.
enecal to the Register.
Charleston, w. Va, May 12.-The
orranization Of the First regiment Of
volunteers is now nearing completion
an nj the companies have been put
,hrough the physical examination and
oobt of them have been mustered in
tho Nartinsburg and the Elkins com
nanips having been mustered in to-day
Tho other four companies will likely be
filled out and mustered in by Satur-
day.
Same new recruits arrived in camp
today and twenty-five more are said
+, he on the road here from Berkeley
Springs.
Phil G. Walker has been appointed
second lieutenant in the Elkins com
panv under Captain Collett to fill the
vacancy caused by the removal of Lieu
tenant Cramer. Harry E. Eaton, OF
Norgantown, was appointed serge "
major. to fill the vacancy caused by the
promotion of Phil G. Walker.
The officers of the West Virginia
National Guard who have volunteered
in the new regiment of volunteers are
very much disturbed by the ruling OF
Judge Advocate General Malcolm Jack
son to the effect that those who have
become officers in the new regiment
must hand in their designations as Off
GERS of the National Guard. They
seem not to have taken this into ac-
count when they volunteered in the
new regiment, and it seems to be Civ
ing some of the officers a great deal OF
trouble They had supposed all along
that when the war is over they would
resume their old places in the National
Guard, but their minds have been dis
possessed of that idea. When the wal
is over and they are honorably dis
charged they will be only ordinary cit
liens and will have no standing as Ma
toDal Guard men.
The law requires that there shall al
Tays be at least two regiments of the
National Guard in the State, and the
Reorganization of the two regiments
to make up the new regiments of vol
uHie Is makes it incumbent upon the
Governor to have two other regiments
organized, but Governor Atkinson be-
syes the war will be of very short
Duration and will not order the organ
zation Of the West Virginia National
Guard for some time yet. He hopes to
be able to organize them with at least
scme Of the old officers, and will prob
ably wait till after the war is over be-
fore the organization is begun, provided
It does not last too long.
The question Of precedence and rank
1t the new regiment is still the bone of
contention among the officers, and there
seems to be no way to settle the diff
Guilty till action is taken upon it by the
authorities at Washington Some of
me older captains in the regiment are
unwilling to permit Captain Hum
pAreyS, the boy captain. as he is called.
10 rank first, and be the first to receive
promotion simply because his was the
hfSt company to be mustered in, and
yet the rule Of the army is that the
companies shall be numbered and des-
iShated In the order in which they are
mustered in. Governor Atkinson says
he will commission the officers accord
ing 10 their rank and enlistment in the
National Guard, and if there is any
cnahge made in the order of the COM
9ahleS 1t must be done by the author
NieS at Washington-he will not make
any changes. The contention over this
matter has caused a visible GOODNESS
among some of the officers
ne three members of Company M
IRON Wheeling, who were reduced from
'o'porais to privates on account of the
oroer from the War Department reduc-
ing the number of corporals, are bear
'Ds 'nelr misfortune with becoming
"'u'ude, but they consider it unfair
Nldl ont of the forty-five young fellows
VINO came from Wheeling to make up
company NJ, not one is honored with an
0lneF The three corporals who lost by
''e reduction Of the number OF cor
p''alS are Harry Thomas, Edward
savage and w. #. Crawford
MAJOR Phil Shaffer is post command
u az present, he being the highest Off
We yet mustered in. He will remain
-" command till higher officer in mus
'7Fec IN. The colonel of the regiment
"'l De the last officer mustered in, and
"' WIZ not be in command till that
'''sihony shall have been performed.