The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-09

Yesterday. and the order which followed
| the same came in the nature of a surprise
| to the artillery organizations of the guard
and especially to Battery A of this city.
| BY the terms of the document both Bat
teries A and b were ordered mustered out
| OF the service. ..,,.,,...
| Headouarters National Guard OF Itah,
| Adjutant Generals Office, salt Lake
| City, April 8 1898.
| General Orders No. s.
| The report OF Brigadier General WIZARD
| Young, First brigade. ON inspections l I
| nv him in accordance with special oruers
| No g. headquarters National Gudru VI
| iItsh q o. March %. 1895 with MS
| recommendations, having been suDtnltleu
! 10 the COMMANDER in chief, II is hereby Vi
iered: x.,,, ,,.,..,,t
| )r Guardian be at once procured IN al
| cases where minors have been eni si
| In all cases where such consent Is reIuseu,
ne enlisted man. will be discharged II
| any who were enlisted as minors are now
| If age they will be discharged Vsnen writ,
-en consent cannot be obtained ana urSeu
ond-6;ommanding- officers are direct
| ID TO take Immediate steps TO recruit their
companies up to the maximum sTehsth
as prescribed by law. $1,000 ,.r,
f resort has to be had TO court-nartlal.
Fourth-Officers to whom pupnc pIoP
artv has been issued will be held 10 strict
excused for failure to observe Article ~
| Regulations National Guard of Utah Ere
luent inspections on the part OF regiment
| II and company commanders are enJolh-
! F'ifth-The condition of the two batteries
of artillery as described by the INSPECTING
officer is noted with sincere regret, Inc
organizations have been IN existence MOI
than four wears. and have been entrusted
with a large amount of valuable property
| 1t is evident from the report OF the prlga-
der general. as we'll as from reports SUD-
mitted 10 these headquarters by the COM
handing officers themselves, That the OPP
portunitieS offered have been but poorly
aDpreciated The organizations are not
now nor have they been for many months
0ast I'D to even a moderate standard OF
efficiency. In Battery a great lack OF
harmony exists among the ofncers, ana
between them and the enlisted men IN
BATTERY B. officers VINO had intended 10
resign. ceased to attend the drill or 10
show any interest in its affairs, without
so resigning or waiting for their reslgna-
lions to be acted upon Under such CIR
cumstances. it is not surprising that de-
moraliZation should have ensued. dlsclp-
line become lax. and no proficiency nave
been attained in drill. AS to the latter,
both organiza lions are ignorant of even
the earliest and simplest. yet one OF the
most essential parts of the artillery drill
regulations The School of the cannon
ser While these structures appear sweep
ing and severe. they are not to be deemed
IS applying to all mmbers of the organl-
cations named. In DOtn. there are OiHceIS.
who are jealous and capable and men
who are earnest and intelligent. To con-
-inue TO hold such members in their pres
ent surroundings would be an injustice
to them. while to the state there can
come no credit in maintaining organiza-
lions so plainly below the standard, OF
strength and skill which should have been
reached. There is but one course left to
pursue, unpleasant though it is: To dis
band the battalion of light artillery. con-
sisting of Batteries A and b. to release
the officers from their oath of service and
TO give to the enlisted men their discharge.
and il IS so ordered.
Colonel T. 7. Stevens, commissary gen
eral or tho staff of the commander in
chief. viii receive. receipt for. and place
in safe storage in Ogden all ordnance and
quarternaster stores issued to or now in
the hanos Of the commanding officer of
Battery B. who will Immediately proceed |
to make the transfer. The property issued
to Battery \ will be promptly collected
by the commanding officer at the armory.
in Salt lake city. and will be received |
and receip-ed for by the adjutant general |
BY order of the commander in chief.
JOHN Q. CANNON.
Adjutant General.
Tho news was broken TO Battery A by |
its commanding officer at the assembly |
for drill
70 say that the men were shocked be-
yond measure is but mildly expressing |
their feelings. The country is on the |
verge of a war and to be mustered out of |
service of the National Guard. the first to |
ne GttAlFQ at the outbreak OIL 1OStllltleS. |
was serious blow to them.
'Ch- battery at once decided TO make a |
respec ful but earnest protest to the com |
mandcr in chief. which il did, sending up |
statement in which the officers and en- |
listed men emphaticaliy stated that the |
course taken in mastering them out of the |
service would be construed by those not
acquainted with the status of affairs as q /
reproach to their patriotism and the cause |
OF humiliation and disgrace.
The protest asked that so much of the |
order as relates 70 the diSbanding of the /
battery be rescinded.
This message was handed to the adju- |
tant general last evening and VIII be b. /
him presented TO the governor this morn |
Now it is not at all likely that thesor- |
der will be rescinded. as asked. The gov |
ernor acted, as he believed. for the best. |
II is a fact that the standard of drill * |
below what il should have been. and the |
commander in chief wants. If this state |
is called upon, to send batteries to the |
front capable of representing the state |
efficiently. The order states that a lack |
of harmony exists in the battery between |
officers and between them and the en- !
listed men. This must be construed as |
fact for il is officially stated. Members |
of the organization who have been eff |
Client earnest and Woodworking. have |
been complimented for their conduct.
The question now arises. what will be |
done2 From the best indications il would |
seem that Battery A VIII be reorganized. ]
To man. or nearly so, all the old men !
VIII TH-eniiSl. DIONlAtN they can 40 SO |
without delay The sentiments expressed |
at the meeting last evening wers o. a |
most patriotic nature. The men were |
deeply hurt that the order should have |
been made necessary for they believe |
they are not wholly to blame for the con- |
ditiou of affairs which exist. There is |
no reproach Tor the action of the com
mander in chief. because to a man they |
believe he is actuated by the best of |
motives. But unanimous regret pre-
walls that such action was necessary
4 inc rs~iI1 40 hpl Of far-r-t
this evening. at which the condition of |
affairs viii be fully stated by those hav- |
ing authority. All the Members of the |
battery are requested to be present. Let |
there be a full attendance. because this /
evening marks 4 crisis in the history of /
one of the oldest organizations in this |
state. The men who have worked four |
years and over TO keep this organization
together are deserving of credit and that |
will be bestowed. Ii is the earnest wish i
of every man who was present at the I
meeting last evening that every member
of the battery should be present and hear
what is said.
the guns which are now in the basem ent I
ut the armory may be on the way TO
Cuba. where they will be served on the l
firing line. Those guns belong to Utah |
and should go on the line as Utah guns
served by Utah men. There are men,
bers enough of old Battery A to reorgan-
ize and correct any difficulties which may
exist. and tonight may be the time to do
the work.
@ g g
1t will be noted that commanding officers
are directed to recruit up to the maximum !
II is the intention of the governor that
no company shall long bo below the max
mum. The paragraph relating to obtain
ing the consent of parents and guardians
Is another command which will cause
some hustling among the several cap
rains. il
An order will issue today compelling the
physical examination. by the surgeon
general of every command in the state.
officers and enlisted men alike viii be