The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1899-08-24
No Delay VIII BE Allowed in En-.
listing and Equiping the
Ten New Ones.
MORE TRANSPORTS TO Be SECURED.
Recruiting Will BE Mainly Carried on
In the New England, Middle and
Central Western States.
The New Reg ments Will Increase the
Strength of the Army to 90, ,o45 Men,
Being Only 4, 800 Short Of Au-
tborizsd Number

OF the war department" said Secretary
Root Thursday ''is to furnish Gen.
Otis with all the troops and supplies
that he can use and which are neces-
sary to wind up the insurrection in the
Philippines in shortest possible time. "
The secretary was speaking of the
10 regiments which were called out
Thursday by order of the president
lie said that no delay would be allow
ed in enlisting, equipping and supply
ing the new regiments. nor in trans
ments already organized TO the Philip
pines as soon as they were needed for
active operations II the present
number of transports are insufficient
more will bc procured.
The men already enlisted for the
Philippine service will bc sent at once
and the new regiments will be for
wardcd as fast as they are organized
and needed. While there has been
some suggestion that the new regi-
ments will be used as reserve force,
it may be stated positively that these
regiments as well as more IL they can
be used will be sent to reinforce Gen.
Otis.
Secretary Root sent copy of the or
der of Thursday to the various depart
ments of the army, and they at once
began prer arations for supplying the
new organizations.
Within half an hour the ordnance
bureau had sent orders TO the differ
ent arsenals directing that complete
outfits of arms and ordnance supplies
for each regiment be sent to rendez-
vous where they are to be organized.
The quartermaster's department gave
orders for supplying tents, clothing and
other equipments furnished by that
department, while the commissary de-
partmcnt ordered sufficient supply
of rations to be on hand to feed the
troops as fast rs they arrive. The med
ical department was also directed TO
see that supplies were sent The reg
iments will be recruited with the same
care exercised in enlisting the first ten
regiments.
The districts which were not very
thoroughly covered in recruiting for
the first regiments will be visited by
the officers in the new organizations.
1t is the intention of the department
to have the regiments give more atten-
tion to firing than any other feature
of the drill. The men will be armed
as are the regular infantry regiments,
with the magazine army rife.
The selection of the ajors and COM
pany officers for the regiments is now
occupying the attention of the secre-
tary and the men are being chosen
from among the volunteers who were
called out in the Spanish war. The
officers will be distributed as equitably
as possible among the different states,
but the efficiency and records OF the
men will govern to a great extent in
their selection.
1t appears from Thursdays orders
that the ten new regiments are TO be
mainly recruited in New England and
the middle and central western states.
Kansas and Pennsylvania have ap-
parently been selected as the best
field for recruits 1t is said that no
special effort is TO be made to secure
recruits in the southern states.
Thursdays action will add $1,000
men to the enlisted strength of the
army and increases the total strength
Of the army to 95,045 men, being only
4, sos men short of the total authorized
volunteer establishment of $4,000. 1t
is stated at the department that the
number of volunteers already called
into service is rarared as amply suffi-
cient to meet all possible needs of the
army, and that there is no possibility
that the remaining 4S9S volunteers
will be called for.