Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-26
A COLORED REGIMENT
Decision Of the War Department to Organ
ganise One.
Men From the Regular Army Will
Officer It-Its Probable
Commander.

In order to give the co!ored people repre-
sentation in the volunteer army it has been
decided to organize an additional infantry
regiment of volunteers, the enlisted strength
of which will be composed entirely of col
ored men. There are four colored regi-
ments in the regular army, the oath and
18th Infantry and the 9th and 10th Cavalry,
but heretofore the War Department has
acted adversely on the various propositions
that have been made for the organization
OF colored regiment of volunteers.
Several gentlemen have offered to raise
such a regiment provided they were given
commissions in it, and it was also suggest
ed that the experiment be tried of having
the regiment differed entirely by colored
men who had shown special military pro-
ficiency on the field of battle in the San
tiago campaign and more recently with the
colored troops in the field.
Officers From the Regulars.
Despite the pressure for the appointment
of offcers-both white and black-from the
outside. the Secretary Of War has prac
tically decided to detail all the field officers
and all the principal company officers from
the regular army.
1t is said that Lieutenant Colonel Will
liam p. Duvall of the 26th Volunteer In
fantry, at Plattsburg, who is a graduate
of the Military Academy and captain of
the 1st Artillery of the regular army, will
command the new regiment It will be des-
iSnated the 4Sth Volunteer Infantry, and
is destined for service in the Philippines.
This is the first chance the colored people
have had for enlistment in the volunteer
service and it is believed that the number
of recruits will greatly exceed the require
ments. The headquarters of the proposed
regiment will probably be at Richmond,
Va.
The Total Strength of the Army.
The organization of this regiment will
increase the total volunteer establishment
to 1907 enlisted men, which is only 1858
short of the limit fixed by law. Its assign
ment to the Philippines will give Gen. Otis
an effective fighting force of nearly 65Uo
men, but as has been already stated, there
is general feeling in military circles that
the reinforcement of the Philippine army to
the first proposed strength of $1,000 VIII be
amply sufficient to put down the insurrec-
ton during the coming winter and render
unnec essary the sending Of the remaining
1900 men comprising the eleven volunteer
regiments now in the first stages of or
ganiZation.
Orders for Immediate OrganizntiOn.
Orders were issued at the War Depart
ment today for the immediate enlistment
of men for the ten new regiments recently
authorized and recruiting stations will be
established all over the country, with the
exception of the south. The reason for this
exception is said to be the poor success
which attended the recruiting of MIN for
the first ten volunteer regiments in that
section.
Recruiting stations Closed.
Two recruiting stations in Georgia were
closed yesterday and it is understood that
other recruiting stations in the south will
be closed In day or two in order that the
officers at those stations may be utilized in
other duty.
The plan of enlistment which was sue
ceSSful in the case of the first ten voun-
teer regiments will be followed in the re-
cruitmenr of the regiments now about 20
be raised. Although there may be more
difficulty in securing men for the new regi-
mentS than there was in the case of the
first ten. it is confidently anticipated that
Secretary Root will be able to carry out
his prediction that all of the men in the
volunteer army will eat their Christmas
dinner in the Philippines.