Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-07-04

tdul SeueIdiS OufCe tO-uds gave out q
statement based on cable advices from
Gen. Otis, regarding the number of re-
cruits required to fill the vacancies in
the regular regiments now in the Phil
ippines, the transports available for the
return of volunteers and for the trans
portation of fresh troops to the Philip
pines and the estimated time it will
axe to complete the work of enlist
ment.
Gen. Otis despatch to the depart
ment is as follows:
MANILA, July 2, 1899.
Adjutant General, Washington:
Number recruits required to fill COM
panies to one hundred and twenty-eight
each regular regiment:
Infantry-Third, 1856; Fourth, 3o4;
Sixth, IT'S; Ninth, 305; Twelfth, 300;
Thirteenth, 253; Fourteenth, 739; Six
teenth, 27O; Seventeenth, 294; Eigh-
teenth, S2S; Twentieth, 1913; Twenty
first, 1876; Twenty-second, 460; Twenty
third. $50; First artillery, 8; Third,
256; Fourth, 2; Fifth, 2; Sixth, 80;
Fourth cavalry, 493; engineers, z.
Volunteers yet to be returned, In
fantry-California, 1,1SS; Colorado,
liza; Idaho, 59S; North Dakota, 625;
Wyoming, 800; Minnesota, 1,165; South
Dakota, 917; Montana, 906; California,
(artillery), 35S; Washington, LOGS;
Tennessee, 946; Kansas, 1,O52; Nevada,
cavalry, SO; Wyoming, (artillery),
s.: Iowa, 995; Signal corps, 1O6.
California and Colorado preparing to
AXE transports. Sherman and war
ron ,osve shortly. OTIS.
The department sums up the sltua-
ton as outlined by Gen. Otis in the
following statement:
sTo meet the requirements OF the re-
turning volunteers the quartermasters
department reports that there are o
in Manila transports Sherman, Warren
and Grant with capacity of 1879 officers
and 4.S24 enlisted men. That there are
now on sea en- route to Manila the
Zealandia (due July 20); Sheridan (due
July 21): Valencia (due July 26), and
PENNSYLVANIA (due July 29), with ca
pacity for 161 officers and 1920 enlist
ed men. There are now in San Fran
cisco transports City of Para, which
will sail July II, and Tartar, to sail
July 20, with capacity for 80 officers
and 1900 enlisted men.
There are now en- route to San
Francisco the following transports
with capacity for 209 officers and 1854
enlisted men: Ohio, Newport, Indiana,
Hancock, Senator, Morgan City and Re-
lief (hospital.)
1.-The department confidently believes
that the transportation has been so
well arranged by the quartermaster's de-
partment that the last of the volun-
teers will leave Manila not later than
the 10th of September, and it is ex-
pected that they will all be away by
the first.
"The recruits required for the reg
ular regiments in the Philippines are
estimate at 6.33S.
THE number Of recruits now at sea
are 1,507; number of recruits now at
San Francisco are 3,13S, a total of 4,791,
leaving 1,547 yet to be provided for.
"The large number of vacancies ex-
listing in the Fourteenth, Eighteenth
and Twenty-third infantry is due to the
fact that these regiments went with
Gen. Merits original expedition to the
Philippines and were not filled TO the
maximum; also that the men in these
regiments who enlisted for the war
are just nov being discharged: the
men enlisting for the war in the other
regiments were discharged before the
regiments left this country, and the
vacancies are due to the increase of the
companies from loo to 12s men.
the rate of enlistment for the last
two weeks, tbs entire number will be en-
listed by the close of the present week"
The proposed organization of nine volun-
teer regiments will place a humber OF i'm
portant military commissions at the dis
posal of the President. Although there
will be three new ~brigades, Adjutant Cen
eral Corbin says il Is no. likely .hat more
than one additional ~brigadier general will
be needed, the other two being provided
for by officers of that grade now in the
army whose terms of enlistment are about
to expire Gen. Grant, who is now in the
Philippines in this category. viii probably
be one of the three new brigadier generals.
Another general officer now In the Philip
pines is also available for reappointmen
to the provisional army. Probably the
most important point in connection with
the proposed volunteer organization is the
Presidents declared intention to appoint
none but officers OF the regular army t.
the command of the nine new regiments.
Nearly fifty regular army officers held reg
imentai commands during the recent war in
the volunteer establishment. and the nine
colonies 10 be assigned TO the new regi-
ments will be selected from among tia
number. Tbs selection will be based en-
tirely upon the records of the officers dur
ing the late war. and the nine officers
whose practical work in the field was most
efficient will receive the appointments.
II is not unlikely. however. that some