The times., 1899-04-03
RETURNING FROM THE
War TO FORT MYER
Four Troops of Cavalry Sched-
uled to Arrive.
The Old Post Sadly in Need of Their
Eniivening Influence.
Putting the barracks ana stables
in Order.

Four troops of the Third Cavalry will
soon be in garrison at Fort Myer. Troop
II is already there, and troops a, d, and
NJ may reach there from Augusta, Ga, next
week. The post, which is one of the fea
lures of the National Capital, Will soon
present scenes as animated as before the
war. Then it was the headquarters of the
Sixth Cavalry. Four troops and the band
of this regiment were stationed there.
When the war broke out and the Sixth
was ordered to the front, Fort Myer was
transformed into general military ho>-
pital. The great riding hall, in which
dashing hcrsemen were won't to show their
skill, was fitted up as a hospital ward.
The tan bark was fioored over and the
space was taken up with cots. The COM
panies' quarters were also changed in,o
wards for army patients. All tae fever
victims from Camp Anger We're trea ed
there.
During the war sixteen hundred cases
came into this hospital, OF which about enc
hundred proved fatal. The last patient was
discharged several weeks ago.
Artisans are now at work renovating the
stables and the barracks. All the hosp tai
cots have been slowed away, and the Off
GERS quarters, many of which had b en-
boarded up for year. are being aired re-
cupancy.
The commander of the Third Cavalry,
who Will also be commandant OF the post
is Col. S. b. NJ. Young. The troop ready
in garrison is commanded by Captain Nor
gan. Troop ID is under Captain Chase:
Troop A. Captain Mackey, and Troop NJ is
under the command of Lieutenant Tate.
This regiment was brigaded with the Sixth
and Ninth Cavalry, and participated in the
at Slr Tttnr ,,l
operations before Santiago In Troop FL
there are fifty veterans of the Cuban cam
paign, and about thirty recruits who have
enlisted and have been assigned to the reg
iment since its return from Cuba. The
mounts OF troopers are chestnut sorreis
gathered in Texas last fall They are stur-
dy horses, but with their present rough
winter coats make no pretension to beauty
There is proposition TO enlarge the
accommodations for men and horses at
Fort Myer so that ii may become regi-
mental post, but the officers now on duty
at the fort have no information as to when
this will be done. They favor the plan
to have full regiment of cavalry near the
seat OF government for participation in
great state functions. II would be feas-
ible 10 provide barracks for a regiment
of infantry at Fort Myer and there are
those at the post who believe this will be
done.
There is a very lonely atmosphere about
the place now. The family of General
Sumner occupies the main residence at the
fort. When the Sixth Cavalry was order
ed South it was commanded by Colonel
Sumner. He was made a brigadier gem
eral and later a major general, His family
remained at the fort. Major Davis, surgeon
in charge of the general hospital. and his
family occupy one of the houses and two
or three of the other brick dwellings
which face the bluff overlooking Wash
ington, have tenants. All the other quar-
ters are deserted. Here and there troop
er trots or gallops across the parade
ground, and a few groups OF men may
loiter around the stables and The barracks
but as yet there is very little activity
at the post. During last week a gang of
laborers was employed in grading and re-
pairing the driyeways that wind through
the reservation.
On the southern border of the reserva-
ton stands the barracks of the Signal
Corps. One company of signal men is
quartered there and forty men from this
company will leave Washington today for
the Philippines All of these are teleg-
raphers. Captain Morgan, the adniinistra-
tive officer of the post. said TO reporter
for The Times yesterday that preparations
for the reception of troops ordered 10 Fort
Myer are progressing as rapidly as pos
sible.