The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-17
REPORT OF GENERAL SKATER
TELLS OF DEPARTMENTS OF
CALIFORNIA AND COLUMBIA
commends Establishment of volun-l
teer Camp at the Presidio - How
Recruits Are Handled.

Washington. Oct 16.-The war de-
partment today made public the rspora
of Major General Williams II. Shafter.
commanding the departments of Cali
fornla and of the Columbia The de-
partment of California General Shafter
says, required very little attention ow-
Ing to the small number Of troops GUAR
tered. The bulk of the work IN thfys
department peTtafned entirely Co the
transmission OF stores and the ship
ment of mem to the Philippines andfA
taking care of those returning from
there.
General Shafter says that the men,
in the recruiting camp have BEEN sys-s
temattcally and thoroughly instructed
in their various duties, with especial;
attention to target practice. They have
shown themselves Industrious andt
anxious to perfect themselves I'm the
use OF their weapons He further says
There can be NO doubt OF the wis
dom eff establishing this camp and CIV
ing to recruits a preliminary course Of
instruction here. Another advantage iii
keeping the recruits in this camp IS
that it has enabled the medical depart
ment TO weed out mem untitled for
service. a considerable number oe
these have been found. Had these mer89
BEEN permitted to do to MANILA tfev
would have broken down there, and it,
they had survived they would have
been d tax upon the hospital depart-
nent and ultimately would have BEEN
sent back sick and discouraged. and
the effect of their return upon the re-
cruiting work throughout the country
would have been unfavOrahle. BY get
ting rid of them at the very outset they
may return to their homes In fair teon-
ditiOn at least" @
A considerable number Of horses.
given entire satisfaction and General
ShafteT says that they are cheaper.
considering the cost of THAR trans pap
tatiOn, than horses purchased I'M the
east.
He recommends that so long as any
large body of troops remains im the
Philippines, the recruit camp be con-
tinued at the Presitli0, and that as g.
rule the troops be cOngregated there
and drilled for at least three months
before shipment
Colonel ForwoOd. chief surgeon. in
his report to General ShafteF, notes the
establishment at Honolulu OF a hos
pital for the care of soldiers going 10
and returning from the Philippines.
The work of the signal corps i'm the
department has been somewhat inter-
rupted by the outside demands Incl
dent to the months Of active war. but
a school of instruction for recruits and
enlisted men is now maj ntalned5 az AL p
gel island where the men are taughr
Biography and signaling. Upwards OF
100 men instructed at this post nave
been already forwarded to Manila
Regarding the department Of the Co
lunTbia, General Skaters report -
taken Up entirely with the details OF
defense on Puget Sound and at the
mouth of the Columbia, with the cost
of Installing the same, and building
barracks and post accommodations Tor
troops at various stations
The exploration work OF troops ny
Alaska is dismissed with the mere
statement that certain companies Were
detailed to this duty. Regarding the
labor troubles I'm the Occur d Alenes he
merely mentions the fact that I'm re-
Spouse to the call of General MERRIAM.
department of Colorado. detachTnenf5
vlf troops from the Columbia were sent
to Idaho, but soon returned and are
now. on duty at their home posts.