The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-02
LIGHT INFANTRY,
Inspection Has Been Or
dered-- Men Are Dis
satisfied,

IL is QueSIlOn III UIlldfy circles IL
Capt. Rider will be able to get together
enough men to make showing at the
official inspection of the Light Infan-
try, which has been ordered for Tues
day, April IL. that will be entirely salts
factory to Adjt. Gen, Dalton when he
receives Col. +. W. Wellington's report.
Several members Of the Infantry are
of the opinion that the inspection will
be very SHINY attended, unless Capt.
Rider and Lieut.. Clarke make heroic
efforts during the coming 10 days.
The Light Infantry is not in the pink
of condition from a military point of
view. The drills have been SHINY at
tended ever since the reorganization,
and several times hardly more than a
bakers dozen have gone through the
manual of arms on the drill shed floor.
The Cuban campaignerS are not anX-
ious to do further duty. Their time is
expiring every week and they have
manifested no desire to re-enlist, and
the exact number of men on the oom-
pany's roster today is not known. but
those who are in a position to know
say that it is very slim.
The Infantry as an organization has
always been very particular regarding
acquisitions to its ranks and the kind
of men wanted are hard to find since
the close of the Spanish war.
A well-known man who is interested
in the local militia's welfare said to a
Spy man:
"One big mistake was made, in my
opinion. by the officers who did not
go to Cuba, when they accepted their
positions In the Massachusetts volun-
teer militia and compelled the officers
who gained reputation and endear@d
themselves to the men while in Cu6AS
to take back seat and in many cases
go into the ranks"
This gentleman seems to voice the
sentiment of the people in general
The Light Infantry is heavily burden
ed with officers who did not get be-
yond the camp limits at birmingham.
Capt Rider did not go, and Lieut..
Clarke is in the same position, while
Herbert II. Warren, who served on the
staff of the general commanding a di-
vision of the Cuban retired with
the brevet of captain and was second
lieutenant Of the Light Infantry when
it left birmingham for the scenes of
battle Is now first sergeant.
Capt Frank L. Allen, the first lieu
tenant of the Light Infantry, who
headed the command on Cuban soil, is
more than anxious to resign but he has
been induced by Capt. Rider, Lieut..
Clarke and q few others to withdraw
his resignation for the present and
under the pressure he has acoeded and
is working earnestly to bring the or
ganization to a good standing.
Military men of other organizations
question what the future will bring
forth. The query Is going the rounds
II the showing the company has made
up to the present time will be satisfac.
tory TO Gen. Dalton. Officers of the
other local commands ask If the gener-
al will q OF, when he reads Col Wei
lingtons report, wonder what causes
the lack Of interest in Co. c, and then
investigate.
Many high military officials have eX-
pressed their opinion regarding the ac-
lions of those officers who demanded
their commissions when the militia. was
recognized. Among the number was
Lieut. Col. Shumway, who said to a
Spy man that It would have been
graceful act on the part of those who
could not, or did not go TO Cuba to
have offered their designations TO the
company first and let the members
vote and choose between the Cuban
officers and those who were unfortu-
nate with the examinging board at
South birmingham.
the LlB1L lHIduIIy HdS d ieCoio ~
be proud of, and Worcester people
would be sorry to see any serious
trouble in the ranks.
The matter could be adjusted easily
IL those who are interested would sacri-
fee some of their desires and put their
shoulders to the wheel.
The story of the mistake made by a
New York undertaken in Cuba, who
brought to America the supposed body
Cphaid of (NOpDngnU a
Seventy-frst New York volunteer regi-
ment, and the subsequent discovery by
government undertakers of a body
with a ginger ale bottle tied to the
neck in which was a slip of paper
marked This is the body Of Corp.
Henry Scheid of the Seventy-first New
York" has excited the relatives of all
soldiers brought to America previous to
the time the Crooke left New York city
as a funeral ship" They wonder i'll
the bones of a stranger We're laid to
rest beneath the ground of the family
cemetery and their own boys bodies
are marked Unknown"
The relatives Of Scheid have demand
ed that the casket containing the body
marked Scheid, WHICH is now at Brook
Iyn. be thoroughly examined.
DR.. Clarence w. Whitaker was at
Santiago when the bottle containing
Scheids name was exhumed. The under |
taker who made the mistake was at
the graveside and he lost complete
control of his faculties, and for hours
afterward was under the medical care
of the Worcester physician.
DR.. Whitaker said that the finding |
of the body of Scheid created a great |
stir among the American soldiers and |
civilians at Santiago.
The physician says that Worcester, |
or. in fact all Massachusetts people |
need not worry about their dead heroes, |
as men of the Second We're marked |
carefully and nearly every mark on the |
top Of the graves was found in the |
nosition in which they had been placed, /
and identifications were also discovered /
when the graves We're opened. He also /
believes that after the government ex-
pedition reached the scene no mistake
could have been made.
MEMORIAL TO DEWEY