The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-23
BUST'LE AT Thu FORT
ACTIVE PREPARATIONS FOR THE
MEN TO COMPOSE THE
REGIMENT.
TO BE MUSTERED IN THERE

Has Been Received-Maj. GerIach,
With the Squad of Regulars and
Number of Civilians, Is Brush
ing Up the Classic Rendez.
VOus.
Nothing has yet been heard from Col
Dorst commanding officer of the Forty
fifth regiment, which is to be mustered in
at Fort Smelling, but the department Of
Dakota and the post commandment are
making extensive preparations, in the ex-
pectation that men for the regiment will
begin arriving before the end of the
week. 1t will be several weeks before
Col Dorst arrives from Cuba, and the
work in the meantime will be carried on
under the supervision of the recruiting
officers and the quartermaster's depart
ment. Immense acquisitions have been
made by the war department for the new
regiments, and a large amount of sup
plies will arrive this week for the Shell
ing regiment The information issued
from the war department has been very
brief, but it is expected that as soon as
the line officers report for duty they will
be sent on to Smelling to take their
posts, following the plan which operated
with great success in the mastering of
the Thirty-fourth regiment at Fort Lo-
gan, Col.
A consignment Of ordnance stores has
arrived at the fort, coming under the
direct orders of the war department.
Maj. Gerlach commanding at Fort Smell
Ing, has been in constant communion
ton with the force in the quartermas-
tiers department at the army building
and as soon as the wishes of the com
handing officer can be ascertained the
order for equipment will be placed
large order of supplies arrived yester-
day including. guns, haversacks and
knapsacks, with many other necessary
articles. The uniforms and bedding for
the men will be shipped from the depot
quaftermaster' office in st. Louis and
will be issued here
The entire mobilization of tha oa1r reoi
ment will be at Fort Smelling The re-
crulting office at the fort was opened YES
lefday BY Wednesday it is expected
that the new. recruits for the Firty-ffth
infantry and the Eleventh cavalry will
begin to pour In and preparations for
their reception are everywhere in evil
dence at the fort. The order for the re-
crulung OF the Eleventh cavalry was re-
celVed here late Saturday and came as
great gratIilcatiOn and surprise to the
men at Smelling. The order relative to
me recruiting OF the cavalry is to enlist
an the men possible at once and send
tHeLn IN patches of twenty-five or thirty
10 lhelr place of rendezvous, which If is
thought, will be San Francisco. Tn addi-
tion the orders for the purchase of horses
nave been extended and buying will nro-
t6 eu bo au ohe9gst Re standards required in
t ti,e iiofses peihgs OF the" Very highest and
the price to be paid is to be s1a0 - -.
All about the fort the twentv-nine rAo,,-
Idrs and 1.-The. some thirty-five civilians
ar nara at work, getting things in
oiLs, Tor the reception Of the recruits
0hIIIets' pots, pans and all sorts Of army
cooking utensils are going through
Frightening and securing process TIL
whole culinary department is haino
oFerhauled and complete inventory Of
everything at the fort is being made
Inc barracks are being cleaned I'D from,
Top TO bottom as they will soon be over
crowded The quarters Will hold but 800
mep, at, the outside, and r6oilfsiti0n hos
been made for tents for. the balance
OF the 100 men who will soon be going
through their daily drill at the fort. II
mas sieeeh decided that, owing to the I'M
eyenpess of the ground and the opposition
OF the surrounding farmers, it will not
De advisable to erect a target range ca
tnat rifle practice cannot be made part
of the drill
AS to the offering of the two new
regiments, little definite is known. al
though the impression at the fort is that
the colonels, lieutenant colonies and ma
Jors Of both regiments VIII be appointed
by the president from the regular army.
The volunteers, It is expected. will receive
large proportion of the balance of the
commissions No commanding officers
have so far as known as yet been as
signed to the fort. However, the hospi-
tai corps, which at present has seven
teen men at Smelling, will be drawn upon
to supply the corps for the new regt-
ments. Each regiment is entitled to
three surgeons, who will undoubtedly
come from the regular army. The be-
lief is that nearly all of the present
hospital corps will be detailed for duty
In the new regiments
1t is stated by Mai Gerlach that the
requirements for the recruits in the new
regiments will not be so rigid as has
heretofore obtained. The physical
standard required will not be quite so
strictly enforced and the educational and
citizenship requirements for the enlist
ments for<the Spanish war will not be So
severe.
The extensive repairs which have been
In progress at the fort for several weeks
will be completed in a few days This
year Smelling has received more appro-
priations for improvements than in the
previous ten Years and the Improvements
add greatly to the sanitary conditions
Of the post.