Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-09
THE SYST REGIMENT
It is Now in Camp at Red Oak,
Iowa
COMPOSITION OF THE REGIMENT

-
st"-Recommends a Great
Deal o. Firing Practice-Routins
Work in Camp.
Camp Walter Wagner, Red Oak,
Aug. 4.-(Special Correspondence
i ne reorganized regiment, Fifty-flrst
Iowa National Guard, went into
it's first annual encampment at
Camp Walter Wagner, Red Oak,
Iowa, August /. The encampment
will last until the Sth in
slant, on which date will occur the
first reunion of the old Fifty first Iowa
volunteers at the camp. The camp Is
named in honor and remembrance OF
Private Walter Wagner, of Co. A, who
was the first soldier of the Fifty-hrst
Iowa regiment killed in battle. He
lost his life in an engagement at Ia
pote Bridge south of Manila in the
Philippines on June IS. 1892 AS a
tribute to the memory of the late Sen
ator John H. Gear, the officers wear
band of Grape on their arms, their
swords being likewise draped with
Grape.
The Fifty-irst regiment Iowa Ma
tional Guard is composed OF the FOL
lowing twelve companies: Company
A, OF Des Moines, captain, George IA.
Reed; Company B, of Villisca, captain,
]. D. Baker; Company G, of Glenwood,
captain, H. B. Dull; Company d, OF
Knoxville, captain, Fred Woodruff;
Company E, of Shenandoah, captain,
George H. Castle; Company F, of Os-
kaloosa, captain, F. E. Wethereli;
Company G, of Creston, captain,
James Edaburn, Company H, of Des
Moines, captain, Ernest w. Painter;
Company l, of Bedford, captain, R. H.
Fuller; Company K of Corning, cap
tain, H. G. Harms; Company L., OF
Council Bluffs, captain, M. A. FINLEY;
Company M, Of Red Oak, captain, G.
E. Logan With the Fifty-first is en-
camped Troop A, of the Iowa National
Guard cavalry, of Des Moines, captain,
H. H. Polk. The commander of the
Fifty-first l. N. G. is Colonel James
Rush Lincoln, who was brigadier gen
eral in the late Spanish-American
partment of military science and tao
tics at the Iowa state college at
Ames. J. w. Clark. of Red Oak, late
captain of Company M, OF the Fifty
first Iowa volunteers, is lieutenant
colonel of the regiment. The majors
are w. B. Widner, of Bedford, Ernest
R. Bennett, of Des Moines, and VIM.
G. MentZer, of Knoxville. Captain
Emery G. Worthington, of Des Moines,
late captain of Co. H, of the Fifty
first, is regimental adjutant. A. A.
| Walbum, of Coin, is chaplain of the
regiment. Captain H. G. Lane, of RED
Oak, is quartermaster. First Lieu
tenant Chas. d. Brown, of Des
Moines, is commissary of subsistence.
| The hospital staff is headed by Major
David S. Fairchild, of Clinton, and in
cludes Lieutenants Donald Macrae, OF
Council Bluffs, and WILDER S. Conk-
ling of Des Moines, as assistant.
Most of the officers and many of the
non-commissioned officers of the new
regiment are veterans who experience
ed active service in the Philippines.
A goodly number of the enlisted men
in the regiment are old soldiers of
the late Spanish-American war. These
veteran soldiers insure for the regi.
ment great proficiency in drills and
duties of the camp. Under the able
instruction of the eminent tactician
and drill MASTER General Lincoln, the
regiment is recognized as a most eff
ficient military organization, and
in the event of war with
China it is expected thai
the Fifty-first regiment, l. N. G. will
be the first Iowa organization to be
called into service. Many of the vet
Grams of the campaigns in the Philip
pines and young guardsmen as well
express willingness to volunteer fol
service in China, if needed.
Camp Walter Wagner is the best
planned one that the writer ever saw
1t is laid out in Pactolus park, about
on mile north of the business center
of Red Oak. The tents were set uI
and the general arrangements of the
camp were executed under the able
superintendent of John G.. Hume, O.
Des Moines, late major of the Fifty
first Iowa volunteers. The company
streets are very wide and roomy. The
officers tents are set off at good dis
lance from the company quarters
From sanitary point of view as vel
as in picturesqueness, these arrange
ments are excellent.
The Young Mems Christian Associa
lions of Iowa maintain tent on the
camp grounds for the benefit and con
venience of the soldiers. Y. M. C. A
stationery is furnished to those de
string to WRITE and all the late maya
zines and many periodicals and paper.
are at the service of those who ma,
desire to read. The tent is in charge
of Secretary J. G. Prall. While tn,
camp is pleasant in all its surround
ings and appointments and it is thu
purpose of the officers in charge tx
make it as agreeable as possible tt
the Iowa soldiers, nevertheless grea
amount of practical military worl
is expected to be accomplished TIL,
daily routine of drills and duties EN-
braces sufficient instruction in tn,
school of war to prepare every maj
for active service in the event of war
After the usual military camp routine
a two hours battalion drill occurs il
the forenoon A part of this period il
4 devoted to the extended order drill
2 In the afternoon the regiment hac