The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-08-01

Under Canvas-Notables Who Will
Review the Troops.
The advance detail of the Thirteenth
regiment will leave tonight for Camp
Hawkins, Mt. Gretna, to prepare the
camp for the regiment which will ar
rive Saturday morning. The detail
will be in charge of Captain John w.
Kambeck and will consist of five men
from each company. Assistant Sur
geor George A. Blanchard will accom-
pany the detail.
The indications are that the coming
division encampment at Mt. Gretna
will be the finest and most complete
in the history of the National Guard
of this state. This will be the first
summer encampment since 1897 and
since that last assembling of the state
troops for their regular division drill
numerous changes have taken place.
In 1898 the boys were called to Mt.
Gretna, not for the purpose of mere
routine drill, but for more serious
business of preparing for actual war
| fare.
The war with Spain has had the ef-
feet of making the National Guard of
| Pennsylvania far more efficient
body than 1t ever was before, and it
could be put in shape for active SER
vice speedily, should the state be call
| ed upon again for volunteers. The
| total strength of the National Guard
| is now between 10000 and 11,o0O men.
| All the regiments are now organized
| on the three battalion formation, sim
| liar to that OF the regular army, and
there would be no such difficulty as
there was 1898 In providing an extra
battalion for each command.
MAKEUP OF REGIMENTS.
The twelve companies OF a regiment
| carry three commissioned officers and
more than fifty men each, and all that
would be necessary, should there be
a war call again, would be to enroll
men to meet the government quota Of
100 men to company.
The state equipments have been
made to conform very closely to those
of the United States army and all the
commands have the improved pattern
i5-calibre Springfield rifles, the next
| best arms to the governments Krag-
| JorgensenS. The standard of marks
| manship has been improved and the
commands are now required to quail
fy at least 75 per cent. of the mem
bership at rife practice.
| II is estimated that there will be
fully 10,500 men under canvas at Mt.
| Gretna during the encampment. The
sites OF the different brigades are de-
| clarCd to be in excellent condition and
will be located as follows: The First
| brigade, Brigadier General Schall
! commanding, will be located back of
the hill and close to the state rifle
range: Second brigade, Brigader
| General Wiley commanding, will oc-
cupy the ground opposite Colebrook
station, and the Third brigade. Brig
adler General Goblin commanding, will
occupy the land nearest the Mt. Gret-
ma park station. The cavalry and ar
tilery will be located near the camps
of the Second brigade and railroad.
At the coming encampment it is or
dered that the three artillery COM
mands shall be detached from their
brigades and formed into a provision
al battalion. The four troops of cav
airy, in a similar manner shall go
into camp as a squadron.
OPENS SATURDAY.
The boys will go into camp on Sat-
urday, Aug. 4, and the first two days
will be spent in putting things in or
der, whicn is not light undertaking.
On Monday following General Miles
will pay them a visit and there will
be &. review. Governor Stone and his
staff will be present and will remain
all week.
On Thursday there will be a divi-
sion review in honor of the governor
which will be the grandest turnout
the guard ever had. Secretary of War
| Root and former Governors Pattison
Beaver end Hastings will he present
and many people from all over the
state will attend.
At Lewistown In 1897 there were
S,40O men on parade, but at Camp
| Hawkins there will be 10,500 men un-
der arms and in good marching or
der. Out of the entire guard there
will be but one command TO march
to the camp, the Governors Troop,
which will leave Harrisburg on Sat-
| urday morning and will be in the
camp about 4.30 in the afternoon.
The Pennsylvania railroad. which
will have charge of the transportation
of the larger part of the National
Guard to and from the division en-
oampment at Mt. Gretna, has made
zig preparations for this work. The
transportation will be on a much lar
ger scale than ever before, as the
guard is considerably more numerous.
The company, however, has made
complete arrangements for the occa-
sion and the movement Of the troops
will be with the usual prOmptitude
and lack of friction.
NEW SIDINGS PUT IN.
The railroad company has had a
number of new sidings laid near the
spot where the camp will be situated
and the capacity for storing cars has