Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-05
FOR ENCAMPMENTS.
Adjutant General Byers Laying
Plans for the Events.
BUT TWO in THE STATE THIS YEAR
Is Considering Clinton and Council
Bluffs-These Are Likely to Be the
Locations if Grounds Are Found
to Be Suitable. Il. II

Des Moines, Feb. 2S.-Adiutant Gen
eral Byers has begun to lay plans for
the encampments of the National
Guard regiments the coming summer.
The locations of the encampments are
not determined, but on the return of
the adjutant general from Washington
he expects to lose no time in fixing on
sites.
There will be radical departure in
holding the encampments this year.
Unless plans now on foot miscarry,
there will be but two camps instead of
four as heretofore. The method of
holding a separate camp for each regi-
ninth and Fiftieth regiments will camp
together at some point in the eastern
part OF the state and the Fifty-first
and Fifty-second at some point
in the western part of the
state. Adjutant General Byers
believes Council Bluffs and Gin
ton would be the two points most
desirable and in case it is found there
lis suitable camping ground for two
regiments near these cities they will
be fixed upon. Several other good
points for holding encampments have
been considered, but in some cases,
that of Cedar Rapids, for instance,
they do not offer sufficiently large
camp grounds.
1t is believed there will be many ad-
yantages in combining the camps to
two. The state has ample tentage to
permit the encampment of two regi-
ments at once. 1t is not the intention
to make brigade camps, since the reg
iments, tho camped together, with the
camp in charge of the adjutant gener-
al, will be independent, and will each
be in charge of its own colonel or 9TH
er commanding officer. In some ways
the expense will be lessened by hold
ing but two encampments. There is
some talk in case the plan followed
out this year works we'll. of assem-
bling all the regiments at Des Moines
in 1902. and having the camp on the
military reservation to be laid out
here.
In the way of training there will
also be innovations this summer. Adj
iutant General Byers has plans under
consideration for giving the troops
practice marches, which, if carried
out, will afford the guardsmen, who
Iare not veterans of the Spanish-Amer-
lean war, a new insight into the reali-
ties of soldier life General Byers al
so hopes to give the troops practical
work in the construction of fortifica-
Itions.
There are indications that the ma
tional government is waking up to the
Importance of the annual encamp-
ments of the National Guard OF. the
states. In the army reorganization
bill recently enacted by congress, pro-
vision was made for surveys for four
large camp grounds in different parts
of the United States. The design is
to provide large, well equipped camp
grounds where the national guards.
men can be encamped with regular
troops. The secretary of war is al
lowed an appropriation of $4,000 for
the preliminary surveys he is to re-
port to congress. lowe guardsmen
who have been watching the progress
of army matters are hopeful that Iowa
may be allowed one of these camp
grounds. It is thought this state will
be favorably considered by the war
department by reason of its central
| location.