Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-14

and two other officers created more of q
stir Ia local military circles than had &C.
CURED previously for many a day. At Dis
trict militia headquarters It Is held that
Col. May Is no longer an officer OF the Ma
tional Guard. Col May. 1t Is reported, con-
tends to the contrary. pointing out that his
commission az colonel of the LIST Regiment
reads that It shall remain in force during
the pleasure OF the President Of the United
States"
Organizations Of the District National
Guard almost without number have been
disbanded since the formation of the guard
and the commissioned officers connected
with the same honorably discharged in
precisely IN the manner followed in the case
OF Col May. The most recent instance
was that of Company A, I'd Regiment-the
Emmett Guard. The company was dis
banded, and the general order disbanding
1t provided that the company commander
will be honorably discharged That end
ed the matter. Shortly thereafter new
company was mustered into the National
Guard. was assigned as Company A. I'd
Regiment. and the individual elected to
command 1t was commissioned captain of
Company A, I'd Regiment. 1t Is explained
that there are presidents galore for the re-
cent action affecting Col. May. and that the
course heretofore followed in disbanding
organizations, and, In consequence thereof.
honorably discharging the commissioned Of
f1cers of the same has Invariably been up
held by the War Department and by the
President. who signs the commissions.
Col. May Employs Counsel.
Col May. 1t is stated, has employed coun-
sell and will legally oppose the action of
military headquarters in discharging him
from the service. At headquarters 1t is said
that. for the sake of argument, assum ng.
which Is improbable. that the matter should
be pressed by Col May, and the President
could be induced to ignore the military or
ganic act to decline to commission sue
cessor to Col May as colonel of the LIST
Regiment, and to continue Col Mays COM
mission in force, the obstacle could be very
readily surmounted by Gen. Harries deem
ing 1t expedient" to arrange the present I'd
Separate Battalion. Sd Separate Battalion
and the 4th Separate Battalion. as the Sd
Regiment of Infantry, or as a regiment
with some other numerical des.gna ton.
Col. May is commissioned as colonel Of the
1st Regiment. 1t is added that under the
circumstances mentioned there would be
nothing in the way to prevent the commits
sioning of some other person as colonel for
instance, Of the Sd Regiment
Headquarters is very well satisfied with
the situation, and looks forward to marked
progress throughout the Guard. and par
ticularly among organizations that consti-
tuted the recent 1st Regiment. new reg
iment will be organized in the very near
future possibly next week. and with the
present inspector general, d. G. Militia, as
its colonel, 1t will be bound to boom. Gen
Harries informed those interested last Mon
day evening that Maj. Ourand will COM
mand the new regiment as colonel. Whiie
nothing was said on the subject of the lieu
tenant colonelcy, 1t seems to be conceded
that Mai. L. H. Reichelderfer will be pro-
NOTED to that Office. regiment of in
fantry headed by Col. Ourand and Lieut..
Col. Reichelderfer. 1t is declared by those
who are figuring on the deal, would De
steered by a combination to all intents and
purposes perfect
Possible Vacancy in I'd Battalion.
In the event Maj. Reichelderfer is ele-
waited, a vacancy will thereby be created
at the head of the I'd Battalion. Already
speculation is rife regarding the identity OF
the new major. Two names mentioned
for the place are those of Capt. Leroy w.
Heron, adjutant of the recent 1st Regl-
ment, now technically and temporarily in
command of the 1st Battery of Field Artil-
lery and Capt. Harry Coope, Company A,
list Regiment. Both are capable officers
and generally admitted to be well equipped
to command a battalion. In the natural
course of events, however, the promotion
would be rendered to Capt. c. E. Edwards,
the senior captain of the battalion and OF
the guard. He, at least, would be consult
ed before the nominating OF successor 10
Mai. Rechederfer.
1t is understood that Capt. Edwards is
not in quest of gold leaves for his shoulder
straps, preferring to remain with his COM
pany.
The disbandfng of the LIST Regiment has
caused some amusement, many of the Of
ficers and men facetiously claiming that
they do not know where they are at pres
ent. AS an instance, LIST Sergt. Frank M.
Collins Of the recent Company E, list Regi-
ment has addressed a communication to his
company commander.
Wants to Know Where He's "At."
foI1 Tn
to you for a little information am like the
sheep lost from the fold. Ten days ago 1
was set aside by your honorable company
as fit subject for examination for second
lieutenant Five days later I received an
order from headquarters notifying F. NJ
Collins. Company E, list Regiment, N. G. D.
c., to appear for examination. / now see
by the newspapers that there Is no such
thing as the LIST Regiment, N. G. D. c.
''Now, what l want to know Is, does that
order hold good There is no Company E,
LIST Regiment This rapid-fire of proceed
ings causes me to inquire: What are We?
Who are we? Where are we?
Have we been lost In the shuttle? There
is no first sergeant of Company E, LIST Regi-
ment, to go before the board of examina-
ton. Therefore. don't you think 1 will have
to be tagged with our new labeled Sepa-
rate Battalion What letter do we fly in
this battalion? Is it still Company Z?
Please let me know as soon possible who
am 1, where am l and to what do belong?"
Ready for Annual Encampment.
Preparations for the annual encampment.
nearly three months hence, are practically
completed. Major Neumeyer, commssary
general and acting quartermaster general
D. c. Militia, has made several trips to
Harper's Ferry, and everything at that end
of the line is in readiness for the arrival of
the troops. Major Neumeyer reports that
the residents of Harper's Ferry and Bolivar
express themselves as being very much
pleased with the prospect of again enter
tanning the citizen soldiery of the national
capital.
In addition to the camp grounds occupied
last year arrangements have been made for
the use of part of the farm on which the
John Brown fort is located. The regular
troops that accompany the guard to camp
will be assigned to this additional ground.
The 1st Separate Battalion will be camped
on the high ground occupied last year by
the cavalry and artillery from Fort Myer.
An ample water supply will be provided.
Steps are being taken to have installed
hydraulic ram SO that water for washing
purposes may be forced up from the Shen-
andoah river to a big tank on the camp
grounds.
Winner Of Burkart Medal.