Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-02
MARCH rs CALLED 0FF
TROOPS WILL NOT ESCORT REV.
FATHER SHERMAN.
Action Taken by the President After
Conference With Gen.
Bell.

The President has directed the curtan-
ment OF the movement OF detachment OF
the 18th Cavalry as escort to Rev. Father
Thomas Sherman, son OF Gen. Sherman. On
q march over part Of the line OF Gen. sher-
mans famoua march to the sea. Instead
the trip may be made from Fort Ogie-
thorpe as far as Resaca, which Ii within
about fifty miles of Fort Oglethorpe, when
the cavalry detachment is to return to the
latter place. Orders to that effect were
given last night following the receipt Of
dispatch from Brig. Gen. Duvalf. COM
manding the Department Of the Gulf. Dy
whose authority the detachment was order
ed to accompany Father Sherman, and
conference on the subject between Prest-
dent Roosevelt and Gen. Bell, chief Of staff
Of the army.
The March Called Off.
Gen. Bell. chief of staff, took Gen. Du-
wallis report to the White House for the In
formation of the President. AS result of
their conference the following telegram was
sent to Gen. Duvall by the military secre-
tary last night:
In view of the misapprehension, SEEM
ingly caused by the terms employed in your
order. the President deems 1t best, after the
detachment of the 18th Cavalry has gone
as far as Resaca and visited the tnterven-
officers and men composing the detaeh-
ment shall return to Fort Oglethorpe, when
he directs to be DONE.
Gen. Duvall's Report.
In response to dispatch sent to him by
Acting Secretary Oliver regarding the re-
port that military escort had been fur
nished Father Sherman, the following teie-
gram from Gen. Duvall, commanding the
Department of the Gulf at Atlanta, Ca.
said:
Replying to your telegram of this date
in re detachment 18th Cavalry, accompa-
MED by Rev. Father Sherman, from Chatta-
nooga to Atlanta, two officers with eight
enlisted men were authorized by depart
ment commander to go over the line OF
operations of Gen. Sherman's army In its
movement to Atlanta, and to act as escort
for Father Sherman,.a son of the late Gen.
Sherman. who wished, for historical rea-
sons, to go over same territory. The ofh-
GERS were selected because Of being inter-
ested in study of former operations OF army
and were directed to submit sketch Of the
country passed over and to prepare me-
moir Of their trip, to be read before the
officers school at their post. Every oppor-
tunity Is taken advantage Of to study Gen.
Sherman's Atlanta campaign, and 1t was
deemed happy circumstance that a cour-
tesy to Gen. Sherman's son could be COM
bined with military instructions. Practice
marches. with large bodies, are to be made
from now on over the historic fields of
Chickamauga and Atlanta by troops from
Forts Oglethorpe and Mcpherson, on which
officers. will study and discuss the opera
lions of Gen. Sherman. The detachment in
question was authorized by the department
commander. and the commanding officer
Fort Oglethorpe telegraphs under date Of
eight enlisted men left here this morning
for Atlanta. Father Sherman accompanied
party
THE party is not directed to go over the
territory of march to sea, but will return to
post from Atlanta. Correspondence on sub
ject forwarded by mall"
Gen. Bells Explanation.
Gen. Bell. the chief of staff of the army,
In speaking of the Sherman incident said:
''It is common thing at the present time
for army officers interested In their studies
to visit the battlehelds Of the late war in
order to get clearer idea Of what they
learned from maps and histories of that
war. Such visits are now prescribed as a
course of instruction at the Staff College
at Fort Leavenworth. Advantage Is taken
of all opportunities to send off1cerS on short
trips for this purpose or to permit them to
CO. and when they go overland by horse
back 1t Is customary to have detachment
of soldiers to accompany them, not only
to look after the horses and facilitate the
journey, but also because the soldiers like
this kind of service and look upon It as q
recreation.
THE fields of engagements fought be-
tween the armies of Gen. Sherman and
Gen. Johnston along the route pursued by
these armies between Chattanooga and At
lanta are favorite places of study Of army
officers because the strategy and tactics
involved In the operations Of Sherman and
Johnstons armies are considered among
the best examples of the art of war at
forded by our civil war. This is not the
first time parties of officers and men have
gone over this route. A detachment Of men
was furnished about two years ago, at my
request, to accompany an officer who was
ordered to the Staff College as assistant
commander. I desired him to famillarize
himself with the fields Of these engage
ments before going to the Staff College to
teach. The late Col. Wagner, Maj. Swift
and myself made such trip over the bat
tlefelds near Manassas in the spring of
1904. The military designation of detach-
ments of soldiers accompanying officers on
this kind of duty Is escort"
DO these escorts go for the purpose OF
guarding officers?' was asked
Under such circumstances as these"
Gen. Bell replied, escorts go merely for
the purpose of facilitating the journey, car
ing for the horses, etc. The word escort.
however. is also applied to detachrnents or
soldiers and officers who are detailed TO
escort paymasters travelling with funds.
On such occasions they are sent to guard
the funds and preclude the danger of rob-
berry, etc In time of war when travelling
IN an enemy's country escorts are also de-
tailed to accompany officers, wagon trains,
etc, to guard them against danger. But
this term has a number of significations,
ami does not necessarily imply a guard Tor
thA protection of anything or anybody. For
instance, there are escorts of honor and
the President and the Secretary of War
and high ranking officers of the army are