The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1906-09-27
A NEW ARMY POST.
HAS NEVER HAD
ONE IN IT'S HISTORY. 4


New York, Sept. 26.--Gen. Frederick
p. Grant, who was In command of the
army concentration camp at Mount
Gretna, Penn. this summer. has re-
turned here and resumed the direc-
ton Of affairs of the Department of
the East from the department head
quarters on Governors Island. Cen
eral Grant was enthusiastic over the
results of the encampment. and be-
lieves that 1t will be regular event
hereafter.
The troops at Mount Gretna. which
included practically all OF the infantry
and cavalry in the Department of the
East, in addition to engineers and Sig
nal corps detachments." said General
Grant. behaved exceliently all sum-
mer ana believe never before has
the enlisted ersonnel of the regular
army been SO high as now. There
was not single case of serious sick
ness in the camp all summer, and 1t
has been. believe. that the problem
OF a healthy. permanent camp has been
solved.
I'VE had very little trouble as a re-
suit OF whisky. which is ut the bottom
of most of the trouble in the army
and am happy to say that assertions
were also few and far between.
Our experiments with automobiles
were interesting. The touring car did
well. but the auto truck did not I do
not think 1t will suplpant the mule"
The 18th Infantry. which is the
regular garrison at Governors Island
Is now on the way from Mount Gretna
to New York, the journey being made
on foot. 1t Is expected that the
men will arrive about October /.
With the breakup of thris camp a
very strong movement has arisen In
favor of making of Mt, Gretna a per-,
a mil PC
turn of events. the State OF Pennsyl-
vania has never been awarded a sin
gle United States Army post and this
In spite of the fact that Pennsylvania
keeps ready for the country's service
q force of $500 militia. more than any
other State but New York.
In New York the Government has
established twelve garrisoned forts.
They are Fort Hamilton, Governors
Island, Madison Barracks at sackett
f7arbor, Fort Niagara. Fort Ontario
at Oswego, Fort Porter at Buffalo
Fort Schuyler at Westchester, Fort
Slocum at New Rochelle, Piattsburg
Barracks. Fort Terry. Fort Totten near
Hell Gate. Fort wadsworth on Staten
Island. Fort Wood on Bedloe's Island.
Fort II. @. Wright on Fishers Island
Rhode Island, smallest of the States,
has three well garrisoned forts. New
Jersey has two, one at Sandy Hook
and the other at Salem. All the New
England States. Maryland. Virginia and
Delaware, all of which are in the De-
partment of the East. have their gar
risons. Porto Rico, even, has two. But
Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
where on account OF the large coal min
ing and iron mining population, tho
calls for troops have been more fire.
quent than anywhere else, have been
sighted.
1t is as 1t should be. the citizens OF
Pennsylvania say, that New York.
the principal port of the country,
should be dell fortified It is to the
credit of the War Department that
New York is as perfectly guarded as
any city of the world 1t seems prop
er. too. that the States with their
coast line exposed to the Atlantic
should have ample fortications. But
why, when there are about forty-nine
garrisoned forts in the Department of
the East. should Pennsylvania, the
second State of the Union. have none
at all?
When the military camp for the De-
partment of the East was to be Ell
| tablished. Mt Gretna Pa. by reason
of Its physical advantages, was chosen
as the site. The State of Pennsylvania
withdrew her soldiers and sent them
elseuhere, some of them to Gettysburg
and some to other points, for the
annual encampments. giving the Gov
eminent full slcay at Mt. Gretna. 9th
| Ell States, Vermont, New York, West
Virginia. Connecticut, Maryland and
New Jersey, and the District of CO.
lumbia. took advantage of the Gov
ernment's offer to encamp their mill
| tia there. but Pennsylvania sent none
of her militia to her own campground
as long as the Government wanted
the use of It,.
1t is likely that the movement for
the establishment of a permanent post
| at Mt. Gretna will make itself very
strongly felt at the next session of
Congress.