The Washington herald., 1909-08-01
GUARDSMEN READY
FOR ENCAMPMENT
Elaborate Preparations Are
Made for the Trip.
FIFTEEN HUNDRED MEN TO GO
shallow Water at the Foot of Sew
enth Street May Prevent Landing
of Transports - Maneuvers TO BE
Conducted in Vicinity of Boston.
Depart from Capital August IL.

Elaborate preparations are being made
by the officers and members OF the Ma
tiona Guard Of the District for the
annual encampment. For the first time
in the history OF the local soldiers, the
encampment is to be held along the At
lantic coast. in the vicinity OF Boston.
The guardsmen will be transported by
the way Of government transports to the
place OF encampment. They will leave
Washington on the morning Of August Y.
In the nelghborhood Of 1900 men Will
so from Washington.
Owing to the comparatively shallow
water surrounding the United States ar
senal at the head OF Seventh street. II
is believed the army transports avail
able for the use of the militia will not
be able TO land for the purpose of EN-
barking the District troops.
Tugs May BE Used.
II is probable these transports will
weigh anchor In the channel Of the Po-
tomac River somewhere between the ar
senal and Alexandria In the event they
are unable to come up 20 the arsenal.
and the District soldiers viii be conveyed
20 the transports by means Of tugs or
passenger boats
This feature Of dispatching troops has
been so greatly agitating the stan Off
GERS az headquarters the last week that
II was decided TO send a general board
OF officers to look over all transports IN
Norfolk waters for the purpose OF ascer-
tanning their fitness for conveying the
troops and the depth Of water these
transports will draw.
Maj. Neumeyer. Quartermaster general;
Maj. Robbins. acting Quartermastcr: two
regimental quartermasters, and two regi-
mental cOmmissaries compose the board
These officers left Washington last night
for Norfolk. Va. by boat, and viii re-
| turn tomorrow morning. when they will
make ouJ a report embOdying all the de-
tails OF the inspection 10 Col Smiley, ad-
jutant general
The Sumner, the Mcpherson and the
Mcclellan are the transports. which. IL Is
believed will be selected 20 convey thC
guardsmen 10 New England. Although
a report has been circulated TO the e.
feet that only two OF these transports
will be called into service. the opinion
prevails among officers that the general
board will favor the mastering into serv-
ice Of all three transports. The First
Separate Battalion. composing the negro
troops. will have the exclusive use OF
one transport. which will probably be the
Mcpherson.
General Boards Report.
All arrangements. incidental 10 the en-
barkation OF troops. will be made I'M
mediately following the report Of the
general board.
BY a recent order from headquarters
the ambulance corps has been disDanded
and the forty men composing that or
ganizatlon VIII be transferred 10 the gem
eral hospital department
The hospital department. after arriving
In New England. VIII establish a hos
pital short distance from the scene OF
the mimic battles. AS the Guard will
take no wagons OF other heavy equip
ment, the ambulance formerly owned by
the hospital department and now a part
OF the hospital service, viii be left In
Washington. Any ambulances used dur
ing the encampment viii be furnished by
the Massachusetts militia.