The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-26
BLUES CANNOT GO
TO ENCAMP MENT'
Men of Two Companies Failed 10
Secure Necessary Leave OF
Absence.
---
ATTENDANCE NOT ENFORCED
Governor Will Not Order Arrest
OF Mcn-Company a
May Attend.
ATTENDANCE NOT ENFORCED

| Because of the inconvenient time
selected for the camp OF nianoeuvres
at Gettysburg, at least two OF the com
panies Of Richmond Light Infantry Blues
Battalion will be unable to participate
in the encampment. 1t is possible that
Company A will be able to go, although
this will not be definitely known until
tomorrow. Companies B. and c Will
stay at home.
This unfortunate situation became
known yesterday morning, when Major
z. w. Bowles. commander of the bat
TALON, called on Governor Mann and
laid the facts before him. The officer
told the commander-in-chicf that so
MANY of the enlisted men of the two
companies are employed in banks and
bv business houses which would not
give the employees the requisite leave
Of absence that it would not be possible
to secure the attendance OF the mini
mum number. The regulations Of the
War Department require that there
must be thirty-two privates and SIX
sergeants, in addition to the commits
stoned officers. with each company
Otherwise no transportation VIII pc
furnished and the company Is not en-
. titled to take part in tho nlanoeuVres'
VIII Not Force Attendance.
, OF course it Is entirely within the
province of the Governor to force at
tendance on the camp, since it Is part
of military duty. But Major Bowles
asked that this be. not done. While
!, it might not result positively In dis
!. : charges of employees, it would, IT is
feared, have the effect OF making busl-
ness houses in future give the prefer
ence to men who are not members
!, of the militia thus eventually injurinS
the service through barring young
men through enlistment The Cover
nor took the same view as did the
= major, and 1t Is not likely that any
!, steps will be taken In the direcuon
. of compulsory service.
Company A has forty men who are
y willing and able to go--two more than
the minimum. Three men are, how
ever sick Should any one of the three
. be sufficiently recovered by tomorrow
! to he able to make the trip this com
e pany will go to Gettysburg There
y being no battalion for him TO COM
e mand. Major Bowles. as a matter OF
\. course. will not attend the encamp-
i ment. II Company a goes it will prob
e ably be attached for the occasion
e to the Second Regiment.
Tried to Change Date.
IS The situation was foreseen from
l. the very beginning by Adjutant-Gen'
J. eral Sale. When the date of July to
% was selected by the War Department
10 he wrote at once asking that late
3 time be chosen. because OF the rae
that the fiscal year would end whil
y the soldiers were away from home, en-
% failing heavier duties upon bushes
t houses of various kinds
l. But the department replied that
l. was forced to make allotments of date'
4 at the most convenient periods for all
8 everything considered, as II had to take
Id care of many thousands OF troops dur
IN ing the summer. The ruling was a
1t the laws of the Medes and Perslans.
ne Accordingly the date was announc
p ed by the Adjutant-General. AT once
ed protest came In from Lynchburg. FOL
ne lowed by others from different section
- of Virginia. This caused second AT
O. tempt at a modification of the date b!
w General Sale, but absolutely wlthou
result, There was no remedy.
ed Would Hurt Service.
ne Clerks in banks and commission
TO houses. with other institutions who's
ne half-vearly or yearly accounts are be
no ing closed at this time, largely max
IN the membership Of the battalion
en- J3lues. Very many Of these men roun
te' 10 their dismay that 1t would not onl
be Inconvenience In nearly every case
hut impossible In many, to secure In
ten-day absence from duty at the oa'
re selected Heads Of business mousse
wrote in numbers to Major Bowles OK
I'm n,aining the situation, expressing re
ne 80, tba+ theH could not release thel
ne men at this period, and asking that IN
-. militiamen he not forced to serve, sine
III +ha Inevitable result would be the dan
on age of the service because OF the ul
10 Willingness of employersSto engage IN
~ services of members OF militia CON
le- mands
Of This condition of affairs has worrie
ire Major Bowles no little. lie has spe'
hi sleepless nights and anxious days oV
the matter, but to no avail. he hta
~ admitted the hopelessness or q
case Yesterday to the Governor.
Aside from the loss of Companies
lly and C. of the Blues, Richmond VIII
largely represented at Gettysburg, =
IL of the four companies OF the First ia
pr talon Of the First Regiment VIII
llS having secured pledges far above q
10 10 minimum in each instance. Probap
;as a. hundred members OF Battery
lay Richmond Howitzers, Will attend
camp.
re- Richmond will be quite n place
us. ean,hlare for the Virginia trooI
The n,, -. nva comnanies. the one
the BESIDES Tug ~ S..ars whi
hat artlllery ana tie iie'A'i'l 10, 49, 80 -
The will entrain here, the solulers rom
asst number of other towns will meet
this city for embarkation. All of
Norfolk mllitiamen will como to Ric
"a mond Thursday afternoon The ST
ing. cial trains VIII ie@'o i'o
nes- about midnight.
day.
mes pn,,.o Court Cases
John b. Carter. colored. appeared
Police Court yesterday morning to a
:. swer to the charge of numbering Sa
erv uel Williams, but the case was &C