Milford chronicle., 1914-07-24
STATE MILITIA WILL Be
IN MILFORD SATURDAY

The eight companies and band of the
First Infantry, Organized Militia of
Delaware, in command of Col. Theodore
Townsend, will arrive in Milford about
ten O'Clock Saturday morning after hav-
ing completed a march from the State
Rifle Range, just south of New Castle.
The troops will go in camp as soon as
they arrive at field on Kings High
way, directly opposite the home of Will
liam c. Smith. and will remain there
until late in the afternoon when the
various upstate companies will return
to their homes by train. The troops
have been well received throughout the
entire march, and Milford will give
them a rOusing reception when they
arrive tomorrow morning.
The plan of taking a hike" is new
to the troops of this State, IN fact Della
ware is the first State in the Union to
attempt such march. For that reason
the hike" about to be terminated has
been watched with unusual interest by
military persons throughout the entire
country. The troops went into camp at
the Range last Saturday morning, when
the Wilmington companies, accompanied
by the band, the New Castle Company
and the Newark Company marched to
the camping site. Company B of Mil
ford and Company G of Dover went to
State Road Station by train and from
that place marched to the camp. The
soldiers rested on Sunday, and it is es-
timated that fully five thousand persons
visited the camp during the day. For
the FIST time in the history of Della
ware encampment, Vice President Mar
shall visited them, and watched the re-
view given in his honor. With the Vice
President was Senator Salisbury of
Delaware, whose guest Mr.. Marshall
was. Governor Miller is hiking with
the troops and will lead them when they
arrive in Milford tomorrow morning.
Col. Townsend has given Company b
the honor of leading the companies into
its home town, and the change in the
order of marching has greatly pleased
the men.
A picturesque part of the line OF
march is a train of army wagons, drawn
by army mules. Each company has one
wagon in which to carry its equipment,
while the commissary and other depart
ments have wagons. One automobile
truck is also with the outfit. All of the
field officers are mounted, and number
of amusing experiences have occurred
to those of them who have had little eX-
in riding a horse. The troops
the entire week have been given work
which as nearly as possible would cor
respond to conditions with which they
would have to contend in actual war
fare, and they have acquitted them
selves in an excellent manner.
On Monday morning the start for
Milford was made about seven O'Clock,
the objective point being st. Georges, |
along the Delaware and Chesapeake
Canal. This place was reached after
three hours marching. and the dog
tents, small shelter tents just large
enough to accommodate two men, were
The ladies of the Presbyterian
Church of that town had arranged a
festival for that evening. Col. Town
send ordered the band to furnish music
for them for the evening, and as re-
suit they made good money for the
affair. In the afternoon the men held
a number Of swimming contests in the
canal All along the line Of march the
men were enthusiastically received. and
no complaint was made about them on
the first days march.
On Tuesday the troops were up early
and started on the longest hike" of
the week. Middletown being their OBJ
lective point. To the elder people Of
that town the sight of the troops was
no novelty. for during the Spanish
American War the Delaware troops
were encamped there for a short time.
From Middletown to Smyrna, how
ever, the militia created much favorable
comment and the general impression left
was that the march has caused a general
awakening among the people and that
Delaware has one of the finest equipped
regiments of militia in the Union. We'd
nesday evening the troops were enter
tanned by the ladies of Smyrna, who
made extra plans for their amusement
On Thursday, the Governors Day in
a regular camp, camp was broke early
in the morning and an early start made
for Dover. Here the entire regiment
passed in review before Governor Mil
and the biggest show Of the entire
h was made.
troons will march
'~st