Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-21
VIRGINIA COULD FURNISH
100000 MEN FOR WAR
Adjutant-G General Sale So Reports to
United States War De-
partment.
ALL ABLE.BODIED MEN ELIGIBLE
volunteer Militia Consists of Forty
companies Of Infantry, Three Of
artillery and One of Signal Corps.
hard to Maintain Cavalry.

Hard to Maintain Cavalry.
IL the United States should go to
war there are In Virginia 100000
.ipie- bodied men whose services could
ne utilized In lighting for their coun-
Try. This was the estimate last re-
ported TO the War Department by Adj
!utant-General w w. Sale. All of
'hese are not actually enrolled. but
inc state military authorities are re-
CURED each year to report to the War
department the number Of citizens
aVaiiahle for active service.
The actual strength of tho Virginia
Volunteers at the present time is ZIG
officers and $500 enlisted men
though few of the able bodied citi-
zens OF the State. not enlisted In the
virginia Volunteers, realize it, they
are e, practically all members Of the
militia Of the State. The law of Vir-
sinia declares: The militia of this
state shall consist OF all able bodied
inaie persons between the ages of
eighteen and forty five years, except
Such persons as may be exempted by
me laws of the United States of
THIS state: but those who belong to
religious societies whose tenets forbid
the carrying Of arms shall not be com
PEELED to do SO, provided they pay an
equivalent for personal services"
PEOPLE GENERALLY KNOW
LITTLE OF WORK OF VOLUNTEERS
Perhaps one Of the most useful in
stitutions OF Virginia, yet the least cx-
pIoltcd. Is It's volunteer soldiery. The
average business man as we'll as his
feilow-man in other walks OF life,
knows very little about the citizen
militia OF his State. and does not take
the time to inform himself or he would
he moro interested. If not an active
member. The enrolled enlisted
militia in this state IL known AS the
virginia Volunteers" while in most
other States IL is known the Ma
tional Guard The War Department
classifSs II as the "OrEanized Militia"
al citizens OF Virginia possessing the
necessary physical qualifications. not
so enrolled. are members of the re-
serve militia, though many are proba-
bly, not conscious OF the fact.
The Virginia Volunteers are au-
thorized TO consist OF the Governor.
who. is the commander in chief: the
AGlutant-General's department.: the in
spcctor- generals department.; the judge
advocate generals Department.: the or
dinance department: the quarter.nas-
ter corps: the medical department.;
corps OF engineers. signal corps, forty
companies OF infantry. four troops of
cavalry. four batteries of field artillery.
five divisions of naval volunteers, one
OF which may be a special engineers
artillery. and such auxiliary troops rs
may be prescribed by the comma ndcr-
in-chie.
NOW HAVE FULL QUOTA
OF FORTY COMPANIES
Al the present time. the Virginia
Volunteers have all the infantry al
loved BY law-forty companies. which
are organized into ten battalions OF
four companies each, and three regi-
me- NJ nj he
extra battalion is classified as separate
organization. known as the Richmond
Light Infantry Blues.
These organizations are located In
'hirtyt"o cities and towns and can
be utilized In any part of the state
AT n mon crt's notice 10 maintain order
and uphold the law. People from al!
PARTS Of tn" State who observed tho
First Brigade and Blues Battalion.
consisting OF $500 officers and enlisted
men. in the Confederate Reunion pa
rade on June 3 were most favorably i'm
pressed with the splendid showing
made and their readiness for active
service
The three batteries OF light field
artillery, which the State now has. are
located in Richmond. Norfolk and
Portsmouth. This is one of the mos;
expensive branches of the service. tho
guns and equipment OF each battery
being valued al $4,000. The War De-
partment requires skilled mechanic
To be employed by each battery and
modern armory must be provided before
new battery guns and equipment will
nc issued. This branch now numbers
zoo officers and enlisted men. There is
only one company Of the signal corps
in the Virginia Volunteers.
DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN
MOUNTED ORGANIZATIONS
While four troops or squadron of
| cavalry Is allowed b% law, Virginia has
found II difficult to maintain eficirnt
organizations OF this branch in the
past. owing 10 the expensive horse
equipment necessary, the impossibility
of securing proper mounts for drill
purposes and the cost of armories. II
is considered almost impracticable to
undertake the formation of such or
CARNATIONS without first obtaining a
material increase in the military ap-
preparation. Practically the same diff
ficuities exist regarding organizations
of the naval militia and coast artillery
although the War Department is most
anxious TO encourage the latter and
maintains special funds for arming
and equiping such OF these organiza-
lions as can provide armories.
One feature of the militia organiza-
ton which few people understand is
the manner in which II is governed
Governor Henry c. Stuart, the COM
mander- in chief commands the vir-
EiH'h " oPli g.
600 officers and enlisted men through
his adjutant- general, BriEadier- General
William Wilson Sale. All communica-
lions. orders and reports pass through
the acknowledgements office. In fact
that department arms, uniforms. eouips
instructs. finances, encamps and pre-
pares regulations for the entire BODY
of troops ard renders Il strict account
each year TO the Governor and 10 the
War Department.
COLONEL STERN At HEAD
Of INpORTt Mt nEpaRTNfEST