The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-02
Richmond Artillerymen to Be
First to Depart for Mexican
Border
PORTSMOUTH BATTERY
WILL LEAVE TUESDAY
Soldiers Kept Busy Yesterday
Packing Artillery and Equip-
!, ment on Cars-Friends Say
Goodbye

Under the command Of Captain
William NJ. Myers. the Richmond
Howttzers, known as Battery A OF
the First Battalion of Virginia
Field Artillery, will cntrain this
morning nj IL O'Clock and depart
from Camp Henry Carter Stuart
for the Mexican border.
Battery b, the Norfolk Blues,
viii leave at / O'Clock this after
noon, while Battery ID, of HaInp-
ton, will depart for Texas soil just
two hours later.
The Portsmouth Artillery,
known rs Battery ID, commanded
BIZ Captain Ira Ii. Johnson, Will
not Leave until Tuesday morning.
The exact time for their departure
has not yet been definitely de-
' cided upon.
Batteries A, Il and y will leave to-
day over the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railway Company. their destination
being San Antonio. The Portsmouth
command will depart South by way
OF the Atlantic Coast Line, Tourist
cars have been arranged 10 care for
the troopers, and they Will not he put
to the discomforts that were expert
enced by the First and Second keg!-
ments of Virginia Infantry. who left
Richmond for Brownsville, Texas.
early In the spring.
The artiilerymen were kept busy
.throug hout yesterday packing and
loading their equipment OH the train.
Practically ali OF the artillery OF the
Richmond How!t2ers has been placed
aboard the Hat cars, while the re-
mainder of it will be loaded early this
morning. 1t will take only a bret
period 10 complete the work this
morning. and everything Will be IN
las; night. for tpc departure Of the
Richmond soldiers at II o'clock this
morning.
Members Of the Hampton and Nor
solk batteries were also busy through
out yesterday in placing their equip
ment on the cars. The work is pro-
crossing rapidly, and no delays are
anticipated by those in command.
The artillerymen were ON the go
during both the morning and after
noon, and al times they resem bled
bees moving to and from their hive.
Most all OF the Huwitzers were last
night rendered opportunities to leave
the camp 10 say good bye To the peo-
pie at home and their friends All OF
them took advantage of the oppor-
tunity. but i 2 o'clock last night found
all of them in their cots. All o. them
Will have 10 arise early this morning
an order to complete all arrangements
for the entertainment, and there is hard
ly probability of any of them being
permitted to leave camp tbday. save
'those who were unable TO do SO yes
terday.
All of the artilleryman seemed to
be in good spirits last night and many
of them are very we'll pleased with
being given an opportunity 10 see
service on the Mexican border, The
climate Is much warmer in Texas and
during the winter months the soldiers
will fare much better than they would
have by remaining at Sherwood Park
Hard Work Is Over.
Practically all OF the hard labor has
been done by troops which preceded
them to the border. and the artillery
men will find things in much better
shape than they were when the move
ment of troops was first started some
months ago.
The camp was fiocked with Rich
mond people yesterday afternoon. and
the soldiers were kept busy shaking
hands and saying goodbye to their
friends. Special excursions were run
% Richmond yesterday from Norfolk.
Hampton and Portsmouth. bringing
mothers sweethenrts and friends Of
the artillerymen from the seaport
cities, who journeyed here to say the
dnAl farewell before the men leave for
duty on the border. Out OF the three
batteries that will depart for Texas,
three OF them are from the Tidewater
district and several hundred people
came here to see them before Tho de-
part.
1t was announced last night a-.t
all OF the horses will be taken and
they are now being placed In ears
IL Mt a.
animals now used by the First Artil-
lery would be left here with the
Biues Cavalry, since they are discarded
army horses, and will not come up to
tine requirements of the Federal
authorities.
Each man that leaves today will be
given rations today for ten days, and
II 1t gives out before Texas Is reached
additional food will be arranged for
Dy the government authorities and
picked up on the way to the Western
city.