The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-07-05
TILE MASS MEETING.
Committee Appointed to Assist i'm Oh.
taining Recruits to Fill Ranks of
Sumter Light Infantry.

The mass meeting in the interest of
Of the Sumter Light Infantry. held in
the Court House Friday evening at
6:15 O'clock, was not largely attend
ed, the crowd in attendance at no
time reaching the one hundred mark.
The small crowd present and the ap-
parent lack Of interest in the welfare
OF Sumters military company may be
accounted for by the threatening
weather, but as matter Of fact en-
thusiasm is lacking and the COM
munity has not been aroused as a
whole to a realization Of the duty that
the stay-at-homes owe to the company ,
as a Sumter organization and to the
hundred or more young men who
have freely given their time and SER
vice, and, If need be, their lives in the
discharge of duty to the country.
The service that these young men
have volunteered to perform is as .
much the duty of every other man in d,
Sumter county and South Carolina as .
1T is OF any man in militia. The Sum-
ter Light Infantry is doing duty for
all of us and those OF us who cannot
or will not perform military service
will fall short of our duty as citizens
If We Go not give to the Sumter COM
pany our loyal, hearty and substantial
support in every way possible. 1t
must be that the people Of Sumter
they owe the Sumter Light Infantry,
otherwise the mass meeting would
have filled the Court House.
The meeting was called or order
and opened with prayer by Rev. J.. p,
Marion, chaplain of the Sumter Light
Infantry, who had been asked to act
as chairman. Rev. r. s. Truesdale,
who spent Wednesday at Styx and
whiel there discussed the situation
with officers Of the regiment and Gov.
Manning, was asked to state the OBJ
ject Of the melting. Mr.. Truesdale,
after telling of conditions in the
camp, said that the real object Of the
meeting was to impress upon the peo-
pie of Sumter the fact that the first
and greatest need Of the Sumter Light
Infantry is for more men to All the
ranks of the company to the full war
strength so that the identity OF the
company as a unit may be preserved.
He said that Gov. Manning asked him
to say to the people Of Sumter that
the need Of the Sumter Light Infan-
try. and Of all the other companies, is
for more men, sufficient to complete
the regiments and make them ready
for service. Volunteer companies are
not needed now and would not be
needed until the militia regiments are
completed and call has been made
for additional troops. Those who
want to serve in the army and feel
that 1t is their duty to do so should
enlist in the organizations that have
been called out. Mr.. Truesdale said
that he did not feel that it was his
place to urge any one to enlist but
he would say that it was a citizens
duty to serve the country in time of
need, that need now existed and
that those who felt the call to SER
vice now had the opportunity before
them to render mans service.
Mr. n Topp;noo ,c,o5o A.t>I
talk on the need of filling the ranks
of the Sumter company. an organiza-
ton that stood for and represented
Sumter county.
DR.. Walter Cheyne in response to q
request told Of visit to Styx and of
the health conditions he observed. He
said that the conditions of the camp
were excellent and that the militia
was being well cared for. He had a
son in the company and after seeing
the camp and talking with DIR. Brails-
ford and other medical officers, whom
he had known for years, he was sat-
isfied.
MF. bernard manning stated that
it being apparent that the real need
OF the Sumter Light Infantry was for
fifty or more additional men to COM
plete the roll of the company, he
would be one Of fifty to enlist at once
SO as to fill the company without fur
ther delay.
Mr.. A. c. Phelps said that as an
old member of the Sumter Light In
fantry he was deeply interested in the
organization and that he and other old
members were organizing to assist the
company and its members financially
and otherwise. He would be glad to
cooperate in any movement inaugural
ed by the meeting.