The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-06-21
READY TO 90 TO borden,
SUMTER MILITARY COMPANY
READY TO RESPOND TO CALL
OF PRESIDENT.
Recruiting Office Kept Open in Arm.
ory Hall all Day-Company Needs
Eighty Recruits to Raise Company
to Fun Strength-Excitcment Cre-
ated by Call.

intense excitement was created
among many of the people last night
when the call was received here over
telephone for the Sumter Light In
fantry to mobilize at once and be pre-
pared to move at short notice. The
orders from Adjutant and Inspector
General Moore were received at about
3 O'Clock last night and in a short
time Maj. Bradford had notified the
company officers, who in turn had no.
tilted all Of the men of the companv.
Further information was obtained
and 1T was found that the company
was given forty-eight hours in which
to move to camp Styx near Columbia.
although five days were given the
company, If it was found necessary to
take that much time. This quieted
some OF the men down for awhile, but
many of them hung about the streets
until late hour talking of the or
ders which had been received and the
probability of their being ordered to
Mexico. ~ ~. ..ri.
This morning full Information was
given to the members of the company,
and many of them remained in their
pntforms throughout the whole day.
Lieut.. Edward Bradford was put in
charge of the recruiting office and up
to twelve o'clock four men had signed
up for enlistment. Three new men
signed up on Saturday night. Many
others applied for enlistment, but
we're turned away until they could
SECURE the consent of their parents
or the former members only about
ifty per cent. Of them had signed the
new enlistment oath. This morning a.
number Of those who had not done so,
but who expected to continue in the
militia came in and took the new oath
and. enlistment for three years.
The Sumter Light Infantry, Com
pany l., National Guard of South
Carolina, at twelve O'clock today had
seventyione enlisted men on it's mus
ter roll. The normal working force.
Is sixty-five. therefore the Sumter
company has sufficient men to move
on to- the Styx. whenever the officers
desire 1t to do so, but Che call has been
cor the companies to enlist up to-
heir full strength. one hundred and
nifty inen, ard, as can be seen. Sew
cnty-nine more men are needed on
he companys roll Capt. Brown
and his officers are doing all in their
power to secure this number within
the next few days, as the company
will have to move to Camp Styx
within five days and it is desirable to
set up the full strength before
marching orders are issued. Second
Lieut.. Bradford is in charge Of the
recruiting office and ready and anxious
70 serve any able bodied man willing
to enlist.
To-Day DR.. Walter j. Bristow. the
surgeon. attached to the Sumter COM
pany. was Kept busy examining the
men. Only about one-third of the
men had stood the new physical ex-
animation required of all of those
who took the new enlistment oath.
Many Of these were taking the ply
sical examination today. The newly
enlisted men were also placed on the
waiting list to be examined at the
earl st time the surgeon could give
then. attention.
The Sumter company is in COM
mand of Capt. Robert r. Brown,
First Lieut.. Allen r.. Richardson,
Lieut.. Richardson has been elected,
but has not yet stood his examination
and secured his commission and
Second Lieut.. Edward Bradford. Joe
). Chandler is first sergeant