The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-08-15
RECRUITS GOING SOON
Railroads Receive Orders to Entrain
Enlisted Men

Burlington, Aug. 15-The Central
Vermont railroad company got an or
der Saturday afternoon to prepare to
start the rest of the Vermont militia
for the front at short notice. The
war department issued general or
der Saturday afternoon that all the re-
naming militia throughout the count
ry which have not yet been sent to
Mexico, entrain Immediately upon re-
ceiving orders. When the twelve COM
panies of infantry went off to the bord-
er, the orders to the railroad and Ad-
jutant-General Lee S. Tillotson ar
rived almost simultaneously but the
departure of the regiment was delayed
about SO hours pending the arrival OF
equipment. 1t is expected that the
headquarters, supply and machine
gun companies, as well as the proyis-
ional company at Fort Ethan Allen,
will leave tomorrow or Wednesday,
| The actual order had not reached the
hands OF the adjutant-General UP to
last night
Captain b. S. Hyland of Rutland.
| commanding officer at the camp and
/ head of A company, said the order to
| entrain had been expected ever since
7 the railroad received its order But
the war department issued an order
still in effect at this writing, that the
militia could not leave until order to
! the national guard of the country in
| the first place was that no company
CT militia could depart until 1t was full
ly equipped and at minimum or peace
| strength at least. The four cOmpan-
! les are strong enough numerically, but
still lack the ponchos mosquito bars
and bed sacks, one OF each for every
enlisted man, required for summer and
winter service.
The recruiting stations at Morris
| Vile, Middlebury and Bennington, will
| probably remain open until the militia
Of Vermont reaches its full war
strength. recruits being received at
Fort Ethan Allen. Only % or 80 men
have taken the oath at the three sta
tions in addition to about 10 az the fort
since the new period Of recruiting be
gan. No information has come tc
headquarters 90 far that the stations
would be discontinued, and there is nc
reason for doing so as long as the regi
ment is not at its full war quota
Reports published Sunday in New
York newspapers to the effect tha
there are 25S men in Vermont under
training may have been true seyera
weeks ago but are not true today
There are close to 300 enlisted men no
including officers at the fort. The iig
ures given for the total number OF tn,
state militia in the state or on thebor
der must also be revised. There ar,
more than 919 men of the nationa
guard in Vermont or at the Mexican
FROM.
When the Second regiment left TO
the front it contained II companies o
which few were completely equipped
This was a common condition and LEI
to the war departments order tina
equipment henceiorth must be CON
plete in the case OF each and every an,
, every company. Left behind were tn
, skeleton units which since have bee
, increased to minimum size by abant
! oning the cavalry companies and ell
listing them as infantry The heat
quarters company was the only con
plete unit. I'm ordinary infantry con
!. pany has war strength of l5O meT
-, peace strength of Go; whereas tn
n headquarters company has total {
!. 5S enlisted men of whom rs compos
q the regiment band and 20 a squad {
n mounted scouts. The provisional con
4. pany which consist Of the overfo
q and recent recruits. will be split u
, among the other companies so thi
n they may be as nearly equal as poss
II BILE in number There is no questio
N OF the war or peace strength OF I'll
!. headquarters company. It has bee
% 0g full strength for weeks past. ~
NJ machine gun company numbered
n and the supply company 80. The OF
n GERS are all at the front with the G
q. ception of Captain G. Il. Carpento
,r who resigned his commission as mai,
a. in charge OF the ordinance at the 70
n to take a captaincy He is head OF Il
newly formed machine gun compan
This is the only company which Is n
a detachment. 1t has had most of
equipment almost from the start,
cludng the four guns with which eve
regiment is provided
a. The destination of the men will pI
W badly he Eagle Pass The entire Fir
IS regiment is stationed at or near N
~ station with the exception of TO
~ squads of which are stretched out oy
NC distance of 20 to so miles guardi
IL four big fanches near the border.
The national guard numbers roul
ly $4,000 men. not including recru
Of the past few weeks, of which abe
$4,000 are on the border. This leay
on about 2S,0O0 men still affected by {
presidents order OF several weeks a
un which sent the militia to the front