River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-06-29
RECRUITING GUARD
TO WAR STRENGTH
Commanders Push Work of En-
rolling 1000 More Men.
PREPARE FOR ACTIVE WORK
"Rookies" Given Stiff Training While
Awaiting Orders to Move to
the Mexican Bor-
der

tions in an effort to bring all COM
panies of the Wisconsin National
Guard up to full war strength, the old
members of the guard and those re-
cruits who had been added after the
call for mobilization was issued, were
mustered into the federal service,
Drepatory to moving on to the Next
can border.
The 1000 men who comprised the
troops which first assembled at Camp
Douglas in response to the presidents
CALL have been steadily augmented by
the arrival of fresh recruits. The
task before the commanding officers
has been to add 500 men to each regi-
ment. This means the recruiting Of
1000 additional men, bringing the to-
tai strength of the units assembled
at Camp Douglas up to more than g.
900 men. The rush to the recruiting
Offices of the various companies, how
ever, early showed that this would be
accomplished without difficulty.
All the old members of the guard
were fully equipped upon their arrival
in camp and the new recruits have
been supplied with equipment soon
after their arrival.
Each Company Brings Recruits.
Each company had big squad OF
recruits trailing along when 1T ar
rived in camp and the number has
been steadily increased. Company X,
Milwaukee, made the best showing on
its arrival, having AT men enrolled.
A Fond du Lac company brought 50
new recruits along.
Special attention has been given to
the instruction of the recruits. Many
Of them had never handled firearms
and for these the first training con-
sisted Of target practice. Military
tactics and signals were also drilled
into the new men with feverish haste
In order to get them into shape before
moving to the front.
Rev. Gustav Stearns, chaplain of
the First regiment, with the rank of
captain, has been one of the busiest
men in camp for several days. 1t is
his duty to handle the mail.
Sacks of letters from sweethearts,
mothers, sisters and brothers have
poured into camp.
at will be a difficult task but the
satisfaction one meets in distributing
mail such as these letters are amply
repays me-" said Captain Stearns.
Three Brothers in Company.
Company +, Milwaukee, has three
brothers in it's ranks. They are Frank,
George and Raymond Paul, 41O Wal
Is in the United States marine corps.
In Company l.. Beloit, there Is a
dog who has been to camp eight
times. Her name is 'Betty" and she
is owned by Capt. Charles Buck.
Before Company l. left for Camp
Douglas more than $1,000 was col
Iected among citizens for the use OF
the men in buying delicacieS.
That a second brigade of Wiscon-
sin troops will be organized at Camp
Douglas after the departure of the
men now in camp for the front is be-
lieved to be certain. 1t was expected
that Gen. Orlando Holloway, who it
had been announced would remain be-
hind when the troops went to the Dor
der, would undertake the organization
of the new brigade. 1t has been the
belief that after the first detachments
are sent to the border q long conflict
may result and more forces may be
needed before the trouble is over.
Scouts have been sent all over Wis
conSin in search of horses for the
Guard. A. conference of officers was
held at the headquarters of Maj. G. r.
Williams, when suggestions from them
as to where horses might be purchased
were received. Several hundred more
steeds are needed by the Guard.
Private CASTOR Engel clerk in
Judge Holdings court, has been ap-
pointed company clerk for the first
supply company.
The men are being supplied with ex-
cellent rations and there has not been
a grumble in camp. Maj. Edwin L.
Markle of the quartermaster corps
gave the following figures on the
amount Of food necessary to feed the
men for three days:
Fresh beef, 10000 pounds; bacon, s.
500 pounds: potatoes, $4,000 pounds
soft bread, $1,000 pounds; coffee, 1000
pounds. In addition there Is half an
ounce of butter for each man each
day; prunes, peaches, rice. beans, to-
matoes and other smaller items.
Maj. Gilbert E. Seaman. chief sur
gon of the hospital troop, stated that
every man in that body has been
equipped with everything down to the
smallest detail.
''The medical supplies are plentiful
for the present" said Major Seaman.
'"There are twenty medical men here
to cope with any emergency that may
arise. There are $50 enlisted men in
the medical force"
Phillip e. Whitehead, son of former
Senator John M. Whitehead of James
vile and a graduate of Yale and the
American College of Rome, is one of