The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1916-10-04
FIRST REGIMENT
To GUARD LINE.
SOON WILL BE ASSIGNED TO
ACTIVE PATROL DuTY.-MAkE
SHOWING.
NEWS FROM BORDER CAMP
A Weekly Letter, Prepared Especially
For Our Readers, From the South
Carolina Guardsmen Encamped at
Fort Bliss, Texas.

Carolina Guardsmen Encamped a
| Fort Bliss, Texas.
In Camp with the South Carolina
Brigade. in the El Paso Patrol District
The First Sou@h Carolina infantry
will soon be distributed over 80
mile outpost line from Las Cruces
New Mexico, to Fort Hancock, Texas
The regiment will be broken into
companies and assigned to outpost
stations at the small towns east and
west Of El Paso.
The combined First and Second
regiments of South Carolina infantry
| marched as one regiment in the big
| military review parade, and although
they are recent arrivals at the Dor
der lost fewer men through exhaus
ton than the troops of any other
state.
Arriving at o'clock in the morn
! ing the men did not complete the re
view until nearly sundown. Besides
being under restraint all day the sol
diers marched 20 miles with field
equipment That the South Carolina
men so ably stood the experience
speaks well for their natural endur'
ance, because they have not passed
through the hardening process the
other troops here have received
Brig. Gen. Roger Williams of Ken
lucky commanded the provisional
brigade, which was created for the
occasion by merging South Carolina
and Kentucky troops.
Field training by regiments began
in the South Carolina camp Septem-
Der 18th and continued to the 25th.
Both of the regiments were Inspected
and reviewed By a member of the
staff OF Brig. Gen. George Bell, Jr.,
commanding the Ell Paso district.
The regiments were out in full force,
the machine gun companies with
their Lewis guns on the motor trucks
being along with the rest of the
units comprising the regiments.
Both organizations showed up nicely.
Since coming to the border over
six weeks ago the Palmetto regiments
have been trained in companies and
batta!ions and are now working on
training by regiments. This will be
followed by field training Of the
brigade under Col. w. K. Wright.
The South Carolinians were IA pretty
good shape when they came to the
border and the service they have
gone through with here has hardened
and seasoned them and brought them
to a high state Of preparation for SOL
diers.
South Carolina is said to be the
third best drilled, best equipped and
best trained National Guard organi-
cation on the border. The state Of
Massachusetts is generally credited
with heading the list. That South
Carolina ranks third is very crafty
ing when everything is taken into
consideration. The Palmetto regi-
ments are equipped much better than
the average National Guard organiza-
ton and came to the border much
better in this respect than the aver
age guard organization, according to
gossip around the camps. Of course,
nobody has made any official state
ment on this matter and will prob
ably not do so, but this is what is
heard almost every day in comments
from those who ought to know.
When the final rating is made there
is little doubt that South Carolina
will be in the front rank Of efficiency.
training and in every way.
Massachusetts first, Michigan Sec
ond and South Carolina third is the
standing Of the National Guard or
CARNATIONS from unofficial remarks
which have been picked up. Both
Massachusetts, and MichiganSwere on
the border six weeks before the Pal
metto troops came and if this stand
ing is correct the showing of the
South Carolinians is surprisingly
gratifying. Give them the same per-
iod on the border and the same time
Ia field training and South Carolina's
lads will go to the top. The officers
and men have worked hard and faith
fully since coming here and if every
National Guard organization has TAX
en- advantage Of its opportunities as
the Palmetto boys have done it's 60
ing to be hard to tell them from the
regular army.
The biggest review of any army
held since the Union army paraded
up Pennsylvania avenue in Washing
ton at the close of the War Between
the States will take place in Ell Paso
on Thursday when $4,000 olive drab
men will tramp through the streets
to the martial strains from 40 bands
and be reviewed by Brig. Gen. George
Bell, Jr.. commanding the Ell Paso
district, and Maj. Gen. Clements,
commanding the Pennsylvania divis-
ion. The troops which participate IN
the parade will be commanded by
Brig. Gen. Charles V. Morton. com
manding the provisional Ninth divis-
ion composed Of the South Carolina
and Kentucky troops. The parade
will be Is l-2 miles long. The re-
viewing stand will be located at Fort
Bliss is one mile below the Palmetto
camp and six miles from Ell Paso.
The troops will tramp on through the
main streets Of El Paso. Every
branch of the service will be in line
South Carolina will be in the picture
with two regiments Of infantary, one
troop OF cavalry. one company OF en-
gineers and one field hospital, finely
trained and we'll drilled men, "ft Tor