The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-08-03
OFF TO
MEXICAN BORDER
LEFT MONDAY NIGHT IN THREE
SECTIONS OVER NORTHWEST
ERIN RAILROAD
DESTINATION IS BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS
Expected to Reach There Wednesday
Men in Pink Of Condi-
ton

At last the South Dakota troops
received the call they had been await
ing ~anxiously for the past six weeks,
and Monday night the Fourth infantry
was enroute to the Mexican border to
join forces with North Dakota and
Minnesota troops in the Mercedes val
ley nea San Benito. eleven miles from
Brownsville, and but a short distance
from the Gulf of Mexico.
The troops, Sc officers and 941 enlist
ed men strong, a total of 997. left Red
field in three sections that afternoon.
The first section carrying the head
quarters and supply companies and the
First battalion, clearing Redield be-
tween 2 and 3 o'clock. The second
battalion comprising the second Sec
ton of the .roop train followed within
an interval of about an hour, the third
section, consisting of the machine gun
company and the Third battalion. go
ing out of Redfeld about S o'clock.
The medical troop was divided among
the three sections.
Route to Border
The train was routed over the North
western making it's first stop at Huron
for water. Hawarden, Ia, was reached
at the end of five hours, and Council
Bluffs at the end of another five hours,
with Kansas City a ten hour ride from
there. This put the troops into Kan
sas City around noon on Tuesday and
into Brownsville the mex morning.
Saturday and Sunday were spent in
loading the extra baggage, including
transport wagons, extra field equip
p,Ayt A%n All the riaac xryora DoclxnA
in shipping cases and loaded Sunday.
Monday morning the loading of the
trains was started at 5 o'clock, and
from then on everything was pushed
at capacity speed to enable the trains
TO get out as nearly on time as pos
sible.
Before entraining discharges were
issued to all men whose enlistments
expire within 80 days and who will not
r~einlist. There are II on this list,
but how many will sign up for another
three years is not as yet known.
In Pink Of Condition
The men are in the very pink of con-
dition, there being no sickness In
camp whatsoever, although flies dur
ing the past few days have been very
bad necessitating a move Of sometime
Immediately, If this border order had
not been received.
The men have been getting into
shape fast during the hot weather of
the past two weeks. The %forenoons
have been spent in battle problems
with blank cartridges, while the after
Moons have been devoted to schools
and practice marches. In this last line
the men are not in shape as yet to
complete a days march. They have
only worked up to a seven mile march
without the heavy equipment which
they would be forced to carry under
regular campaign conditions.
The innoculations and vaccinations
have been completed, and the com
mand has by now entirely recovered
from their effect.
Only Two Won't Go
OF the original 1923 men who refused
to sign up under the new oath of en-
listment, but two are left, Privates
Long and Pomeroy of Company T.,
~Brookings. Eighteen of the others
signed up under the Dick bill, Just
what action will be taken with these
two men is not known, but it is very
likely that they will be taken south
and brought before a general courts
martial for failure to comply with Sec
ton 7 of the Dick bill as amended by
section Z of the laws Of 1908 which
provides that every member of the
organized militia when called into the
service of the president of the United
States as provided "shall present him.
self for muster"
The censorship on Geographic mes
sages has been frightened and will re-
main SO during the trip to and after
arrival of the regiment at the border.
So far mail letters, however, have not
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