Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-10-05
CUARDSMEN LEAVE FRIDAY
Vermont Regiment Will Then Be
Released from Federal Service.
Men VIII Proceed to Their Home sta
tons by Companies after Receiving
Their Pay-Ncver Lacked
Equipment.

The mastering out of the federal service
of the list regiment of infantry, Vermont
National Guard, which arrived on We'd
nesday, September ~ at Fort Ethan Allen,
after three months service at Eagle Pass,
Texas, will commence Friday morning,
and all of the officers and men will have
left the post by Saturday afternoon. Com
panies Il of St. Adams, f of Mortified
and II of Montpelier will he mustered out
Friday morning; a company OF Rutland.
G and NJ companies of Burlington and -
company of Winooski will he mustered
out Friday afternoon, and - company If
St. Johnsburv, f. company of Bellows
Falls, | company OF Bratteboro, X coiu-
pany of Springfield, /. company of New
port and the machine gun troop, head
quarters and supply companies Will he
mustered out Saturday morning. Col Ire
l.. Reeves. commanding officer of the regi
ment. and his staff will probably leave
Fort Ethan Allen on Saturday afternoon
The regimental band. which was mus
tered out some weeks ago and recalled to
Fort Ethan Allen after the regiments re-
turn from the border. has already been
allowed to return home. Captain L. NJ
Diller of the 3rd infantry, L. s. A.. is
mastering out officer.
y company of St. Alhans will return
home on the regular train, while n special
train will be used to- transport + company
of Mortified and II company of Montp"l.
Ter to their homes. company will re-
turn to Rutland on the regular train and
c and NJ companies OF this city and G
company of Wnooski will probably marcn
to their home stations. Special trains viii
also be on hand to take d and |. COM
panes to st. Johnsbury and Newport and
f., | and Is companies to Bellows Falls.
Brattleboro and Springfield The com
manding officers of the company will dis
band their organizations at their home
stations. The men will he paid in full at
| Fort Ethan Allen, Just before entrain.nS.
All of the men have at least one month :
federal pay. beside the State pay, which
was voted to them by the Legislature. still
due. besides various allowances. and "A
good many of them who have not previ-
ously drawn their full pay will receive a
considerable sum of money
Colonel Reeves announced Yesterday
that the Vermont regiment would not be
/ represented this year by a rifle team at
, the national rifle matches, which will be
shot this month at jacksonville, Fla
because of the failure of the government
to make any appropriation for this pur-
pose, The national governments appro-
priations for the support of the organized
state militia were made on July | and
at tnat time, vermont had no organized
militia as a few days previous to that
date they had been mustered into the
federal service
DID NOT LACK EQUIPMENT.
The statements which have been print ed
lin various papers throughout the State
that the Vermont regiment while al
Eagle Pass did not receive a single piece
of clothing. or any shoes. and that con-
sequently the men OF the regiment were
very shabbily clad and almost barefoot
and that soldiers of the regular army. as
well as guardsmen of other regiments
provided them with clothing. were yes
terday characterized as absolutely false
by Colonel Reeves. The quartermaster'.
department of the Vermont regiment wa.
most efficient and the men received new
equipment from the government as soor
as 1t was issued to the National Guarc
regiment and oftentimes before the othe
organizations were supplied. The onl,
time that the Vermont regiment did no
present a spick and span appearance
was on the day previous to the departur.
from Eagle Pass for Vermont when thu
boys put on their old clothes to clean vi
the camp and their equipment. Their
never was time when they were forced
to accept cast-off garments or shoes from
anyone