Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-05
V|RG|N|A'S TRAINS
SENT TO MARYLAND
Movement Of Troops Delayed by
Change in War Depart
ment Orders.
ARTILLERY STILL LACKS MEN
Colonel Skerrett Says Camp Now
Is Satisfactory and Men
Ready to Move.
ARTILLERY STILL LACKS MEN

With every man fully equipped for
| the field and supplied with ten days
| rations. the departure of the First Vir-
ginia Regiment this morning was post
poned because during the night the
railroad equipment had been com
mandeered by the War Department for
the movement of tho Maryland troops
TO the border The Scaboard Air Line
Railway Company had twenty-one tour
!st cars ready in the yards adjoining
the grounds OF Camp Henry c. Stuart
for the transportation of the Virginia
troops. Before morning all of them
had been taken away TO aid in the
movement of the Marylanders.
Further orders as TO troop movement
had not been received last night, IT
was stated in the offices of the Ad-
| jutant- General. There is. however.
all likelihood that the Virginians will
be entraincd for Brownsville before
! the end Of the week.
Major Allen Potts. camp quartermas-
ter, bcsought the War Department,
through Adjutant- General Sale. TO make
proper preparation for the departure
of the militia OF the Old Dominion.
Flat cars arc loaded with wagon trans
portation. and are ready for hauling.
Every man mustered into service is
supplied with personal equipment and
camp supplies. and is prepared for
marching orders. Colonel Delaware
Skerrct. inspector general, detailed
here from the Department OF the East.
said yesterday afternoon that tho State
troops are in position TO move. He
stated that troops accustomed TO trans
/ portation can be moved within the
hour after orders. 1t will require sew
| eral hours, however, for the local troops
encamped here TO load and make them
selves ready for the scventy-six- h our
| journey to Brownsville.
ARTILLERY AND SIGNAL
! CORPS Still LACK MEN
( All the companies OF tho First and
Second Regiments are now mustered
! III on the minimum standard The field
artillery and tho Signal Corps, which
still lack men TO bring them up to the
required complement. are holding their
recruiting Offices open so that they
may be mustered in at the earliest pos
sible moment The Signal Corps is in
need of four men. and the field artil-
lery. especially Battery A--the Rich
mond liowitzcrs-needs many more be-
I fore they can be entered into the Fed
/ eral service.
Z Lieutenant Colonel Skcrrctt. United
States Army. expressed himself In com
plimentary terms yesterday Of the con-
dition Of the camp.
! The militia officers" he said, have
| done as good work in bringing the
camp up To standard requirement as
/ could be done anywhere and by any
set OF men. The camp is in good sani-
tary condition. and find il satisfac-
tory. II was unfortunate that the
mobilization order came at the time
that certain commands were being re-
organized. but we are now ready to
move. There is tremendous amount
OF detail involved in the movement OF
troops which the civilian does not IN
derstand. but when the order comes wa
can begin movement within few,
hours"
SIX tERRE1"T PRAISES
PERSONNEL OF TROOPS
Asked as to the personnel OF the VIr.
ginia troops Colonel Skerrett stated
that the material in men was fine. and
that the excellency Of the men picked
for service was due TO Colonel A. n.
Stark. who has made personal exami-
nation OF more than 1000 soldiers now.
mustered into service. Every man
examined by Colonel Stark" stated
Colonel Skcrrett, "is physically fit for
field duty. The officers, as a class.
are excellent"
Colonel Skerrett also stated that he
was satisfied now with camp condi-
tions. saying that everything that
| hn fn,
ment is being accomplished. Some de-
lay for the final preparation. the In
spector general stated. had been occa-
stoned by the shortage of typhoid
prophylaxis Not all the men have yet
been inoculated. and it is required that
three injections shall be made. The
government is not willing to take the
risk incurred In the Spanish-AmerIcan
War. when more men died from disease
than from enemy bullets.
The First Regiment is eouipped. In
the Second Regiment and among the
other commands there is a shortage OF
hats Colonel Skerrett said. and he ex
plained that this is due largely TO the
fact that there was shipment 10 the
Virginia troops Of too many hats of
small size. This is due to the fact that
the government stock was largely de.
pleted before the Virginia militia was
ordered to mobilize.
BLUES EXPECT TO MOVE
INTO CAMP TODAY
Colonel Skerrett Is working In af-
Table accord with the officers of the
militia. and he appeared to be web
pleased with the progress that has been
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