El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-12-12
DIVISION STAFF
BEING FORMED
Maj. Gen. Read Will Have
Command of Is, 176 Men
in 15th's Formation.


Whether Maj. Gen. George W. Read,
appointed to command the 18th regu-
+ lar cavalry division with headquarters
at FL Paso. viii organize his office
I force in the Mills building, where
Gems. John j. Pershing and George
I Bell have preceded him in the COM
mand Of border military affairs, or
win be stationed at or near Fort Bliss.
and whether Gen. Read viii take over
F the command Of the border patrol. in
addition TO the division. which. some
reports have said, will be fully
modified at a separate encampment
near Fort Bliss, were two questions
unanswered at military headquarters
Is ednesday morning
Gen. Read has only been given a
division quartermaster up TO date.
That official is Lieuu. Col. John A.
Wagner. district Quaruermaster under
Col HOratio c. Sickel for some time.
who has news that he has been pro-
NOTED from a major Lieut. Col Wag-
ner has offices on the ninth floor of
the Mills building Upon him will
deYOlve multItudiuOus duties connect
ed with the formation Of the 18th di-
vision.
Lacks staff Officers.
Capt. Marshall Prentiss. OF New
York, is the aid TO Gen. Read. but
no Otner staff officers had arrived
Wednesday morning. The fun staff of
q major general commanding a cav
airy division would consist of % COM
missiOned officers. besides the nom
CONS and civilians needed around
headquarters. There would be a
colonel chief of staff, lieutenant
colonel as adjutant; another as in
two as medical officers There would
be majors as assistants 10 the chic
Of staff, ddjutant. quartermaster,
medical, ordnance, signal corps and
one judge advocate. and a number OF
captains and lieuteuants.
Additional Orders Expected.
At the district adjutant's office,
MAJ. Z. J. Ely said Wednesday morn
ing that orders might be expected
from Washington during the day that
would define the objects Of the new
of it.. The district, commanded by
Col Sickel. reports to the southern
department at Fort sam Houston, san
Antonio. a separate division very
frequently reports direct TO Washing
ton, as in the cases Of the national
guard and national army camps, il
was explained
Camp Bierne Is Intact.
At Camp Stewart there are very
few of the buildings that once were
used b. the Pennsylvania division.
Nearly all the materials have been
salyaged- The old Kentucky brigade
camp. az Camp owen Bierne, north
east OF Fort Bliss, has about so mess
kitchens standing. There are very
Few in Camp Baker, where the Ohio
ans We're camped, and none in Camp
Cotton 70 speak Of, il was explained
part Of Big Cavalry Increase.
The formation Of the 18TH cavalry
division with headquarters here viii
bring out the most complete cavalry
division since the civil war and is ia
line with the recent government de-
cision TO add q cavalry regiments 20 .
the service, for service at home or I
q broad.
The suggestion in the east that ma !
tionaI guard cavalry be used TO form /
part OF the three new divisions does 7
not meet with approval by regular I
army officers, IT is said South Da- I
kota and Iowa, for instance have I
of cavalry at Camp Cody, Deming. alb I
sorbed into infantry and other service !
Other states had squadrons at FL Paso /
last year. Volunteer enlistment is +
said to be the plan approved by regu- I
lar officers 10 bring the new cavalry /
divisions TO full strength
Division Has IS 56 Men.
The maximum strength OF a cavalry Z
division Of the United States army as .
prescribed in the tables of Organiza-
ton. approved in May. 1917. Is 1916 ]
officers and men The division is /
composed of three cavalry hrigades. ]
aggresating 1856 men in each; three I
regiments 10 a brigade. As auxiliaries /
TO such division there is one regi-
ment of field artillery lhOrsel. 1915
one battalion OF mounted eu-ineers.
$50; one field signal battalion. 25S;
one aero Squadron, 49, and division
wagon and motor trains. brings the .
total Of officers and men TO 1916
There are EOS horse drawn wagons.
AS motor wagons, 81 field pieces, % /
motor cars. two trcilers, - airpllnes,
80 ambulances and 90 other carriages.
There are 1851 horses and 2422
mules. 81 machine guns, 1880 rifles
and 1921 pistols