Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-28
LOCAL AMBULANCE CORPS
INSTALLED At CAMP LEE
Only Volunteer Organization at Can.
tonment Will Begin Active
Training To-Day.
MAJOR HAwEs NOW ADJUTANI
Son of Colonel Percy Halves Trans-
ferred From Regular Army to Staf1
OF Brtgadier-General Heiner-Men
Drill With Rifles and Cannon.
IFrom a STAFF Correspondent ]

IFrom a STAFF correspondentl
CAMP LEE. VA. September 27.-
Richmonds representation at Camp
Lee was increased this evening when
Ambulance Company, No. 4e. under
command of Lieutenant c. Howard
Lewis. arrived at the cantonment. The
company was composed of 100 men, md
pulled into the camp railroad station
about 6:45 o'clock. coming here direct
from Petersburg. The command is the
only volunteer organization from Rich
mond to be on duty at Camp Lee
Captain Elliott 3. Edic, of Field Hos
pital. No. %. took the ambulance com
pany in charge. and the men were i'm
mediately assigned to their barracks
near the field artillery section Of the
cantonment. Quarters had already
been set aside for the new company,
and il lost little time in getting set.
tied. The officers were also assigned
to their quarters near the. company
barracks.
On their arrival at the camp, the
mon were lined up at division head
quarters. and they were checked in
much the same manner that the Sc.
lected men. who have been arriving
here for the last week, were handled
of the company are expected to be de-
livered at the camp tomorrow, when
the drilling OF the men and their first
instruction in the important work
they will perform abroad will be
started.
Fresh from a half-holiday. which
came as welcome diversion from the
routine OF camp life. drilling of the
and before o'clock there were several
thousand troops on the drill fields
Column after column of the selected
men stretched over the vast Enclosure
surrounded by the buildings of tho
cantonment. within which the parade
grounds have been laid off.
MEN SHOW EAGERNESS
IN FIRST RIFLE DRILL
For the first time, some of the men
appeared on the field with their rifles,
and the instruction for these were on
the methods of handling arms. With
tho same eagerness, and perhaps a lit
tie more. that marked their desire to
learn tho preliminaries of military
training, the men began their instruc-
tion in the manual of arms to-day, and
their progress for the day was little
short of remarkable. Men who, for the
first time ever held a rife in their
hands, were able to go through the
various commands of the officers with
a snap and precision that brought ex-
pressions OF commendation from their
instructors
The mon who arrived in the camp
on the second quota were not given
rifles to-day, but they were put
foot movements and company and
squad formations that lead up to the
instruction with rifles. Officers de-
clared that these new men. who have
been here for only few days. are
much further advanced than any body
they have seen which had only re-
ceived like amount OF training.
The quick way in which the men
grasp the proper manner or carrying
themselves has made an impression on
the officers. Even though they have
been under actual instruction not more
than fifty hours. their carriage Is erect.
with a distinct military swing. None
of the stopped -shouldered, slouching
walking Is observed. 1t is always
chests out, chins high.
Clothing has been issued to all Of
OF fitting the men is under way. This
is an important matter with officers
and men alike, because an ill-fltting
uniform detracts from tho appearance
of the soldier, and bad fitting shoes
lower his efficiency For this reason,
in every company the officers give
the uniforminG of the men their per-
sonal attention. There is ample cloth
Ing here for all of the men, and II Is
only a question of finding the right
uniform for the right man.
CHARLIE FORD, OF RICHMOND,
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Charlie Ford. Of Richmond. who was
sent to the camp from local board No.
4, is acting quartermaster-se of
the Three Hundred and Eighteenth
Regiment. Ford was in Company r,
but was selected for the headquarters
Continued on Second Page.)