Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-28
DRAFTED men HOLD THEIR !
FIRST REGULAR DRILL
Division No. 4 Forms Provisional
Companies Of White aud
Colored Men.
EXCELLENT SPIRIT Is SHOWN
Many Volunteer to Go Forward In
First Per Cent Quota, to Report
at Cantonment on September 5.
Big Celebration for East End,

Tho white and colored men selected
TO serve in the United States National
Army from Division No. 4 held their
first drills last night. T. Vernon Chalk
ley. v. n. I. graduate. was in charge
or the drilling Of the white men, and
the tramp tramp OF feet was heard on
Twenty-third Street. between Broad
and Marshall Streets.
The colorcd mon also drilled under
the supervision Of Wyatt Smith, who
has been selected to serve in tho Ma.
tional Army from Division No. 4. Eff
forts had been made to secure SER
Geants from tho. Virginia National
Guard to drill the colored men. but as
the militia will leave town in few
however. volunteered his services as
drill/mastcr of the negroes.
Two meetings, one for the white men
and one for tho colored. were held
prior to the drilling. and George w.
Rogers. chairman OF Exemption Board
enthusiasm shown by the future sol.
diers. There were ffty-four men In
attendance. thirty-seven white and
seventeen colored.
The objects Of the meetings last
night were to ascertain the opinions
TO serve In the army and also to mako
arrangements for the first quota OF
men that are to GO In training at Camp
Lee. Petersburg. on September 5 Only
eight men will leave from this division
on that date. due to tho proclaim a tion
OF President Wilson. which provides
that only per cent Of the quota leave
on the first call
MANY VOLUNTEER TO GO
WITH FIRST U5rr
The eight men to leave from the al.
vision Will be picked from those who
are best qualified to serve. and all will
be white. Twenty men were present
Mt the time the question Of which were
to go first was raised and q call for
volunteers was made Seventeen of
tho twenty present Immediately volun-
teered to serve in the first lot of men.
The list of volunteers follows: Jeb
Stuart Hinchman, Crews FAber. John
Felix Smith. Wyatt Smith. T. II. Ed
wards. r. c. Sears, 4. w. Arnold. George
T. Burgess. T. Kennedy. C. w. Allen.
L. L. Jones. George c. jackson. william
Jackson. Antrim Dinwiddie. T. II. EppS,
B. S. Hill and T. V. Charley.
Ono OF the features OF the gathering
last night was the spirit with which
the mon entered into their drills. The
white and color.d men both seemed
to be highly enthusiastic, and went at
tho hrst drill with q vim. The stand
taken by the colored men was highly
pleasing to the exemption board on
GERS. When asked II they were ready
to serve. one OF them replied. Boss
am ready to go now" Drills will be
held every night on Twenty-third
Street until the men go into camp.
PLANS PROCEEDING FOR
PUBLIC INCEPTION
Plans for tho public reception TO De
given the white meL on next Tuesday
night are progressing rapidly accord
Ing to information given by Mr.. Rogers
In ME ~ ,rh{ ttak
have been certified to tho district board
will be extended an 1vitation to attend
the banquet. The affair will be held
on Chimborazo Park and Will be pre-
coded by parade. which will be led
by the Acea Temple Patrol and band.
Rev. Andrew Bowler and Rev. Hugh
Williams. colorcd. are In charge Of tho
celebration for tho colored drafted men.
and so far have made no report to Mr..
Rogers as to tho pr ,Eress they have
made.
The number OF absentees In Division
No. has b, en- reduced to nineteen. and
all OF these have been certified to tho
district board as physically qualified to
serve In tho army. according to tho
draft law. In addition TO certifying
the men to the d:strict board. their
names have also been turned over to
the Adjutant-Geaeral, the Department
Of Justice. the Richmond Police and to
the newspapers.
There are fourteen colored men and
ive white mer included in the nineteen
absentees. OF the hve white men three
are aliens These names were handed
In by Division Board No. when all
efforts to locate the men had tailed
Harvey e. Atkinson, chairman Of Dr.
vision Board No. g. yesterday received
a request from Jof n Newton Gordon
that he be sent along with the frst lot
of men to the training camp. Newton
stated that he had no exemption claim
to file, and there wa nothing to hinder
him from going With the first assign.
nent OF men,