Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-06
V|RG|N|A'S FIRST
| QUOTA ARRIVES
| AT CANTONMENT
National Army Men Are AS
signed to Places in
Regiments.
GOVERNOR AND MAYOR
ESCORT RlCHMONDERS
Orderly Scenes at Camp Lee as
Experienced Men Handle
\ Situation.
VETERANS ESCORT RECRUITS
A. P. Hill Camp Accompanies Pc
i tersburg Men and Vouches for
N Their Soldierly Qualities.
GOVERNOR AND MAYOR
ESCORT RlCHMONDERS
VETERANS ESCORT RECRUITS
A. P. Hill Camp Accompanies Pc
tersburg Men and Vouches for
Their Soldierly Qualities.

AS virginia, more tnan q century
ilago. gave Washington to fight for
| |lAmerican freedom. so Virginia yester-
day gave the first quota of her sons
to the new National Army to fight
| for universal freedom. And when the
sun descended on Camp Lee last night.
gao youths from the pick of her man
hood between the years of twenty
and thirty-one. had given themselves
TO their country, and were waiting to
. do her bidding.
or this 230. Richmond's quota OF
| forty eight have been signally honorcd.
for twenty-five OF these have been
Ilselected to serve in the division head
quarters troop
From that hour In May when Presi-
dent Wilson decided to draft a new
National Army. September s. the date
Set for its mobilization, has been the
day toward which all the machinery
of the War Department has been work
Ing to have the sixteen great canton
ments scattered about the country
ready to receive the men called to the
colors. And when the day arrived.
only one cantonment. that at AyeD
Mass. was entirely finished. with Camp
Lee the nearest OF all others to COM
pletion.
PREPARATIONS MADE FOR
RECEPTION OF RECRUITS
With reveille yesterday began the
final preparations for the reception of
| 1.-THE recruits.
Three tents were pitched on the
|grounds just TO the north OF the head
Ilquarters. Eightieth Division. as Camp
Lee is official known. From the front
OF each tent hung a largo sign. bear
ing the name of one of the three States
whose men Will be trained there, vir-
IKinia. Pennsylvania and West Virginia
the tents being arranged in the order
named.
Within them were tables on which
were maps of the States marked into
counties. each county being assigned
to a certain regiment and there was
a squad OF reserve officers detailed to
each to assist in receiving the recruits
In the absence of General Cronkhite
Brigadier General Hall was acting
commander OF the division. and his
chief of staff was Colonel William II.
Waldron.
But tho preparations at the camp
were not the only ones made for the
PERCEPTION Of the drafted men. At the
railroad stations bureaus of informa-
ition had been established. with two
! Illieutenants in charge. Shuttle cars
were waiting TO rush the men from
the railroad stations to the camp. Am
balances were also in waiting. In the
. event OF any Of the men having been
taken Ill en- route. and huge army
m otor trucks were on hand in case men
should arrive while the shuttle trains
were making a trip For the first S
per cent Of the quota called to assem-
BILE at Camp Lee totaled $50 men, and
Everything In readiness TO handle
every man. should the full number
arrive.
vIRGINIANs TO BE
PLACED IN TWO REGIMENTS
The regiments to which the Virginia
land West Virginia men are assigned
lare s17 and 31s. Captain Goldsmith
lis in direct charge of the men who
ARRIVED yesterday in SIS. and Captain
James of 317. Both are reserve Of
Ulcers, and their companies will be A
lin each regiment. Colonel Bryant ii.
Wells will be in command Of 3lS.
With o'clock, the influx of car
tpenters, plumbers and other mechanics
began to put tho finishing touches on
the barracks In which the men will
Ibe housed. At first it was planned to
have only 100 men to a barrack, and
arrangements were made for their iron
cots and lockers on the top floor. Civ
ing the lower one oyer to a recrea ton
boom and the mess hall. But orders
here received from Washington to put
150 men into each barrack, and the
irecreation room was converted into a.
dormitory with fifty beds
Some fifty feet from the barracks
Iare located the latrines. with shower
fbaths and wash troughs. While the
Finishing touches were being put to
these barracks, throughout the rest of
Ithe six square miles which comprise
the cantonment hammers were pound
ing and men were working to COM
Iplete the other dormitories. for there
Is still vast amount of work to be
Hone.
Motor cars by the score swung past
orderly dashed off on horseback-but
|ho recruits appeared.
tFIRsT CONTINGENT
ARRIVES AT CAMP
At last. about 10 o'clock. a little
Eroup OF men came swinging along the
road leading to headquarters, led by
two officers, and almost hidden by the
bust they kicked up as they advanced
E-for the dust in Camp Lee is anywhere
from two to six inches deep.
Interest grew keen in the tents to
learn from what county were these
frst men to report, and Brigadier Hall
tnd Colonel Waldron were summoned.
Hating their men in front of the
Virginia tent, one of the officers an
bounced to Colonel waldron that the
Continued on Third Paee.l
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