Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-11
FINAL DRILL At CAMP LEE
FOR TRIP TO STATE FAIR
National Army Men Ready to Appear
Before Thousands OF Visi-
tors To-Day.
WISE WILL BE IN COMMAND
Soldiers VIII Arrive This Morning on
Special Train and Parade to Fair
Grounds-Inadcquate Service Fur
nished by Post-Oftlce Department.
WISE WILL BE IN COMMAND
From STAFF correspondent.I ]

From Staff Correspondent
CAMP LEE. VA, October 1o.-The
final drill in preparation for it's appear
ance In Richmond tomorrow at the
Virginia State Fair was held this
afternoon by the composite battalion
Of National Army men here, after
which the troops settled down in their
quarters for the necessary rest, in
order that they might be able to make
their best showing before the thou
sands OF people who will view their
drill. For tomorrow the first public
appearance anywhere Of any of the
troops OF the new army. so far as is
known. will be held in the old capital
of the Confederacy. and the occasion
is one on which the men desire to i'm
press tho people with an idea Of the
formidable army which is being trained
for the protection and safeguarding OF
the nation.
BAND OF 31STH REGIMENT
IS COMING WITH TROOPS
Accompanying the battalion will be
the first band to be formed in the
EiEhtieth Division. and this in the in
the Three Hundred and Eighteenth
Under Band Leader J. w. Moore the
organization has been working hard
for the past few days in an effort to
master the national anthem and mil
itary marches. and though somewhat
handicapped by the lack of sheet
music. IL has made remarkable prog
ress. Captain s. ]. Raymond. the
the impetus behind the formation of
the band. and he has a creditable or
ganization for his work.
MAJOR JENNINGS c. WISE
WILL COMMAND BATTALION
Commanding the battalion will be
Major Jennings c. Wise. of the First
Battalion. Three Hundred and Eigh-
tecnth Regiment. The adjutant of the
composite command will be First Lieu
tenant Lincoln MacVeagh. OF the
Three Hundred and Eighteenth. The
companies making up the battalion are
Company a, OF the Three Hundred and
Seventeenth Regiment. OF Virginia. in
command Of Captain John W. James:
Company a. of the Three Hundred and
Eighteenth Regiment. of Virginia, COM
manded by Captain c. f. Goldsmith: !:
Company L, of the Three Hundred and
Nineteenth Regiment, of Pennsylvania.
Captain NJ. j. Arnold commanding. and
Company /. of the Three Hundred and
Twentieth Regiment, of Pennsylvania,
in command of Captain a. G. McNulty.
The men have thrown all their abil-
ity into their drills, which have been
going on constantly in preparation for
the trip to Richmond. and not one OF
them has failed to put his best effort
forward in order that the battalion
might be up to scratch. On the drill
field this afternoon hundreds OF men
who had just been received at the camp
I'm the past few days saw the men In
formation. and time after time they
were vigorously applauded. WHO
wouldn't go after the Kaiser with
bunch Of fellows like that" one drafty
who had not yet received his uniform
was heard to shout above the applause
of the crowd as the battalion moved
across the field. headed by the band,
and marching like regulars to the tune
of n stirring martial composition.
Composing the battalion will be 500
men and twenty-five officers. The band
will have twenty-eight pieces. The
wooden clothes. which were issued to
them this afternoon. They will carry
the new Krag rifles with which they
have been supplied for training pur-
poses.
The battalion will entrain at o'clock
tomorrow morning at the camp rail-
road station. going to Richmond by
way of the Norfolk and Western on a
special train. Detraining at the Byrd
Street Station, the men will form and
move up Ninth Street to Capitol Square.
which they will enter: passing around
tho state house in honor of Governor
Stuart, who will review them. Leav-
ing the square the battalion will go
into Broad Street at Ninth. and turning
west. continue to Fifth Street, where
II will turn south into Franklin. Nov
ing west on this thoroughfare and into
Monument Avenue, the troops will turn
(Contfnued On SECOND PaCe.l