Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-08-28
.OGLETHORPE SCHOOL
. FOR OFFICERS OPENS
WITH NEW PROGRAM
Special Training for Each
Branch of the Service viii
Be Begun at Once, According
to Schedule
BY THos. 3. SHERMAN.


the last three days they have been pass
ing through Chattanooga like the dusty
myrmidons of Alexander. Some there
were who wore their olive-tinted hats
as a browning sartorial establishment
of a pinch back palm beach. Others were
regulation from their square-toed feet
UP to their Adams apple, but were
CAPPED with early June chapeaux OF
matched straw Others had their equip
ment strung from their arms and shout
ders. while others were merely tired
civilians with heavy bags.
From the viewpoint of the cab driver
the procession might have been newly
Organized lodge or a stranded circus.
But the average Chattanooga is So
Iphisticated now and knew at the first
glance that these visitors were the men
who would probably be placed in charge
Of Uncle Sans second contingent OF
fighters.
The second training camp for reserve
officers began its schedule Monday
morning At present the camp is in the
throes of organization with Captain b.
" Woodbury. the camp adjutant, as
the center thereof
Nine hundred and ninety-seven men
from Pennsylvania reported Saturday
and the men from the southern states
began to pile in Sunday and Monday
morning.
The greater number of Atlanta men
came up Sunday night and reported
Monday morning. There were quite a
number, however, who went in Sunday,
registered and were duly assigned to
quarters.
Among these was General Van Holt
Nash, adjutant general of Georgia. Gen
eral Nash is now on leave of absence
from the state of Georgia and will at
tend the training camp with the idea
of ultimately joining the active fighting
fcrces.
General Nash was extremely enthusi-
astic about the general aspect OF
things
1T will be the first real vacation I've
had in many years" he said And L
think it will probably be the hardest
work I've done in that time. But 1
know 1 will enjoy every minute of it
and 1 know that every man, young and
old. who takes this training will emerge
from it physically and morally better"
NOW THEY ARE INSTRUCTORS.
A number of young reserve officers
who won their commissions at Fort
Mcpherson are now quartered at Fort
Oglethorpe as instructors and are now
actively engaged in imparting what they
learned to the new men.
All of the reserve officers will be
quartered in a huge tent which has the
outward aspect of a circus top. The
men will be cared for in barracks with
the overflow put in tents.
Benefiting by administrative difficult
ties of the first camps the methods
of assigning candidates to their quar-
tiers and commands was expeditions in
every particular. When a candidate re-
ported at the camp he was promptly
referred to one of a battery of clerks.
whoimmediately looked him up in a
card index and informed him to what
company and what barracks he should
| report.
Before a single man was assigned,
| a corps of clerical workers under Ad-
| iutant Woodbury. had gone through the
| entire liet of approximately five thou
| sand men and assigned them to one of
! the twenty-four commands. In most
/ cases a candidate had stated which
| branch of the service he preferred or
| his former experience indicated to what
| branch he would naturally go, and it
was from this information that the as
| signments were made. However, it was
| only intended that this arrangement
should be approximate and the severa!
Atlanta men who found themselves in
| a coast artillery company when they
had been studying infantry drill regu-
| rations all summer will be given another
| opportunity to indicate preference
! Wednesday when a new arrangement
/ will be made.
PROGRAM CHANGED.
A departure from the plan which
/ was followed in the first series of
camps is noted i'm that a candidate will
remain with that unit to which he is
! originally assigned throughout his stay
! in the camp. 1t is also prescribed IN
| the schedule that special training for
| each branch of the service will begin
| at once.
In the first camp, whatever branch
| of the service he intended to get into
each mans training was Identical for
| the first thirty days.
The seven batteries Of field artillery
however, at Fort Oglethorpe will begin
/ the study of special artillery subjects
! in the first week, and although they
will take a small amount of infantry
| training along with it, such as the man
/ ual of arms, the character of the train
| ing will be with the special end in view
/ of creating artillery officers.
The two companies of coast artll
lery will be given the same training ds
the fifteen infantry companies for the
| first thirty days. after which they will
| be sent to Fort Monroe. Va.