The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-09-15
I MEN FROM
1ST VERMONT
TRANSFERRED
Are to Fill Vacancies in
the 103d Regiment
GET SUNDAY LEAVES
Expected That conscripts From Aver
VIII Go To Westfeld to Be Trained
In Depot Brigade.

Camp Bartlett, Hampton Plains,
Sept. l4.-Col NJ. ]. Healy, acting
commander of the depot brigade OF
the 26th division, is preparing to re.
Give the first draft of recruits from
the national army cantonment at
Aver These will pave the way for
the coming later of enough drafted
men TO fill the regiments of the depot
brigade to their required strength.
The ranks of the First Vermont In
fantry were reduced still further to,
night by the transfer of more men to
the 1O3d Infantry. The latest draft
on the Vermonters took II men. In
cidentally, the First Vermont had
the best physical percentage of any
regiment in camp in the recent medi
cal examinations. The First Vermont
lost the fewest men and the next in
line was the Maine Heavy Artillery.
Announcement was made tonight in
all units that the usual 36-hour leave
over Sunday would be continued this
week Fifty per cent of the men will
be allowed liberty They will be re
leased from duty at Camp Bartlett al
II O'Clock tomorrow and will report
back to camp at 10 o'clock Sunday
night.
Tremendous supply stores are be
ing accumulated in Westfeld. The ar
rival of Mai. Selden Watson OF the
quartermaster corps, who will act a.
depot quartermaster at Westfield, has
strengthened the belief the first
drafts OF several hundred men may be
expected within the next three days
The exact time of their coming ha.
not been announced nor is their nun
Der known. With Maj. Watson, who
is Vermont man and a former mem
ber OF the staff of Adj Gen. Lee S
Tilson of that State, came Capt. Sim
mons, who will have charge of tn,
ordance supplies.
The transfer of the drafted mel
from Aver in the near future. an,
among them there viii be undoubt
edly many who were in the first cal
| from Western Massachusetts, is II
line with the recent prophecies O
Congressman Phelan of Lynn an,
Brig, Gen. Charles II. Cole.
In the depot brigade at Camp Bart
lett are the First Vermont Infantry
the First New Hampshire Infantry
the Eighth and Sixth Massachusetts
and the First Maine Heavy Artillery
All are far below their required wa
strength As attached units are tw
companies of the signal corps fror
New Hampshire and Connecticut an
two troops of the Second Cavalry.
In the four infantry command
there are about 300 officers, non-com
missioned officers and men availabl
as the unit around which these late
arrivals will be trained. The secon
Il lieutenanoies and many of the frs
lieutenancies will be filled by grodl
ates of the Plattsburg training camp.
| At present in the camp of the depo
brigade, which is on the left of IN
line at Westfield, there are seyers
hundred men assembled in recru
companies. These were rejected 1
the recent physical examination
which marked the final stage in d.
termining physical fitness of the me
for trench warfare. Discharge fc
the soldiers who are TO be release
from service are expected immediat
| ly' and their going will leave room fC
the draft forces.
| The Depot Brigade fulils a doub
purpose. II trains men for the figh
ing line. Losses in the front ranl
are filled by drafts from the dep,
forces. II is the intention now
= transport the depot brigade troops
France soon after the regular fore,
leave. That is. the Depot Brigat
will be recruited to strength, given 1
early training here, and then will a
ish their preparation in France. We
/ behind the fighting lines Troops 4
. every divisional unit are contained
its roster and the command at Wei
. field will be under the leadership
Brig. Gen. Il. Leroy Sweetser, one
e the best.known military men in Ne
Q England.
|, The anticipated coming of the n
tional Army recruits has put new II
into the Depot Brigade commander
They will be given material wi
which to work, and as an. added st
to the preparations, the First VI
mont Infantry today cleared a lar
area for parade ground purposes a
e built military road from their car
# TO the Westfeld-Holyoke trolly line
/. Gov Graham Of Vermont and AID
D. Gen. Tillotson Of that State, were
IS Boston today In conference with G'
IS Edwards on the disposition Of I
Il remnants OF the First Vermont Inf
5, try. Apparently the question W
Is settled prior to the Boston conferer
other governors have been gettl