Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-09
PETERSBURG GETS
TRAINING CAMP
Named as One of Sixteen Points
for New Selective
Draft Army.
NATIONAL GUARD ELSEWHERE
Camp for 3,4o0 Men Means Out
lay of Not Less Than About
$3,00O,Oo0 Per Month.
NATIONAL GUARD ELSEWHERE


raised by selcctive draft. was made
yesterday afternoon b" General J.
Franklin Sell. commander of the De-
partment of the East. Contracts for
the lease of $4,000 acres of ground for
the period of the war have been signed.
and preparations for making the camp
ready for the first increment on Sep
tembcr / will be rushed
1t is expected that $4,000 men Will
be in training at Petersburg con-
tinually. The preparations for the
camp have been made with the view
Of continuing it for a period of from
three to five years. AS fast as one
increment is trained. another Will be
brought in.
Lakcmont Park. with $500 acres,
Viii he the camp proper In the
ncighborhood of 10000 additional acres
have been leased for maneuver
grounds. The camp will be a pcrma-
nent one. with wooden buildings in
stead OF tents for quartering the men
y city in itself will be erected. and
viii exceed either Hopewell or Peters
burg in area and population.
In addition to being used as a train
ing camp. Petersburg will be re-
mount station for the cavalry and
is planned TO keep 5000 cavalry and
10000 artillery horses there continual
~ to supply the troops in the field.
STATE MILITIA WILL NOT
mobilize THERE
With the selection OF Petersburg
for the Se!ective army cantonment.
the War Department viii not use
Lakcmont Park for State mobiliza-
h.H nj II
is probable that Virginia National
Guard troops Will not go into camp
in this state at all. but. after mo-
billing at home stations will be sent
directly to concentration point in
the Southeastern Department., and
there prepared for immediate service
in France. With the necessity tor
getting the cantonment constructed IN
time. It would not he practicable 10
camp the National Guard ther..
Adjutant-Gcneral W w Sale had
not been officially notified yesterday
afternoon that Petersburg had been
awarded cantonment. He WAS no,
surprised however. as tho announce
ment had been expected several wecks
That Virginia would be given 2 camp
was told in The Times Dispatch three
weeks ago. Tho .idjutant-Gencral mas
this state. and has been in constant
touch with the situation through the
numerous officers sent here 10 inspect
the available sites.
ENORMOUS SUMS TO b.:
SPENT At CANTONMENT
Just how much the camp means TO
Petersburg cannot be even estimated
The probable payroll of $1,000 men.
including the thousands of officers
viii not be less than $4,000. 900 a
month. To feed that number of men
will COS; $4,000 a month The feed
for the horses will exceed that of the
men. The construction of the camp
itself Will not cost less than 100000
Contracts have been signed with the
Norfolk and Western Railway for the
necessary trackage TO the camp and
the connections within the camp.
Fifteen miles of track will be laid
il is estimated. There will be seven
or eight miles Of electric railway laid
while water, sewerage and electricity
must be provided for
The ncrements OF men to be trained
viii be raised in the Eastern States.
but just which district will be as
signed TO Virginia has not been de-
termncd. II is not even known Vet
II NirSinians VIII be trained in their
own state. but it is probable they will
be sent elsewhere. There will be only
sixteen Of the camps for the entire
country.
PERMANENT STRUCTURES
TO HOUSE THE MEN
Permanent structures will be erected
to house the men. The camp will be
nearly three miles in length and about
two miles in width. 1t will be laid
off in regular streets Each of the
| houses Will accommodate about 100
men. More substantial homes Will be
built for the officers and their
families.
Petersburg will be increased con-
siderably in size through the moving
there of thousands of relatives of the
men in camp Arrangements are al
ready being made to take care OF the
increased population. The camp will
also he of great benefit to Richmond,
as the wholesale houses here will
probably be strong bidders for sup
plies for the camp
Federal officers will be in charge
of the camp, which will not come under
the control of the State at all 1t is
probable that ma jor-gencral will be
in command of the division. AS far
as possible. men of States will be
grouped together. and the units known
by State designation
| ORDERS EXPECTED AS
TO CoNSTRUCTIoN WORK
There is no certainty yet as to
whether State or Federal military Of
| icers will be assigned to supervise
the construction of the camp. AS ii is
to be camp. not for the National
Guard OF Virginia. or OF any other
State. but for the new units of the
army to be raised by draft. it is
thought probable that a regular army
officer Will oversee the work. The
proposal of the department to have
all the sixteen great concentration can
tonments built on practically the same
plan adds color to the belief that a
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