Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-10-05
Former Commander of Co. X.
Now Adjutant of Six Bat
teries of Regiment.
ALL LIEUTENANTS KEEP
THEIR OLD COMMANDS
Re-arrangement of Cavalry Adds Of
ficers to the Consolidated Com
panies-NeWs From Waco.
Special to News-Budget.

Waco, Texas. Oct. An accord
ance with the plan of the War depart
ment in changing the National Guard
cavalry into field artillery units, the
change has been made at Camp Mac
Arthur, and the men of the Wisconsin
Cavalry units have now been trans
ferred over to the artillery section and
are proceeding with their work in this
new branch of the service to them.
Troop X, First Wisconsin Cavalry
has been consolidated with Troop b,
of the same regiment, thus forming
Battery B, of the 10Th Field Artillery.
This battery is under the command of
Captain Cook, former Captain A. A.
Hadden of Ladysmith having become
the Adjutant of the battalion.
This battalion is composed of six
batteries of field artillery
Drum Still Lieutenant.
In the consolidation of the two
troops, to make Battery 3, Of the 120th
Field Artillery of the Thirty-Second
Division of National Guardsmen the
commissioned officers of the two
troops retain their ranks as first and
second lieutenants, there being now
six commissioned officers to the COM
pany. Lieut.. Drum holds his old pO-
sitiOn. Where the former strength of
each company was $50 men and three
$50 men and six commissioned Off
GERS to the company.
The men of old Troop X, First Wis
consin Cavalry, are now becoming ac-
custOmed to their new designation,
and the work Of intensive training
which became effective on the first day
of October, is being rigidly enforced.
In the reorganization or fighting
units here Gen. Haan is rapidly MAX
ing away with the cavalry and signal
companies. He announced that all units
not at the new war strength will re-
army camps. He stated that the full
quota of $4,000 will be at Camp Mac
Arthur on Oct. 3. More than 1000 of
these will be selected men.
Col. Penner Feels Sad.
Stevens Point is especially sore and
sad. The troop is more broken up
even than X. Capt. Swan and Lieu
tenant Park will be assigned else
where the latter already being at bri-
gade headquarters.
The new regiment is made up of six
batteries of 100 men, one captain and
four lieutenantS for each battery,
also headquarters battery with a
captain and II lieutenants. The COM
panies from A to H remain intact,
keeping their identity. To them the
other companies are assigned and the
men lacking will be taken from other
regiments.
News from other sections of the
state where troops for the 1st Wis
consin cavalry were recruited bring
the same story of dissatisfaction. To
Col Carl Penner who loses his COM
mand the change comes as a tragedy.
He has devoted his military career to
the cavalry and he felt the greatest
pride in his new regiment which had
been organized largely through his
efforts. His military training is such
| that he is not fitted to take command
of an artillery regiment He will be
given some other assignment suited to
! his rank as colonel, but it may not
give him the chance to make the rec
ord he hoped for as the maker and
leader of the First Cavalry.
Lose Regimental Identity.
Ruthlessly the reorganization of the
| army goes on and all the state tradi-
| tiOns and state patriotism has gone
out with wink, snuffed by the cold
blooded military rule. Regiments are
| split up, companies find themselves
| isolated, state names taken away. AS
however, only Wisconsin and Michi-
gan troops are here, there is one YES
| tige of neighborly association left.
| The 1st, 2nd and Sd infantry regi-
ments from Wisconsin are split up to
make the 127th and 12Sth new regi-
ments. All companies affected in
| these three regiments retain their let
| ter designing except two, one from
| Ripon and one from Whitewater. The
first named is now Co, 3 of the 12Sth,
and the second is Co. K, of the 127th
regiment.
| The Fifth and Sixth arrived this
week and were put in the depot bri-
gade as fast as men are needed in other
regiments. They will be drawn from
the 9Th and 9th. Each regiment will
| have 1862 men.
The Fourth infantry from Sparta,