Evening journal., 1919-06-30

/ ever amount was necessary 20 defray
I the States share Of a reception. Gov
ernor Townsend is chairman OF the |
state committee TO arrange the reeep- !
| ton. The state and city receptions |
! viii be combined in Wilmington, and |
| 10 Is expected special trains will be run |
| from all parts Of the State TO Whining |
ton to bring The parents and relatives !
Of the soldiers.
Ferris Giles. decorator today sug-
gested that Wilmlngionlans get their !
decorations out as early as possible so
1 mat ihe city viii be in holiday dress
IN honor OF the homecoming troops.
HISTORY OF REGIMENT.
ON January 5h, 1918, a messenger
brought word to Col. J. w. Reed. OF
the 5ith Depot Brigade, 29th Division.
Camp Mcclellan. Alabama, TO report 10
Division Headquarters. and upon his
arrival there he was Informed that in
structions had been received from
Washington 10 reassemble the units
and men formerly Of the ist Delaware
Infantry who had arrived at Camp Nc
Clellan October 9th. 1911 TIE ist Del
aware Infantry. whNh was the only
National Guard organization In the
state Of Delaware that had been called
TO the colors In the year 1917, had pre- |
viously been organized into a regiment. |
and after a tour OF guard duty com
mencing IN March, 1917, covering var
ious points susceptible Of attack by
German sympaihizers in the state OF
| Delaware. was assembled az a regl- /
ment, September 18th. 1917. and moved /
10 the State rifle range near New
Castle, Delaware. where II remained /
until entranment 10 Camp Mcclellan. /
October an. 1917. Special orders No. |
q headquarters. 29th Division. fol- /
lowed The Informal announcement and /
ordered the reassembllng OF the var
ious units into regiment Of infantry.
Delaware National Guard. Do form a
Pioneer Regiment OF Infantry. which
moved from Camp Mcclellan. Alabama,
on The i2th and 18th OF January 1913. |.
arriving at Camp Dix. Now Jersey. on
the 18th and 10th OF January, 1913.
No Information had been given re-
garding the duties of Pioneer Infantry
and Regiment after its arrival at Camp
Dix, was trained as an Infantry Regi-
ment, but IL was learned that the duties
Of this branch Of the service were sim
ilar TO those Of The Pioneer Infantry OF
the British arm. viz. engineer duty with
competent service when required.
on February -. 1918, ihc formal
designation "59ih Pioneer Infantry" was
conferred upon The command. the
strength Of the regiment being - OIL
GERS and 1868 enlisted men.
on March i6, 1918. troops from Com
pany "B," 3O7th Machine Gun Battalion.
unit Of the 18th Division comprising
10. Naar lFt sa.sNl
10 the regiment. and on April I follow
ink two hundred ninoty-ihree (293) re-
cruils from Delaware arrived al Camp /
/ Dix and were assigned TO the regiment /
| the idea apparently being Ia. constitute /
the regiment, as far as possible, a Del /
aware unit.
/ 70 was found. however. that recruits |
/ from Delaware were not coming in as /
rapidly as was necessary and a number /
OF recruits from other states, principal :,
ly from New York and New Jersey. were
supplied 20 bring the regiment up TO
war strength. Six hundred nine (6O9)
recruits were received April 26 1918,
and on July q. 1918, orders were re-
ceiyed 10 mn the regiment TO war
strength from the July draft. Pursuant
to this. on August 6. 1915 thirteen hun
dred nine 1909 recruits were received
from The i53rd Depot Brigade, and on
the 9th of August orders were received
TO complete full strength at the earliest
possible date
During the stay OF the regiment at ,
Camp Dix, New Jersey. Major General
Hugh L. Scott was in command OF the
S1lh Division and afterwards became |
camp commander at Camp Dix.
Various incidents charag gerized the
stay OF The regiment at this station and
on April p. 1918, the regiment paraded
in Philadelphia. with other troops in
the demonstration for the Third Liberty
Loan. The regiment was never part OF
the 18th Division but remained at Camp
Dix as am independent unit, designated!
FOR use as army troops after the forma-
tion Of field armies.
The commanding oillcer was notified
on May Z, 1918. that the regiment would
proceed overseas, the notice being pre-
liminary. as immediate movement was
moi ordered During an lhis time 10 was
necessary 90 observe great secrecy re
earding movement of troops and regard
ing certain items OF training, owing to
The svstem OF espionage which the
enemy was known TO have in all parts
OF The United Slates.
Arler the 18th Division moved out OF
Camp Dix i'm May for overseas service
better opportunity was offered for rifle
practice and for other training which
had been subordinaled 10 the necessity
of giving troops scheduled for overseas
movement an possible facilities for
training and three weeks Of training IN
target practice and field firing was
given in May and June
on the 2ist OF August, 1918. embark
alton orders were received and on the
23rd OF August Governor John 6.
lTownsend, lr Of Delaware. visited the
59lh Pioneer Infantry at Camp Dix.
During IFS tour OF duty at Camp Dix,
the regiment furnished various demon
stration companies for training pur-
poses at The camp, and particular men
/ tion is made OF the successful outcome
of the test OF the new gas mask made
lat Lakehurst station in August where
Company "E" furnished the demonstrat-
[ ing company. in command OF Captain
4 Mckay. The letter from Colonel Dewey
I in this history shows how much was
contributed by this test to the success
Of the gas mask.
While at Camp Dix the mess kitchens
| Of the 59th pioneer Infantry became +
famous for their cleanliness and the /
quality OF the mess. so much SO that /
I The commanding general frequently |
lconducted his visitors to the mess hail /
and kitchens. exhibiting them as exam |
ples Of what might be done. The let /
ter from General Scott regarding police !
Ntr.s. Nlt.a ~ nEn :