Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 198, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 August 1916 — INDIANA TROOPS TO SEE SERVICE ON RIO GRANDE [ARTICLE]

INDIANA TROOPS TO SEE SERVICE ON RIO GRANDE

General Lewis Receives Orders to Relieve the Regulars.—“ Sniping” Will Be Stopped. Lano Grande, Texas, August IT.— The Inidana troops, or at least a part of them, will see real service, and they will begin seeing it tomorrow morning. General E. M. Lewis, camp commander, received an order from the war department today to place state guards along the river to relieve the regular troops that have been doing guard duty on the banks of the Rio Grande for a year. The plan that was outlined and published some two weeks ago is to be carried Vfflfc 7 ———

The Twenty-sixth infantry, thathas been stationed along the river, has been ordered elsewhere. The understanding is that the Twenty-sixth will be part of an army that may go into Mexico later. To replace this outfit, state troops will be taken from Llano Grande camp, leaving there Friday morning, and companies will be stationed at Santa Maria, Progreso, Mercedes, Pump, Donna Pump and several of the ranches.

The Indiana troops assigned to do guard duty will carry full equipment and will live on the river bank, just as the regulars have been doing at the places where they are stationed. There are trenches and fortifications with barbed wire on top of the breatworks and the soldiers have orders to shoot at any Mexicans who do sniping from across the river. The field artillery from Indiana has not yet been detailed because it has not sufficient horses, but it will get its detail as soon as the horses arrive. The Indianapolis signal corps will be divided into sections and placed at designated points dong the river.

The first Indiana troops to go on guard will be from the Second regiment, Colonel Coulter commanding. Company A, of Vincennes, Captain Daines, will go to the Harlingen pump, and Company B, of Terre Haute, Captain Garrett A. Moniger, will go to LaFreda. The Indiana battalion will be in command of Major Drcisbach, of Fort Wayne, whose headquarters will be at Harlingen. These troops will remain on guard duty two weeks and then will return to Llano Grande and other Indiana troops will take their places. Detachments will be sent from A and B companies~lo points along the boundary line. A battalion from the First Minnesota also will go on guard duty along the river. The sending of the Indian troops to the river was hailed with joy and as soon as it became known there was cheering all along the company streets. This service will harden the men and make them fit, should they be called on to cross the Rio Grande.