Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 309, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1918 — HOOSIER TROOPS LONG FOR LEADER [ARTICLE]

HOOSIER TROOPS LONG FOR LEADER

CONTINUAL CHANGES AT CAMP SHELBY RESULT IN UNREST.

Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Jan. 2 Although the leave of absence granted Brigadier-General Roger D. Williams, commanding the Indiana troops, is for thirty days, General Williams will make no comment on the order of a board of surgeons sending* him to Hot Springs, nor is there anything in the order that reveals what the future may be. General Williams would not indicate whether this is the first step towaid a resignation or whether he will resume command when he returns. When General Williams was ordered to take charge of the Indiana troops, the understanding was that his command was temporary, but he went to work just as if it were a permanent assignment. Almost at once there was an improvement. Now that he is going away, perhaps for good, the same feeling of restlessness, uneasiness and dissatisfaction that was noticed before he assumed command, is beginning to be perceptible. Every one agrees that the Indiana soldiers are the best setup, best drilled, best appearing and the most eager and ambitious at Camp Shelly. They are full of pep and snap, mt they are beginning to be disheartened because they have no general officer commanding them and because their organizations are dedeted both in officers and men. Somehow they are gaining the idea that they never will be sent across seas, but will be kept for interior guard duty or in time ordered back to the border.

From the time they arrived here the Indiana troops have had a series of disappointments. The 3rd and 4th regiments were converted into artillery when they expected to remain as infantry, an arm of the service in which they were drilled and well trained. They had to forget wha't they knew about infantry and learn the tactics of artillery. Difficult as this was, Brigadier-Gen-eral H. H. Whitney, the artillery commander, has them in very good shape as to the artillery work, but :or a long time General Whitney was the commanding general of Camp Shelby, and in this division of duties the Indiana troops suffered a ittle, and they did not advance as rapidly as they would had General Whitney been able to give them his entire attention. The 4th has no ieutenant-colonel. ■ Robert Youngman, holding that rank, being sick at lis Crawfordsville home, Colonel Moorehead has had the entire burden and has borne up so well that be ms been complimented by General Whitney many times. The subordinate officers of the regiment have been switched and changed around so much that at one time Chaplain Brundage was the commanding officer of the regiment. Colonel ! 4corehead has been sent to the staff officers’ school at Ft. Sam Houston, and the regiment is now without either colonel or lieutenant-colonel in command.

The condition in the 3rd are about as bad. The organization , ahß. .almost disrupted. Some of the officers are away at school, others have resigned, and it need not. cause surprise in Indiana to hear that, after more than a quarter of a century with the national guard, Colonel George W. Freyermuth has offered his resignation. Colonel Emmett F. Branch was too sick to follow his regiment, and the Ist Indiana came to Camp Shelby without a colonel. The central departement discharged Colonel Branch for alleged physical disability, but the war department overruled the central department and restored him to his rank, but he is in New Mexico and not at (lamp Shelby, and the understanding is that even if he recovers he never will be here, as it is reported that a movement has been started to retire him again. In the absence of Cblonel Branch the affairs of the regiment have been in good hands. According to the report of the inspectors sent Jrom Washington, the Ist or, as it is known, the 151st infantry is the best infantry regiment at Camp Shelby. In that regiment also a number of officers and men have been transferred, others are away at different schools, surplus of officers from Kentucky, have Deen assigned to the regiment and many of its best enlisted men and non-commissioned officers sent to other organizations. Lieut Col. George H. Healey, to whom the inspectors gave much credit, is gone to the officers’ school at Ft. Sam Houston, and,consequently, the regiment has no colonel or lieutenant" colonel. Major Ben Wimer, a very efficient and competent officers, who made a wonderful record on the Texas border, is acting regimental commander, and is on the job every minute. Now comes the report that Major Wimer, who is in line for promotion should Lieutenant Colonel Healey be made colonel, will not be made lieutenant colonel,- but that Major Clyde F. Dreisbach will be promoted and that Captain Ray McAdams will be advenced to be a major, and that the rule of seniority will not be followed. The setting aside of the seniority rule is not satisfactory in the 152nd infantry. Conditions an far from satisfactory, and Colonel Coulter may quit the service. The regimiut

is short about 600 men. A number of its most competent men hate been rtnsferred. Lieut Col. A. J. Killer is also at the Ft Sam Houston school. Colonel Coulter has been compelled to divide his time between Eerforming the duties of acting rigade commander and commander of his own regiment, and the responsibility of both is sO great that le has put in many long and weary, lours when he should have been restting. The Hoosier soldiers are a very patient lot They are not grumbling or growling or finding fault and are ready for any fate. But in the interest of discipline, to aid in more complete training and to give them a chance to add to Indiana’s fighting fame, they are very anxious to be put somewhere and to be permitted to stay put