Charleston Daily Gazette
Postponed Again.
Second Regiment Will Not Leave Until Tomorrow.
Possibility However That It May Leave This Evening - Colonel Casteel Makes a Successful Protest -
Delay Due to Lack of Ready Cars.
August 18, 1898
The departure of the Second regiment will probably occur tomorrow instead of today, as had been expected, though it is possible it may occur this evening. The delay is due to the fact that the railroad is unable to have the necessary cars on hand.
An unofficial report to the effect that the regiment would be moved today was published yesterday morning, but could not be verified at that time. No further message in regard to transportation was received from the war department, but notification was given by the railroad officials that the cars could not get here until Friday. The failure of the cars to be here was caused partly by the movement of troops from Newport News to Lexington, Ky., which necessitated the use of a number of trains. Another reasons is, that more cars will have to be furnished for the use of the regiment than were originally contracted for. According to the first arrangement each company was to have the use of two cars, which would have necessitated placing about fifty men in each. Against this crowding Colonel Casteel protested, and his protest was not in vain. It is now intended that each company have the use of three cars, thus allowing one car for about 85 men. In all, there will be about fifty cars to carry away the regiment and its equipment, or about seventeen to each section.
The delay of even one day was naturally not received with any great amount of pleasure; as, now that orders have been issued for the moving of the regiment, the men are in a state of restlessness, which will last until they have departed. The officers are no less eager to move than the men in the ranks. They have no complaint to make against the treatment they have been accorded while here, but they believe that it is for their good to go somewhere else.
In the meantime, the regular routine of drill and instruction goes on the same as al[wa]ys, and there is nothing to vary the life of the soldier at Camp Atkinson.