The New York herald., 1876-11-08


tary Statistics but must be patent TO any one that
lady is altogether out OF place IN such position III
that oSsau anrsod ous. Ss s.ns %
OF . scientific officer deal with ntelligentiy. We
nnd, however that the Bureau OF Military Statistics
submits report covering couple OF pages In the Ad-
jutant Generals book, which arc devoted TO re-
counting the circumstances connected With The
reception OF war nags in the Military Bureau
These consist OF two hanncrs which were borne
by the Eishtythird regiment OF New York State vol
unteers and national hags Of Hanover that have
doubtless been slowed away in in
Greene county by the stanch OLD Tories who sup
ported royal 100 years ago gloried The
deeds OF their German aes Mss Dempsey also gives
very short list Of names OF parties who during the
sa5 have n M 70 ns S.ay
who visited the museum last year IL, 0O0
rather small showing for tho military museum Of rae
Empire State. Miss Dempsey 10 mindful of ack now
edging the Adjutant Generals 'thoughifui, and judi
cious this branch OF the department and
appreciation you have manifested for the memory
Of his noble sacrifices" whatever that may mean
WHAT rHE INSPECTION GENERAL SAYS.
MAJOR General John b. Woodward reports having
mustered aud inspected during the current year an
officers and rank and nlc from which number must be
deducted the Fifty fnh, Sevcnty-ninth and Ninety
SIKH regiments oi infantry, OF the FIRST DIVISION and
Battery Of the Second; thus leaving an actual force
OF ~, 457 men OF all arms on the rolls The inspector
General attributes the very great d'spropcrtion be-
tSsen the men present at the different parades which
he attended and tho aggregate the regmcntal mus
ter rolls, to depression IN business This method OF
accounting Tor the absence OF soldiers without leave
has at least the merit OF being novel one; many
people who have looked little below tho surface are
incned opinion hat the small musters of corps
on inspection paradss attributable more TO a
detective system Of organization than 10 any other
cause. The Inspector General believes IL TO be wise
policy 10 keep the aggregate force under number
established by law Nobody will dispute with him the
wisdom Of ooeying the nwi but when he opines that
mum strength, and suggests that the minimum force
Of company be reduced 10 thirty-two enlisted men.
Il hardly be doubted that the majority OF military
mon, properly called Will take issue with him.
Supposlug that regiments were made up Of companies
present the same average proportion OF absentces
paradcs and inspections that me other in service
have what sort Of showing would such tactical units
make on field day. ten company regiment
ganized would not mako division OF two companies,
prancc with the law to muster them out as not beng
up 70 the maximum minimum required by statute; SO
that this suggestion wcro carried into practice y
would lead TO out OF all those regiments that
might adopt IT.
DISCIPLINE AND DRILL.
Touching the most important matters OF discipline
and drill the Inspector General says he can only
port that the National Guard has the germs he italics
belong to General Woodwnrd) OF future Improvement
Win such small modlcum Of tactical knowledge as
will barely enable them to keep their company in mo-
ton, Without falling into absolute confusion TINS
remedy for II until thorough reorganization oil tho
militia shall place at Its head soldiers who know thor
duties and can impart instruction TO their suoordi
Mates As stand, when new division, bri-
gade regimental commander is wanted the qualin-
cations sought alter wealth and political nnuence
in the candidate, not professional knowledge and
good military record. The commander can learn to
stick spawned cob, anyhow, at the head Of bis
force that to be about ali that is expected
OF him. There to be sure some honorable excep
tions to this rule, but they arc iew
The Inspector General inds that the material com.
posing the National Guard is OF tho very best and
goes on TO tell how the proper instructon Of this ma
military authorities, and Is so laid down IN the text
books that tho men composing an army or any por-
ton OF IL classed with the personnel not the ma
teral which latter OF rifles, drums, cannon
ammunition and such like stores, arms aud equip
ments. True, Napoleon is reported TO have once said
that ayonets thnk nowadays, and was perhaps
this that the Inspector General wished TO be un
dcrstood when he wrote about tho di1lcuty OF IN
| structlng the material The General very properly
says that the elective system Of supplying ofcers to
srs snoaa ,hsrsfors eher bo moded o.
abolished altogother, aud iudclous system Of pro-
motion from the lowest TO the highest grades based
| on ability and fitness alone, adopted instead.
Alter saying that no could only report that the
National Guard has the germs of future Improvement
in IT, the Inspector General makes the perplexing an
nounccment under the head OF discipline that I'm the
many drills and parades which have witnessed have
| facu to detect any breach thereof" This sets the
military reader TO think whether the failure detect
originates the Generals leniency with the troops
in some unaccounable obtuseness what does
sttutc such breach. But may he concluded safely
that when speaking Of discipline he means tactics only
Tactics are OF discplinc subordina.on
knowledge Of military regulations Others and tho
| whole united so 10 mako up discipline The General,
| AFTER conienting himself with reporting only
THE .'GERMs FUTURE IMPROVEMENT"
unaccountaby enough says that discipline Is a. per-
iect in the National Guard az IL Is possible 10 be in
which Of these conflicting statements the
one Tho real state OF The is that with the excep
First division, and the Twenty third and Thirty
second in the Second DIVISION, there Is not corps
about New York BROOKLYN that can deccntly march
past q reviewing officer by column companies. And
that there Is any cerps IN either division that
could go through the evouons laid down In the school
OF the battalion would be bordering upon
the extravagant II would be difficult TO lind liner
body Of men .nan .no seventh reslmen' either IN or
superb; but place the seventh on fair dcd and let
the regiment make an advance in line for the short
distance OF 200 yards then what its dressing Will
be- Not the most enthusiastic admirer OF crack
regiment will undertake to say that t could make tho
advance without shatcrng 'front.' II this Is true Of the
Seventh, how would II be with the other corps?
RIFLE PRACTICE.
There Is in the National Guard anomalous rank
called that OF General Inspector Of Rife Practice"
Tho officer who holds the position Is a colonel, not
general hence he should DO styled Colonel Inspector
OF Rifle Practice II II u disagreeable to make the
change, then let his ofce and rank conform to the
spirit OF militia organization BY calling him Inspector
General OF Ris Practice some readers think that
this a distinction without much OF difference. Not
the difference is great between day and night
The General Inspector tells us that the manual Of
| Rifle Practice.n which must mean the manual
and platoon exercises. ~ laid down In up
tons Tactics. y ''rcqured extensive alterations" and
| he, therefore, prepared . revised edition. This
| Ia either getting thnps . little mixed by calling
manner OF carrying on target practice or otherwise
| tho General Inspector Is assuming rather grave
sponsDiiisy in altering The established infantry tactics
to his fancy, The inspector repudiatcs the
old method land very good one tool of using sand
| bag in aiming dr and recommends vosc's aiming
tripod = substitute THIS tripod is supposed 10 bc
new invention, but the writer can assure the inven
tor that similar tripod used in at least Euro
pean before tho death Of the Duke OF Wellington
The ssub sabre rife" OF otto Schnceock Is certainly
and ingenious invention; but no experienced
officer will that military rifle should be
any way practice other than that actual
There another point TO be noticed here and that
that the British School of Muskcry Hythc furnished
tho model upon which the General Inspector compiled
his Manual for Target Practice" although IL does
/ appear that be has stated So
MARKsMEN.
Tho result of the National Guard rins practice last
year was that at Creedmoor 1870 OF the
icrent corps OF tho First and Second divisions fired
tho third class and 3.2s5 about forty three per
cent OF them, qualified these, or about twenty
1--WE per cent qualified the class
nrst OF tho first class, 533, sixty seven per
| cent, qualified as "marksmen." Tho following state
ment shows standard OF among the National