The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-03-08
CREEDMOOR mATCM.
Rins Association Preparing for the Com'
Ing season.


New York, March 7,--General W. s.
Hancock, President Of the National Rifle
Association Of Ametics, has long been
interested in inaupurating skirmishers'
match, To be Ahot upon the range at
Oreedmoor, which should be both
useful and interesting to competitors and
outsiders. In the warfare Of the
present day the greater portion OF the
fighting will be done by thin lines oil
skirmishers, the high degree OF skill In
Workmanship now being created and the
wonderful improvements in breach'load'
Ing arms having combined to completely
change the old tactics Of masslng troops
and fighting hand to hand, as shown
In the recent defeat OF the British
regulars by the Beers at Spitzkop.
For the purpose OF RsCertaining the best
method Of conducting such match, 80
that while testing the individual expert
ness OF competitors, IL should develope
az xpetlences which would be valuable IN
a military sense, General Hancock caused
The subject 10 be referred TO a number oi
army oIIlCers including General Emory
UPTON, General George D. Getty, Lieu
tenant Colonel II. @. LilChield, Captain
ii, =, HapVers aud others, all OF whom
sent him their ideas upon the
subject lie also optained from M,
William X. Travers and other puoilC
spirited gentlemen the guarantee oil inc
necessary prizes, consisting respectively oi
SlOO, SIS and $50, cash or trophy, Ihe
originally proposed conditions OF this
match admitted members Of National Riile
Associations and members Ol the United
States Army or Navy, together with
National Gdardsmen In unitorn from any
State or Territory, the fiile tised being
that issued officially 10 any oil the above
organizations. Five shots were TO be al
lowed advancing and Eve retreAting q
such distances between 500 aud 200 yards
as the officer In charge Of the match should
see 6t Cfeedmoof second class targeu
,GxB feet) 10 be used. Each shot WAS tt
be fred within thirty seconds from tht
"hAlt sounded upon the bugle, Any
position 10 be taken In firing except lyint
on the back .....,.
4 General Upton suSgested tiflng IN anl
position and that from 800 10 2O
wards, with no limit 10 the Number o
shots 10 be fired BY each ekifmisher at TN
command 10 halt, Captain Sanger, com
mandlng officer at Fort Columbus, ais
favored these amendments, while Genefa,
linton further recommended. that eacl
man be given an equal number Of carl
ridges, and the scores be .pfoportionIed %
cotdlhg TO the number Issued an
without regard 10 the number shot "a
; object being 10 FIRE 90 many ae possipl
, within given time and while passin
oyef lhe prescribed distances he also at
yised taking "double time" when neaf'
than 500 OF 400 yards. Gen Getty. advise
I reducing the distance covered TO betwee
T 400 and 200 Yards, and making the nun
4 ber OF hits rather than the number
= shots fred the object oi the match. =,
u He also favored a target 0x2 ieet, VII
9 a black horizontal painted thereon, Allo'
!. ing all hits TO count two points, instead
a the Oreedmoof target, With lis bulrs Q!
centre, inner and outer divisions.
y Col. II. g. Lilch6eld, who may be call
II the Inspector Of Rifle Practice oi the MI
al tary Division Of the Atlantic, U. 8. A.,
- yised from COO TO 200 yards aS the dietAn
- covered, prescribing any position exec
e upon arrival at 800 yards OF nearer, VIII
D? the firing should be delivered from
10 kneelinR or standing position.