The Indianapolis journal., 1883-08-18
The Contest for the Prize-The Drill of the
Visiting Companies and the Light
Infantry.
How They Won-Most Rapid Move
ments on Record-Score and Prizes
The Sham BattIe-Thousands of Pounds of
Powder Slaughtered to Make
HOosier Holiday.

d1d not open au5plclOuSly 1Or JH6 management.
Less than five thousand people were on the
ground when the Paris Light Infantry, of Paris,
ILL.,, under command of Captain ]. W. Vance,
marched out upon the parade plat and opened
the ball in the free-for-all infantry drill. They
were fine looking body Of men, of good size,
excellent military appearance and uniformed in
gray, with white helmets and cross-belts. Their
drill was good, the errors for the most part be-
ing tactical. so far as individual errors were
concerned they could not be counted heavily
against them. There was lack of dressing af-
ter wheeling into line, after double from single
or single from double rank. In marching in
route step they failed to keep their gun muzzles
elevated, and upon resuming attention returned
to a carry instead of right shoulder. Their
drill and appearance made them worthy COM
petitors In the free-for-all, though they felt
when they entered the contest that their
chances for reaching first or even second place
were not encouraging.
THE BRANCH GUARDS.
Tho Branch Guards Company g, Third Mis-
souri, regiment, Captain Fritz, came on next.
presenting fine appearance, and as their drill
went on it became evident that the Indianapolis
Light Infantry were not to have walk-away.
AS the drill proceeded, number of the Light
Infantry. not belonging to the drill detaiI began
TO reel eXCeeul0Rly nervous. In bub ulauual IHb
Guards were excellent, particularly in unfixing
bayonets by numbers and on the march, The
wheeling was also admirable, and in lying down
to fire, firing living down and in getting up they
were nearly perfect. Neither the Paris company
nor the St. Louis company completed the pro-
gramme They both stopped on the same num-
ber. which will be found below marked with a
dagger. Forty-five minutes was allowed to each
competitor in this drill to begin after inspection
by the judges.
THE LIGHT INFANTRY.
The Indianapolis Light Infantry Captain J, R,
Ross came on next, brought upon the field by the
drum corps, sixteen pieces and the drum major.
A general cheer went up the boys passed in
front OF the amphitheater, and a hearty hand
olapping that certainly must have put courage
into them if it wasn't there before. The company
passed good inspection, and then Captain Ross
began to put them through the manual at the
liveliest rate. Everything that could be done in
double time was double time, and probably
body on this wicked old globe
ever heard suoh rapidly-deltvered
commands OF ever saw such audiences
of execution. In the beginning of the drill sew
eral individual were remarked, and it
was feared that the drill proceeded they
would be increased Happily such was not the
case, for, as they charged through the pro-
gramme they gained confidence, and their
movements we're as exact as clockwork. There
was no slurring in the movements They were
rapidly done, but they were accurately and
fully done, and in twenty-seven minutes the
Light Infantry had accomplished the amount of
work laid down in the programme that i5 had
taken their competitors forty-five minutes to ex-
eoute. This fact fully appreciated by the
lookerson, the military ones at least, and
minutes before the company came of every one
appreciated that the 81, 800 prize was won by
the Light Infantry. Captain Ross made slight
error at one time during the manual by numbers,
and at another time there appeared to be
slight Misunderstanding by the company of
command
The drill programme embraced four parts
inspection; manual, with and without numbers,
frings, with and without numbers; aignmente,
steps; movements in column of fours and in
line, aud movements in platoons. There were
ten movements in the first part, eighty-one in
part second, thirty-two in part third, and
twenty four in part fourth.
The Light Infantry had completed the entire
programme within the forty y-five minutes, except
the last cOmmand-"Report to the senior Judge"
to do which they had halted and formed In
line, making four movements, in order to get
into the form in which the drill had started: and
just as the last OF the four movements had been
made, and Captain Ross was about to salute the
judges, the bugle sounded, and the company
marched off the battle-ground TO quarters.
HEAT PRosTRATIoN.
The day was intensely warm, a typical August
day, the air motionless, and at times almost
stfiing. The violent exercise which the
infantry had just gone through brought about
several cases OF heat prostration, the most
serious being those OF Sergeant Henry T. COnde,
and privates Walter Nichols and Joseph Vile.
Sergeant Harry Smith and Sergeant Stott we're
not so seriously affected as were the others, but
all were sufficiently bad to make their comrades
and friends apprehensve, and there was great
alarm In the camp and sad faces instead of the
Joyous eountenances that should have followed
victory. DR.. q. W. McCune, of Montezuma,
and DR.. John Oliver. who is a member
of the Light Infantry, were at hand and the suf-
ferers had prompt attention. Later, Drs. o. s.
and NJ. T. Runnells came on and took charge of
Blr Cende, his case, and that of Mr.. Nichols,
being the most serious, and by nightfall ALI were
considered out of danger. At one time 1t requir-
ed the most strenuous exertions of the surgeons
to prevent Mr.. Nichols from going into collapse,
and he as well as Mr. Conde, will need to be ex.
tremely cautious about heat exposure for some
time to come.
THE RoBL-CALL.
The following are the officers and men who
Hput up the drill:"
Captain--J. r. Ross.
First Lieutenant-W. j. Mckee.
Second Lieutenant-R. F. Scott.
Observation-Disclosures A., S;ott Ed.
Corporals-Conde H. T., Enos Ben. Hendricks
Paul c. Loves Albert H., Smith Harry, Wallace
Lew, Wright Parry.
Privates-Brown L. B., Connect NJ. F., DUNCAN
Bruce, Hamilton George, Hedges r. NJ, Keyser
George, Knefer Samuel McCrea Frank, Morri-
son Sam. L., Nichols b: o.. Nichols Walter, Rey-
nolds Foster, Sharpe, j. X. jr., Smith c. g., Will
liams o W., Vile Joseph, Wright b. G.
In addition to these Privates Hackett,
Smith, Nixon and johnson, who were equally as
we'll drilled as any ot those taxing part in the
drill and were taken as substitutes but set
aside when the company arrived on the drill.
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