The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-11-24
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAcE.l


VI the present staff it is only necessary to
say ,hat good general almost always has
sVou sean. The services of General Brown
are SIMPLY invaluable; soldier of long ex-
perience' broad, cultivated, able man, he has
nose inherent qualities, assisted by wealth and
the Disnest social position, which command the
respee' Oh all men and carry personal weight
whlch is 70 an officer Of rank in the militia,
, where the means OF forcing respect are so
the highest efficiency. His staff is an adj
mlraple one, almost the best l have seen not
man Tor ornament and all for use. At head
quarters you would never for one moment hear
or see anything that would not suggest
professional soldiers of the highest type.
Inc quartermasters department is well or
ganized as far as it goes, but has no means Of
transportation beyond the railroads, and would
require good deal to be done before the COM
mand could take the field. There is no regu-
lar supply OF clothing at the depot, but in the
store house some extra clothing Is kept on
hand
The medical department is not recognized
and there is no regular hospital service. They
have however four hospital tents, and medical
supplies are purchased from time TO time.
The ordnance is of excellent quality, the
muskets good and in good order the bayonets,
scabbards and cartridge boxes the best in the
Eastern militia. There is no separate ordnance
department, but it is as is usual in the militia,
included in the quartermaster's department.
The commissary department is very well
managed and efficient. Rations are issued
every day to the command and cooked by the
steam process. There is besides the commits
sary eommissary sergeant, and the regular
returns are made to the adjutant general.
There is in this department the absence of all
| show md Of 0ffiQnro m Tnat
of chief with several assistants there is the
| commissary, Captain William w. Whitmarsh,
and the commissary sergeant; and yet this or
| ganization can supply four times the present
force and is ready to take the field at once.
OF the inspector generals department can
not say much from my own observation as a
sad accident disabled General Richards during
the encampment. on the second day of his
stay in camp. General Brown speaks in high
est terms of his ability and soldierly qualities.
| He is a cavalry officer of the war. From the
| general appearance and instruction of the COM
mand, think it safe to say that in this large
| and scattered State more frequent inspections
should try to make up for the absence of
standards.
| RECOMMENDATIONS.
The first and crying need of this command is
| thorough, systematic instruction. The mate
rial is splendid; zeal and intelligence are the
rule but the zeal must be wisely directed, the
intelligence cultivated. Upon the inspectors
department, backed by an able and fearless
examining board utterly removed from politi-
| cal influences, must rest the responsibility for
inaugurating system under which individual
intelligence can take up and bring the work to
perfection. Inspections, especially in the
| country towns, should be searching and COM
prehensive; guard duty especially should be
taught and practiced. II it were were possible
for the war department to detail officers, to re-
port to the governors of the various States, to
be assigned to duty as instructors only, with
no command whatever it would be of the
greatest assistance to the inspectors depart
ment and benefit to the State.
Next to instruction the Maine militia wants
money. The appropriation is most niggardly.
Of course, this is something entirely outside
of my province as an instructor and observer,
but cannot help speaking about it, hoping
that when the legislature of this large State,
so exposed in situation, the very frontier and
barrier of the United States, read of the SPLEEN
did material of which their militia is COM
posed and see such fruits as their shooting,
| they may recognize some of the possibilities
that the future holds out and vote them decent
support.
After discussing the subject of cooking with
Captain Whitmarsh, and being at some pains
to inform myself upon the work of steam
cooking, it seems that the experiment Of COM
pany cooking was worth trying. Certainly
for any length of time this process would be
almost intolerable and unwholesome, from its
| absolutely monotony. In Massachusetts, and
New York all cooking is done by regular
caterer and it is SO good and the table is so
varied that change to the army system would
produce great discomfort and eventually drive
many men from the State service.
But in this State the men would prefer their
own cooking 1t might not be SO good but il
would enable them to have much more variety,
and it would have the great advantage of as
similating their tour of duty as much as posi-
BILE to the conditions of actual service.
Hayersacks and canteens should be furnished
as soon as possible.
In conclusion, would wish to express my
appreciation Of the great courtesy and kind
ness met on all sides. To General Gallagher,
the adjutant general, am indebted not only
for the utmost personal kindness, but for such
valuable information | would not have had
time to obtain myself; it is to him that am
largely indebted to upon the subject Of the
staff department. To General Brown and
his most efficient gentlemanly staff and to
Colonel harrington, the interchangeable inspector
of rifle practice, my most sincere acknowledge
ments are due.