St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-12
Competitive Drill BY Company Wit
messed and Duly Oriti-
ciSed.
Some Nuts for the Drill Master to
Crack Cranky Questions
Asked.
General News and Gossip Among
Battle SCARED Veterans of the
Melish-
twsEzA e competitive drill

j .sdlft. OoS"ON "NNNN
[ As drill master, and
~ W legan operations by
w. irillng the men for
-A@~ about fifteen min
uteS in company
movement, and the manual of arms on the
march after which the company was
brought to right face. when eight OF the
men were ordered to fall out. several OF
whom were old men in the company. Inc
comnanv again closed up and drilled for
another fifteen minutes in the manual OF
arms and facings after which nine more
men fell out. leaving SergtS. Palmer,
Nichols. James and HOllOwell, Corporal
Godfrey and Private Braden IN line.
Among these six men the actual competl-
zion took place. The captain drilled them
with right commands and with wrong
ones for upwards of twenty minutes,
when Sergt. James, Corporal God
frey and Private Braden had TO
drop out. After ten minutes more worh the
Judges declared Sergt. Hallowell the VIM
ner. and he was accordingly decorated with
the gold medal and presented with the
Steele silver cup. Maj. Fitzgerald. capt.
Armory and Sergi. Maj. Bartram acted as
Judges. Time of drill, one hour and hVe
minutes.
POINTS PlCkED OOI'INO DAAAhh'
We should like to have Capt. Osgood eX-
plain where in Upton's tactics is found the
command as rear rank. aim" given while
the company is at front rank, ire kneel-
ing" We also noticed that he wanted his
company to execute as front rank, aim. :"
when the COMPANY were at ''as rear rank
fire kneeling" We should further like to
point out to Capt. OSgood that in the d.
rect fire in las rear rank, fire kneellng, ]"
the men keep their elbow resting Oh the
left knee. 1t is only in the cblique hrlngs
in as rear rank. fire kneeling." that
the men raise the elbows OF the knee.
We also noticed that not more than three
men held their pieces at the correct angle,
in the position of load: the angle is twenty
five degrees. In executing left reverse
arms" Private Braden was the only man
who executed the movement correctly
linton says that the gun is carried and
placed under the left arm with the right
hand. the left is changed to the small OF
the stock. the right is then carried behind
the back grasping the piece between the
bands; the piece is also returned to the
right side in the same manner. these
movements are not executed the same as
coming to a reverse arnS;' If they were
Upton would have explained them the
same as he does the reverse arms. We
were surprised to see that such an old sol
der as Private Braden should be caught in
a competitive drill with his belt on upside
down and also with dirty bayOnet. We
were surprised to see Sergt. Maj. Bar
tram acting as judge with such
men in the hall as Col. Bend, Lieut.. Col.
Harrison. Lieut. Williams and Lieut.. Aus
tin. This is another of Capt Osgood's in
novations. Among the guests present we
noticed Col Bend. Lieut.. Col. Harrison,
Lieut.. c.. S. Williams, regimental rifle in
structOr, Lieut.. Palmquist, commissary of
subsistence, Lieuts. Williams and Austin,
of Company B, and First Sergt. Sam Gil
bert of Company E. The SCOUT.