The sun., 1888-06-17
The Camp at Roa Hook.

The Peekskill camp of instruction for tho
Nationu! Guard of New York is once more in
operation the Fourteenth Regiment Of Brook
lyn receiving this year the honor OF opening
it. 1t will continue, in weekly tours for each
detail of troops. uninterrupt"dly from June
lG TO Aug. IL, which is a longer period than
has ever before been undertaken since its
establishment. This will insure the presence
OF each organization of the National Guard
at the camp every other year. When this
prolonged period of drill and instruction,
provided for installments not exceeding q
thousand men each week, is compared with
the single day in n year or the two
or three days formerly devoted to great
mass of troops the advance in this respect
achieved by the State of New York is mani
fest. Constant rife practice ut Crccdmoor
and elsewhere from early spring to
autumn, must also be counted in tho
measures taken for militia efficiency, as we'll
as the armory drills lasting all winter long
Seven regiments will have tours Of service
at PeckSl.ill during the present sum
mrr, and also no fewer than thirty-two
separate companies, organized into eight
battaOns OF four companies clch. This
organization Of tho separate companies for
encampmrnt purposes IS ono OF the useful
features introduced Of late years into the
State schoo! Of instruction, since it accuS-
toms these companies 10 act in larger U0dio5
and gives Il portion of the militia officers
species Of drill in higher commands which
they could not otherwise obtain
The general method Of Instruction and
practice adopted at the State camp has been
II, ,i nyt,,i,i.nr. i. Gr., IN,
that which prevails in some other STAGES
One marked distinction ot The Pc"EsEiH
camp is It's elimination Of nearly all .aradns
and ceremonies. In the calups Of many
States, especially the division aud brigade
camps, a great part OF the tine is taken up
in preparations for grand review which
exhHusLs the troops without giving them
any practical instruction. II some military
| or civil dignitary can be invited whose pres
/ cnce will prove II great attraction 10 visitors,
the s0-tallcd success of the camp Is consid-
cred tho grrnt'r. At pc"kskill nil such
shows and c"rrnDhr5 are reduced 10 u
minimum, and even thu Necessary marks Oi
attention demanded by military courtesy ON
the visit uf spnc distinguished oIicnl are
made to Interfere rs little as possible with
tn" routine Of tn" camp.
Such j. the prevailing desire to make the
best u5a possible Of The camp -"a5on, that
even rillp practice la, oI late years been
prohibited Hl the camp, ana tn" iir!d for
merry un'Hp!,l aS IL ran,;" iH.S been put to
! o,hrr ur'7, .arg plnct,"'oan u" had ",-o-
wivYc, and hence, important ~ it is time
| cannot b. spar iur il. The same policy
| las hitherto Kept the calApa rG.ui"utVl one
| instead Of cnlarGinS il FOR u.s. Is Il brigade.
! The prohibition OF fireworks and other per-
/ TormauceS not suitable to Il camp Is fur
thrr indication oi In" str'ctncss with which
the m.lita.w idea i5 pursued, and the picuic
feature, 80 prominent in Old militia train
ing, igowM"d upon.
|. In, hr'a suggested that, in order to
make the work a. Pcnkaliill stI!l more liha
that Of real campaigning, rations in kind
should BE issued to each company and COM
pany kitchens provided, in order to accus-
tom officers and men to take care of their