The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1888-12-05
A go FORCED MARCH,.
Infantry Averages but fifteen Miles Day.
Ancient EiEur..s.

Infantry Avcrnges but Fifteen Miles Day.
Ancient Figures.
A tisI atch from Fort Robinson, Neb.,
mentions ur. exceptional march mitde by
tho Eighth United States cavalry, COM
manied by Cal j. AIisener, from Fort
Davis, Tex, having Fort Meade, d. T..
for its destination, distance of 1850
miles. The regiment reached Fort Rob
inson on tho 2Gth of August. having
made 1 $50 miles of the march, leaving
100 miles still to go. The regiment left
Fort Davis on May II, and reached Fort
Meade on Sept. 3, making the time 100
days, and an average of q fraction over
fifteen miles day. rate of travelling
considered exceedingly good. The band
and regimenIal headquarters accoms
panied the expedition. This move is
merely one of the ordinary changes of
quarters. and is Of interest only as mn
initial step toward n change of system IN
transporting troops. Where time is Of
little object the government has con-
clu,!ei to adopt the plan of marches in
stead Of using the railroad, thereby s;tv
ing the cost of transpoftation-a very
considerable item. OF course this can
even there il the great west the laid is
fence is frequently met with as an OBJ
struc ion.
Lieut.. L. W. V. Eennon. aidc-dc-camp
on Cen. Crooks staff, whose main hobby,
by the Way, is tactics. lie having written
a number of exhaustive articles upon that
subject, one lately appearing III The Army
and Navy Journal. expressed the opinion
that the system would become very pop
ular. for, besides the saving III expense.
lie claims it is the lest sort of drill. hard
eninS aud toughening the troops rs would
no other method. Fourteen to fifteen
tnil2s = ,!ay is considered a fair pace; over
fifteen is called quick marching, and over
twenty l. set down in military books as n
forced march, but there have been Ecmc
r2re instances OF quick marching that
make the ordinary forced march seem
Ike play
Moving n whole army, consisting of
infantry, c;.v;lliy, artillery, with the ac-
caIsiPanSins baggage Wagons arail army,
necessarics, Is vastly different from the
transportation OF q single regiment of in
fantry or cavalry. l,2po!eoI is credited
with having performed the most aston
ish;ng feat Of this character OH record
when in 1895 lie marched his entire army
from the cirnnel to The Ehinc, q distance
miles day. The historian GiL5on tell;
of march Of the Sultan Calalesldin in
1860 with his troops OF 1900 miles, max
ing fifty-eiSht miles day. The same
authority mentions n. incident century
later when Mira Iehecidin Sultan
marched with 80. 900 soldiers 23O miles
i'll five days, but states that the penalty
Of tho commanders 5 artior was the loss of
2G,0G0 of his men, reaching his destina-
ton with but 1000.
During the late war Gen. Grierson,
now colonel of tho Tenth cavalry, iaarcllc't
coo miles in sixteen days through the
enemy's country; this was at the rate of
thirtx-sevcn and u half miles day.
Later than this, some time in 1873. Gen.
Stanley marched through Montana and
Dakota with a regiment OF infantry 500
miles in twenty-ei.ht days. thirty-t~o
miles q day.-Chicago Herald.