Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-27

petn good and the men have been given
an insight into q soldiers life which they
Ihe bad weather viii clinch the impression.
discipline has been thorough. Officers aud
men have been mutually respectful Too
n mucn praise cannot be given TO Gen. ordway,
snose iaoors have been incessant Has stan,
700. has done much. The national guard has
come TO the District 10 stay."
ADJrTANT HAMILTON T. swrrE
OF the seventh battalion, formerly sdjutant q
the second battalion, NJ. V. NJ, said:
The camp has been conducted with much
less friction than would be anticipated vhen IA
was taken into consideration that il il thu 6rxt
encAnpment OF the District of Columbia ma
nonal guard The men were green in csmp
duties, but ere forty-eight hours had rolled
around the improvement was 80 marked that n
one who had been IN other encampmepts OF mil
itia IL was quite puzzling TO understand how the
men were enabled 20 get down 20 business in sncs
short time. While IL is true that a great nor
ton OF the national guard is composed Of gov
eminent employees, mostly clerks and cons.
quently educated and intelligent men, al the
same time old soldiers recognize the fact that
II Is this class Of men who as a rule prove 10 bs
the poorest soldiers from the fact of hay,ng
more intelligence than is requisite 70 be a man
Of the ranks. Now do not wish 20 be misin-
terpreted when say that, and 10 put q pre-
MUM on ignorance because man
who is very ignorant is Just as bad AZ
one too intelligent or course i. is me-
cessary and requisite that an officer should Ia
an intelligent and educated man in order 90
execute and obey the commands given him
while any number Of privates belonging 10 an
organization Of the militia with the same de-
gree OF intelligence would be too apt 10 reason
within himself why such ana such an order
was gisen when another order would have
accomplished the same purpose. The effect of
the camp Is already TO be seen IN the improve
ment of the discipline of the men. Most men
who joined the national guard have done so as
means OF having good time and not for
the purpose OF receiving military instruction
but this tour OF camp duty awakened an inter-
est and desire IN them TO equal the national
guardsmen of other states and il the same ratio
OF Improvement is shown in the next wear az
has been shown during the DAYS of this encamp-
ment the citizens OF Washington will never
need be ashamed when their guardsmen are
ordered out for duty.
MAJOR c. A. FLEETWOOD,
commanding the seventh battalion, was quite
enthusiastic. He said: AS look AT il
the camp has been perfect success. look Al
1t from the standpoint that a camp of this kind
is carried on for the purpose of giving practi-
cal illustrations of a soldiers life in the field
Gen. Ordway started out evidently with the
Intent that the men of the command should
come here, stay a week, have everything they
needed, with good time thrown in, and go
home with nothing to growl over II ever a
| man deserved a success he did; no mortal man.
nor the traditional beaver ever worked mind
and body more unsparingly than he. still he
failed OF perfection by his standard and L am
rather glad of it. l have been in favor
OF the movement from when il wac
first broached, and am now more than ever
convinced OF Its benefits. l would have con-
sldered the camp a failure with a week of
pleasant weather, plenty Of food, light military
duties, and lots OF fun; that would have been .
picnic, not camp. As ii is il would be diff
cult TO concentrate within the limits of one
week more varied exemplification of a SOL
dier's life than has been afforded us while here
at Camp Ordway; Its wet and its dry SIDE its
abundance and its short rations,' with the
other incidentals, 'barrin' the ftin' IAN excel
lent omssion). By all means let them become
the established annual channels OF invaluable
education In the duties Of a soldier"
MAJOR REvELLs,
commanding the eighth battalion, said; "Ths
camp is one of the best regulated and heslth-
lest place that could be selected 1t has
afforded the men of my command a practical
idea OF a soldiers life and has been the cause
| OF furnishing to them knowledge that could NOT
have been received elsewhere. II has stripped
them of that fimsy idea that all that was re-
CURED OF a soldier was to don his uniform and
parade on a smooth street or avenue. Ny men
have been attentive to all drills and camp
duties. Ihey have answered all calls for duty
with a ready will and have heard Of no CONF
plants. consider the camp the best school
| OF instruction, practically, that could be fur
nished the national guard. The treatment OF
| the command has been all that could be de-.
| sired and my men have been eager in their de-
sire to make a record for ability. discipline and
conduct that will vie with that OF the other
commands"
| MAJOR DALTON,
commanding the first battalion Of the first reei-
ment, was of opinion that the camp had made
the national guard of the District as frm
as a rock. The men," said he. shave
received instruction which could never
have come TO them in any other
way. They were nearly all Of them ignorant Of
guard duty, and, in fact, Of much that goes to
make a soldiers life; but now they know great
deal of military matters. Some things have
gone wrong, notably in things pertaining 10 the
cuisine, but they have been valuable expert
ences and will be corrected next year. d
The weather has been pretty bad for coupls
OF days, but the men are happy and are rapidly
becoming more and more soldierly. The ns.
tional guard has come to STAY"
CAPTAIN YATES,
commanding the light battery, il a campss
from Camptown. He said: The march down
from the city was worth everything to us for
the experience il gave. Our men had
never done anything like it before, but
now they know what they can do
and would not be afraid 10 take them any
where. The rainy weather has interfered with
us to a very considerable extent, but il all
counts in training. / have not had a particle
of trouble with any member of my command
and not cross word has, TO my
knowledge, been spoken. The discipline
has been most advantageous, and yet it
has not been as irksome as some supposed 10
would be. Take il all in all We have had q
very pleasant time, and the associations formed
here will be pleasant for years 20 come. have
already received eighteen applications from
infantrymen for transfer 20 the battery-good
men, too. But one year ago we were mustered
in with thirteen men. We took seventy-ons
men into camp"
CAPT. ALDRICH
Of Gen. Ordway's staff said: IF ever a camp
was a success it is this one. The men have
learned to patch tents, how to keep them up
and how to keep them dry. They know more
about guard duty than was ever dreamed of in
their previous philosophy. and they learne II in
such way that II will not easily be forgotten.
The experience has been most beneficial one,
and there Will be many more practical soldiers
in Washington next Monday night than were
there a week ago."
LIEUT.. BARBoURs OPINION.
''This camp" said Lieut. Harry L. Barbour,
commanding troop A Of the cavalry, has
anchored the national guard deep in the heart
of every member Of the organization. Not Q
single man who has been here but will want to
come again and he will bring Others with him.
When the boys return TO the city
they will make every stay -at-home sorry he did