The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-07-29
GENERAL GALLAGHERS LAST volLEY
Fired Into the Ranks of the Maine
militia Officers,
The Colonel of the First Regiment
Being the Chief Target.
Less JoIIificatIon and More military
Duty Wanted All Around.

4
including the adjutant generals remarks
upon the brigade encampment Of that year
has Just been issued.
Inc active or volunteer militia Of this State
at the close Of the year 1887, consisted OF six.
teen companies Of infantry and two platoons
| OF First Maine Battery, aggregating 70 COM
missioned officers and 964 enlisted men, d.
yided into two regiments Of eight companies
| each.
Speaking Of the First Regiment Gen. Gal.
lagher says:
"The companies In this command, through
their own personal exertlons. with perhaps
| two or three exceptions, and that owing 10
the lack Of attention and interest shown by
their company commanders, are in a very
good condition. Stlll these poor companies
exist, not altogether through negligence or
inefficient company commanders. but for the
want Of regimental commander who has
interest and pride enough In his command to
give 1t some attention and time, and assist
or advise in some way all poor and weak
companies in getting out Of their perilous or
death-like condition. | do not hesitate to
say that were 1t not for the zeal and interest
manifested by most of the company COM
manders In this regiment there certainly
would be no such reglmental organization
and perhaps few companies Of any account
that could be relied upon for effective SER
vice. Were 1t not for the fact that the ex-
plration Of this officers service Is In the near
future, and no probability Of his reelection.
many OF the officers would have resigned
An officer who Is lazy and indifferent to his
duties and obligations or oath, and who vio-
lates both law and orders should have his
commission recalled for the good Of the SER
vice: The expenditure Of money, each year,
by the State on her militia should bring
about much better results"
Gen. Gallagher says, also, that there Is vast
room for Improvement in the organization.
drill and discipline Of the second regiment
He severely criticizes the commander Of the
battery, Captain Despaux, Of Brunswick,
who, he charges, has neglected his COM
mand.
OF the muster Of 1889, Gen. Gallagher saws:
There should be no difference q opinion
as to the method Of conducting these camps.
To many Of our citizens who witness them
they are regarded more In the nature OF q
picnic than a strictly military camp Of discip-
line and order. My experience In military
matters and In connection with the volunteer
militia, together with observations In this
and other States. convince me that the true
and proper way for troops ordered out or
into camp for number OF days Is for the
regular army ration to be issued upon the
proper requisition. The Commissary General
should be required each year to attend TO his
duties, as required Of him by law. and In ac-
cordance with United States army regula-
tions, and cause returns to be made on the
proper subsistence blanks from companies
up, and not impose this important and ardu-
GUS duty upon the Adjutant General. who
has also the duties Of Quartermaster and
Paymaster General TO perform.
In the matter OF the conduct OF the Colo
mel Of the First Regiment, during the en-
eeA@tpPg6snf eatp g6G tp which tesu u1psnfste6 G5saeral
fs5Yss;aA-ir officially before these headonsSs.-
Inc brigade lnspector's report rsyarroa
ti ~ Is l9ade @ W anu ioS the information and az
gade. 1t appears. howeyefl yefleer Of 'he IN,
the Brigade inspectors report wse capy 1l
ed to the Inspector General from bs~ssade
headquarters, on the 18th Of October, aRsy
his resignation and discharge, for what pur-
pose am unable to say or conceive. uhac-
companied by any other papers or roort OF
the encampment.
"The dereliction Of any duty. or the o:s-
obedience Of orders, on the part OF any ON
Ger of the brigade is matter first for the no
tice and action of the Brigade Commander,
and be should be prompt In acting In such
cases II he desires discipline. 1t may be best
and perhaps proper to state Q few facts right
here touching this point. The conduct OF
obedience of orders. neglect OF duty and In
efficiency goes, is nothing new. have seen
and had much to contend with through him
during the past four years, and could have
had my way 1t wouldfhave ended quick and
long ago unless proper attention was given
TO his command and orders, II not, enclose
the following: The good OF the service re-
quires your resignation There should be
no half way about military duty and dtsclp-
line. Already there has been too much dis
L. u..A
brigade, and the service has and Is now suf-
fering therefrom.
aIf the Brigade Inspector considers 1t part
of his duty to critieise in report the acts OF
his superior officers, as well as make state
ments that are not correct, ne should not
have stopped with the colonel OF the First
Regiment, but turned his attention to others
of the Brigade, whose conduct was equally
as unmilitary and unbec0ming an ofncer as
that of the colonel Of the First Regiment"
The report also says that the quartermas-
ter's duties were poorly performed Ihe
morning reports, required every morning.
were not received from Brigade headquarters
till ten days after the encampment was over.
Gen. Gallagher compliments Surgeon Gen.
Hill and Inspector Of Ride Practice Earring
ton. On the whole he says:
81 regret to say, for the good name Of the
State and her militia, that never, during all
my military experience OF twenty-five years.
did ever hear of such unsoldierly acts, such
a breach of discipline among certain COM
missioned Eoficers displayed and per-
ing officers, as occurred at this encampment
and since. l submit to your Excellency
whether the good of the service would not be
benefited by cancelling the commissions OF
such officers? else such unmilitary acts oc-
cur again at any Of our encampments all OF
which tend In the line Of insubordination."
Gen. Gallagher says the inspection was not
made at the proper time by the Inspector
General. He recommends that the brigade
organization be abolished. The constitution
of Maine should be so amended, he says, as
to allow the Governor and Commapder-in-
Chief to appoint his Adjutant General,
who should 0ut-rank all other officers. The
number Of staff officers should be reduced.
Our service Is overburdened with gilded col
onels.
General Beal, Inspector General, In his re-
port says that greater attention should be
given to battalion drill, the fault at present
being too great prominence OF the company.
Gen. Beal recommends that the duties OF the
Inspector General be transferred to the Ad-
jutant General and that the latter officer be
appointed by the Governor.
OF Company A, First Regiment. the Light
Infantry Of Portland, the report says;
1.-The Inspection was held In the City Hall
in the presence of large concourse OF clti-
zens, who took great interest in the ceremo-
nies and manifested great interest In the
company. Inspector received on time. Cere-
monies remarkably we'll performed, being
the most perfect Of any that l have Wit
messed since have been Inspector General.
No mistakes were made OF sufnclent lmpor-
tance to report. Uniforms were new ana IN
good condition, being well lifted and orasses
all bright and clean. Rifles and equipments
| In good condition, clean and IN goou OIuer
| for the use they have mad. Drlil was excep-
tional,y good. especially the wheeIings and
| formation from double to single ranks stack
| ing arms and manual Of arms was very iue."
Company B, the Mechanic Blues. gets this
notice:
performed, showing marked improvement
over last years inspection. Men sOldierly in
appearance and Of good size, well set up, uni
forms new and well-ftted, equipments clean
but not sufficiently blacked waist belt plates
and brasses needed securing. Rifles in poor
condition, not properly clean, inside Of bar
rels rusty and dirty. Seven needed repairs.
Drill was good, company movements were
well performed, manual fair"
Company Il, the Montgomery Guards, are
spoken Of in the following terms:
Number on rolls present and absent 56.
Inspection ceremonies fairly well performed,
men soldierly in appearance and well set
up Uniform new and well fitted. Rifles
in very poor condltlon-dusty and dirty /;
eight requiring some repairs. Equipments
clean, but not well blacked; brasses dirty.
the standard usually found, which Is ac-
counted for by having in the ranks large
number Of recruits. Fifteen men absent,