The National tribune., 1889-01-24

time war experience, but now / will write OF
the advance made in Army craftsmanship,
and henceforth ] shall draw largely upon what
Col. Blunt has told me- and from his book.
Nowadays the old-time expenditure of the
relieved guard detail is done away with, and
soldiers now-officers and men alike-are
taught the use of and the value of the rifle and
the carbine.
There is target year." which lasts from
one NewYearis Day until the next. and dur
ing that time each regiment, each troop, bat
terry or company and each officer and enlisted
man must fire so many shots and endeayor to
make fixed score. Individualizing, there are
six distances at which firing is done, and the
ratings made by the shooters are divided into
five classes.
Although the target year begins and ends
with the calendar year, the firing season proper
lasts only two months, and only scores fired
during that period are counted in making up
the figures of units of the organization. These
two months, for each military post, are desig-
mated by the Department Commander. The
class in firing to which the officer or man be-
longs at any time viii be determined by the
total of the best four scores made by him dur
ing the practice season, up to that date, at each
of certain specified distances. To qualify for
sharpshooter, a total of 80 is required at 200,
300, and 500 yards; total of So at 600 and 500
yards and so at 900 yards. To qualify for
maj hStlfaA Will AAlC lli1Ss AuAdl Va Co 10 ~
quired at 200, 300, 800, and 600 yards; with the
carbine, totals of so, 70, 20, and 90, at each OF
the same ranges respectively.
For the first class, with the rife, total of 90
is required at 200, 500 and 500 yards with the
carbne totals of o. 90, and % at each respective
range. For second class, with the rife, total
of 80 is required at 200, 800, and 500 yards
with the carbine, totals of so As, and 40 at each
Of the respective ranges.
Those Xyho have fired huf failed To 0ualifV
for any of the preceding classes, constitute the
third class.
The marksmeu are entitled to wear two
marksman's buttons on the collars.
The sharpshooter is decorated with silver
cross.
The new system of firing begat company
ana regmental pride in the scores made and
the classification of the men who fired the
Shots so that very soon there was adopted
scheme Of competitive firing, by which regi-
ments watched each others results, and COM
paniesand individuals struggled for superiority
IN skilled firing
Then came Department contests, and these
were followed soon by Division battles on
friendly grounds at long ranges, as we'll as the
skirmish- firing (of which l viii tell further
ON; and as the work progressed the final Army
competition was established.
Each year each Post Commander ceTtifieS the
name of one non commissioned officer or pri-
waite of each troop or company, and such Off
GERS as may desire to compete, together with
the best four scores made by each individual,
up to the Department Commander, as Compel
itOrs-there is no distinction of rank on rife
range. The men thus certified are ordered to
report at Department Headquarters, where
there is an excellent range, and there they
have time for practice to accustom themselves
to the possibly changed conditions that they
had been accustomed to.
There is a strange difference in the variations
of elevation above the sea level in looking over
the sights of rife or carbine, for while along
the foothills OF the Rockies thousand yards
range will look to be lover the sights} three
miles away, the same distance target at Fort
Smelling would make one believe he was aim
ing much too high TO reach the bull's-eye. So,
the men selected to compete are allowed to
practice for several days, to become accustomed
TO the changed condition.
At times, of late years, there have been as
many as an hundred men and officers strug-
Cling to prove themselves the best shots, but
as only y men constitute team, some must
be left out. In addition to the team of u the
two making the next best scores are added as
alternates," so that shoEld a member of the
team fall i'll or be disabled in any way the
alternate takes his place. a few years ago
young cavalry officer won place well up on
the team Of the Department OF the Platte, when
his eyes failed him and he was forced to give
way in the subsequent competition to an al
ternate."
In each " Geographical Military Division :"
an annual competitive contest is held between
the Department teams of rifemen and the 10
men who make the highest aggregate scores at
known distances and skirmish- firing, form
what is called the Division Team. Biennially
these three Division teams, of the Military Di-
visions of the Pacific. Missouri, and Atlantic,
meet and eOmpete again. to see who shall con-
stitute the membership of the Army Team y
Prizes are given at each competition that
stimulates the soldier to attain the highest