Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-10
NATIONAL GUARD NOTES.

INSPECTOR OF RIFLE PRACTICE BROWN
and Paymaster Miller, of the Fourteenth, did
not accompany the regiment on the trip last
week..
THE election to have been held in Company
II last Friday night has been postponed for ten
days. This is the second postponement of this
election.
SURGEON W. h. ENGLISH of the Eight
eenth, well known for his vocal ability, now
speaks in a very low whisper, the result OF the
bad weather in Washington.
SEVERAL belated guardsmen who were left
in Washington by not showing up IN time 10
come home with their regiments. turned up
serenely in the city yesterday, somewhat tne
worse of the wear and tear due to the lack o1
luxuries on freight trains.
CAPTAIN SHANNON, of the Washington In
fantry. is thoroughly delighted with the show
ing and actions of his men while away. Had
the weather been better, their UNIFORM Woulu
have appeared to much better advantage, but
as it was compliments were shoWered upon
them.
THEwar cloud which hangs over the Samoan
affair has stirred up the fighting blood o1 hot
only the militia boys, but also many Of the old
vets. After the Washington trip the only pro-
viso the boys ask, is that, in case OF war, the
fighting be confined to dry days, or umbrellas
be adopted in place of bayonets.
W. P. ChRoN1GER, of Company H, Eigh-
teenth, was one of the members of the Guard
who thought the Washington "trip the finest
he had ever taken. The reason was found in
the fact that he had just received an appoint
ment in the Pension office, and would remain
behind to fill his new position when the boys
left.
THERE were ten commissions issued from
division headquarters during the month Oh
February, those in this city being First Lieu
tenant Lewis 7. Brown, of Battery B. and AS
sistant Surgeon Oscar s. Brumbaugh, of the
Eighteenth. William Z. Jones, OF MlnersVllles
Pa, was also given a commission as Breyet
Second Lieutenant for college services.
THE Fourteenth Regiment has lost one Of its
best officers in Captain E. S. Hill, of Company
K, who died at his home in Mansfield Friday
afternoon. Captain Hill enlisted as private
in K Company in 1878, and has filed every in
termediate position to the captaincy. The
field, staH and line officers will attend the
funeral In full uniform this afternoon, the
train leaving Union depot at 1885, the services
to take place at O'CLOCK.
THE difference of feeling of local merchants
toward the militia can best be illustrated by
the amount of trouble enlisted men experience
in getting leave of absence for militia duty,
some employees going so far as to refuse en-
pioyment to guardsmen. Too much credit
cannot be given to Mr.. George Westinghouse
in this particular, as in a certain company "a of
its members are at work in one department OF
the Washington trip was Immediately granted
for the asking.
A PROMINENT New Jersey officer of the Ma
tional Guard was discharged by court martial
last week for appearing on the rife range in
private's uniform and having his qualifying
score credited to one of the enlisted men. Al
most similar case occurred at the match at
Mount Gretna last fall, when member of one
regiment shot for some time in the name of
one of the members of the team from the Four
teenth Regiment of this city. The change was
not discovered until the ringer" had shot for
some time, but the matter was quieted up.
THE Pennsylvania Railroad, in taking the
Ninth Regiment to Washington, tried to bull
doze Colonel Keck into making him unload his
men at Bennings station, six miles out of the
city, as the cars were wanted at once in the
East Colonel Keck refused to unload, and
said he would stay on the cars until they took
him to Jersey City, if necessary. The result
was he was unloaded in Washington. On the
return, however the railroad company said he
would either have to walk out to Bennings
station or stay in Washington. He walked to
Bennings station.
THE bill now pending in the State Legis-
lature for a naval battalion, provides that the
commandant shall be a Lieutenant Com
mander. who shall rank as Major of Infantry,
his staff to consist of an adjutant, ordnance
officer, paymaster and surgeon, each with the
rank of a first lieutenant. There shall be at
tached to the staE. one master at arms, two
yeomen, one hospital steward and chief
bugler. Each company is to have one lieu
tenant commanding. two second lieutenants,
two ensigns, two boatswain's mates, two gun
ner's mates, two cockswains, two quarter
masters and A seamen.
VETERANS who stood on Pennsylvania ave-
nue., Tuesday afternoon, and who are familiar
with military organizations of the past and
present, could not help but notice the marked
change that has come over the various State
regiments. The decided decrease in gaudiness
Of uniform, but the greater earnestness of pur-
pose, and more thoroughly correct military de-
velopment than even of four years ago, was re-
markable. True, some of the Western COM
panies were still dressed like pirates in l0-cent
tour years hence will probably see the National
Guard of all the States patterned after the
regular army in equipments.
CAPTAIN JOHN 6. RoURKE, of the Third
United States Cavalry, renowned as an Indian
fighter and engaging writer on Indian customs,
in speaking of the inaugural parade, says: 1.-THE
Seventh New York still maintains it's old-time
prestige for tactical accuracy, but for a
fighting organization, trimmed down to the
buff and ready to move out at moments
notice upon the skirmish line, there was moth
ing in the procession comparable to the
Pennsylvania National Guard. Its three
superb brigades 400 maggregating an effective
strength Of fully, 600 men, and having attached
to each brigade troop of cavalry and battery
Of light artillery, looked like veterans, moved
like veterans and would turn into veterans in
less than no time, because their officers are old
soldiers to whom the service of war is some
thing more than holiday pastime" Pretty
good praise for the Pennsylvania boys, coming
from such a source.
The officers of the Eighteenth Regiment
have returned from the rather damp trip last
week with the gratifying knowledge that of the
q, 600 men in line their organization came out
second in appearance and first in numbers and
military discipline. The Seventh New York
was, of course. accorded first place, as without
doubt it is the finest military body in the coun-
try, but the Eighteenth has the proud distinc-
tion of second place on the list. The result of
their good showing is that Adjutant General
Hastings voluntarily has offered to intercede
with Governor Beaver for the enlistment of a
tenth company to supply the vacancy caused
by the disbandment of Company K one year
ago. Two features in the Eighteenth particu-
larly attracted attention, the pioneer corp and
the large and well-equipped staff. The former
was the only body of the kiGd in the parade
but it is extremely probable many other regi-
ments viii copy the idea.
Company X, Fourteenth Regiment Speaks.
At a meeting of Company X, Fourteenth
n L l.