Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-01-24
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
VERMONT NATIONAL GuARD.

CURRENT AFFAIRS.
VERMONT NATIONAL GUARD.
Lieut. benry'S Report ON Its Condition
nt the last Annual Encampment.
The annual report of Adjutant General
Peck to the secretary of war contains the
report Of Lieut.. Leary of the regular army
of his inspection Of the Vermont National
Guard at the time of the last annual en-
campment at West Randolph Following
are those portions Of Lieut. Leary's report
which are of general interest
The National Guard Of Vermont consists
OF the first regiment Of infantry, composed
OF ten companies, Col Julius ]. Estey com
manding the first battalion of infantry.
composed Of two companies, Major Joel G.
Moulton commanding and the first light
battery, known as Fuller's battery, Captain
Levi \. Fuller, brevet colonel, command
ing. The brigade is commanded by Brig
adler General William l.. Greenleaf. Yer.
mont National Guard, who is assisted by a
capable corps Of staff officers
The routine Of duty prescribed by the
brlgadier general commanding was such as
TO utilize the very brief time of the en-.
campment in such way as to give the hest
instruction to the troops No time was lost
IN useless ceremonies or in meaningless
sham fights. The entire time was gener
ally spent by officers and enlisted men in
honest work. and the Improvement i'm ev-
cry respect from day 10 day during the en-
campment was apparent
The time allowed for the annual encamp
meuts is too little 1t is recommended that
The legislature Ice urged to extend it to two
weeks aud that one day in the autumn and
two days in the spring he allowed Fuler's
battery for mounted drill and field artillery
| practice
ARMS.
| The command is armed with the calibre
30 improved Springfield rifle. The guns
/ we're generally clean, many Of them per |
| tectly so some few were dusty and RUSTY. |
showing neglect while in the soldiers hands !
/ Nearly all showed that they are guarded
from rust while stored in the armories.
| The rust observed on all that we're not |
clean was such as had accumulated in a .
short time. while the guns were in the |
hands Of the troops
The waist belts plates and cartridge
boxes of the infantry companies except |
in case of Company H, First Regiment
Captain Clark, were generally unblackened .
and uncared for. In Company II they were
in fairly good order
TARGET PRACTICE.
The substantial progress made by the
National Guard Of Vermont this year was
in target practice A range Of POO wards
was secured on the camp ground at West
Randolph, and two companies were con
stantly practiced at the targets every day
during the encampment in such sequence
as TO give all the officers and enlisted men
OF the infantry five rounds at the targets
This practice was directed by First Lieut.
X. W. Hoyt 18th infantry, who was de-
tailed by the war department as instructor
during this encampment, and whose work
was OF great service 10 the state.
PROFICIENCY IN DRILL.
Great Improvement in instruction in
skirmlsh drill was observed in the whole
command which went satisfactorily through
all the details of battalion skirmishing.
This was also an advance over last years
work
The companies showed only fair prof
cheney IN ordinary company movements |
observed no Improvement in this respect
over their work last year. and | ascribe
this TO the large number of new men in
most of the companies, who had received
but little preliminary instruction in the
school Of the soldier. These new men were
taken in only short time before the peri
Cd OF the encampment and while they
swelled the numbers, they in no way add
ed to the efficiency of the Vermont Nation
al Guard. In this connection am informed
that in some of the companies there are
few, If any, drills from the end of the an
nual encampment TO a short period before
the next succeeding one. 1t is not TO be
expected that the command can do credit
able work in camp with such large per
centage OF uninstructed men.
Fuller's battery showed steady improve
ment in every respect over its work last
year. Its armament consists of the new
3.2 inch breech- loading field gun and its
carriage The caisons are of the old pat
tern The teams Of the pieces are all
equipped with the new field artillery .har
ness, which gave general satisfaction to
the drivers, who are all teamsters in their
civil life.
At Col Fuler's request | instructed his
battery in the school of the battery, mount
ed, for about three hours August "a. The
officers and men drilled in a satisfactory
manner and improved rapidly in their ex-
ecution of battery movements
At Col Esteys request | attended Off
GERS school on the evening Of August 20.
and called the attention of those present to
the recommendations in my report with a
view TO having them acted on as far as
possible IN this encampment.
CAMP EQuIPAGE.
The state is handsomely equipped in tent
age The canvas is generally new all is
in excellent order. The whole command is
equipped with canteens and haversacks.
General Gilmore Informs me that the
whole command can be assembled on any
public emergency at the White River June.
tion, or Essex Junction, in - hours from
the time of notification to the troops by the
governor.
HOSPITAL SERVICE AND CAMP SANITATION
The field hospital of the Vermont National
Guard is better equipped as to its chest of
medical supplies than any camp have ever
seen. This field hospital medicine chest is
the invention of Hospital Steward f II
Chapman, Vermont National Guard 1t is
so complete in all its appointments that
consider it worthy of examination by the !
medical purveyOrs department of the army.
The daily medical inspection of the camp
as to cleanliness produced the best results.
Camp police was perfect. In many years
service have never seen a cleaner camp in
every respect than was the camp at West
Randolph. Company streets, kitchens aud !
grounds were all scrupulously neat and
'Ne@A w. h'Nai inns ~ 6haih ilbhuAluks
RECOMMENDATIONS.
l. The legislature has appropriated $500 !
for the purchase of a permanent camp ,
ground for the Vermont troops. 1t is re. ,
commended that further appropriation of ,
$4,000 be solicited for the construction of :
permanent buildings for storage, a fence Z
for the camp and for targets and butts !
?. That the scope of rifle practice be en- ,
larged, and that no place be selected for a !
permanent camp ground which will not per r
init range of 1000 yards for infantry
practice and 1000 for artillery practice
without danger to the people in the neigh |
borhood and consequent interruption to :
practice by injunction by courts of law ,
3. That the attention of state authorities (
be invited to the evil of permitting new b
men to be enlisted just before the time of ,
the annual encampment 1t is suggested l.
that no enlistments be permitted within two II
months of this time, aud that every com .
pany be required to drill at least once a b
month. This cannot be insisted ON unless n
the men have comfortable armories in which
to drill 1t is therefore recommended that D
the legislature pass an act requiring the h
o. A., III LIN