Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-20
THE NATIONAL GUARD.
Proposed Course of Lectures for the
instruction of Officers.
ON FIELD SERVICE DUTY.
Rins Practice in the Gallery for Next Year
Commander Of Companies Should Be Moro
Prompt In their Reports--The EnxineerCom-
paay Progressing Militia Notes.

Never in all the history of the militia Of the
United States has there been so comprehensive
and 50 practical scheme for the instruction OF
officers a. the one which has, after eonsidera-
Bile labor, been formulated by Gen. Ordway.
Field service is the abstract subject to be dis
Chased and the man who attends the proposed
course of lectures and il not more valuable
when they come to an end had better join some
purely social organization where military duty
and soldierly wisdom are not necessary qualifi-
cations for membership. The lectures in this
course will be delivered by army and National
Guard officers who have had large experience
in line with the subjects to be discussed. In
circular. about to be issued from headquarters,
Gen Ordvay has outlined matters very deh-
nitely. He says:
PROPOSED COURSE OF LECTURES.
1t il proposed to convey the instruction by
a course of lectures based on the assumption
that the President has called ont the militia for
three months service, to hold the defensive until
armies can be raised; and, by following out
their supposed movements from the tune the
orders OF the President are received until the
expiration of their term of service, 70 embrace
in the lectures every duty Of subordinate OIL
GERS in the field.
IL ia not proposed to discuss the art of war,
but to eonfne the lectures to instruction In
knowledge that a subordinate militia oncer
should possess, and In duties that he SHOULD De
prepared to perform IN an emergency. Inc
lectures therefore. mast omit much that might
be looked for in an ordinary professional te xt
book but they viii be given with the purpose
of affording practical ins tructon 10 all officers,
and in the hope of interesting 8 few To seek Tor
such further instruction as would be essential
to them in higher positions or IN service be-
yond the time that military operations would
be entrusted TO the militia
LECTURE 1, JANcARY 5, 1891.
Duties of officers On receiving orders for ser
vice.
Requirements of law relative to men obeying
orders calling them into service
Clothing and equipment necessary for a com .
pany: What each soldier should be allowed to
carry, and necessity OF inspection before en-
barking TO prevent them from overlooking
themselves; outfit and baggage that officers
should provide for themselves
Muster rolls: Manner of preparing them;
manner and meaning of muster.
How to embark troops on railway trains and
steamboats,; how to provide for and conduct
both long and short journeys by rail and
steamboat.
Decentralization: How to be made when no
precautions necessary, and also when troops
are carried into an insurgent district where OPP
position or interference Is possible.
LECTURE ?, JANUARY 19.
point of rendezvous appointed for the purpose
of organizing them preparatory to service, and
that during such period of organization drill
and instruction would be given to prepare them
for active service. this lecture and the one
following will cover subjects that should be
included in such instruction.
Camps: Selection of location; manner of lay
ing our; pitching tents; drainage and sanitary
regulations; expedients for comforts duties of
officers in caring for health and comfort of
men.
Camp cooking: Methods of caring for, utiliz-
ing and committing subsistence supplies; in
struction in cooking: necessity of command
ing officers attending both to supplies and
methods of cooking them; officers mess and
how to supply it.
Correspondence and returns: Forms of and
reasons for such forms; necessity of making
.dll and prompt returns; pay rolls; care Of
public property and accountability for it;
necessity of every officer keeping accurate
record of events and especially OF company
commanders making record of everything re-
EIting to each man IN his company.
Duties of staff officers: Description of the
duties of adiut..nts. quartermasters and COM
miss.Iries: their authority as staff officers and
their relations to their commanding officer and
10 officers of the command.
LECTURE 3, FEBRUARY 2.
Discipline: Qualities essential in officers to
exercise command and enforce discipline;
teaching raw troops the reasons and necessity
for discipline; no grade exempt from the re-
quirements of discipline.
Drill and instruction: Time in rendezvous
camp should be devoted to essential matters;
mechanical accuracy and clock-like precision
in minor details not the most essential; de-
scription Of the most essential points in which
to instruct raw troops IN preparing them for
field service.
Guard duty: Its importance "a one of the
best methods of training men in habits of dis
eipline and preparing them for properly per-
forming grand guard, outpost anu picket duty;
description in detail of the duties of camp
guards and sentineis.
Skirmishing: Description of drill and methods
Of instructing in II: its importance under modern
conditions of warfare; application OF the drill in
actual conflict. and notifications of ii accord
ing TO circumstances.
ferent kinds of fire; necessity of control of fire
and delivering IL only under orders; waste and
supply Of ammunition.
LECTURE 4, FEBRUARY I6
Assuming that the troops, having been
organized IN rendezvous camp, are ordered to
march and occupy strategic points to be held
for defense.
Marches: Preparing for the march: breaking
camp; baggage allowed; time of making and
duration Of halts; right of way on roads; length
Of column; boots. socks and feet; food and
water; precautions against fatigue; marches in
presence of the enemy, tactical and strategic,
front, flank and retro2rade; advance guards.
rear guards and hankers; wagon trains and
guards; forced marches; night marches;
bivouacs.
LECTURE ), MARCH 2.
Assuming that the troops have reached the
point designated TO be occupied and held by
them, this lecture and the two succeeding ones
wild cover the duties that would or night de-
yolve on them at that point
Grand guards, outposts and pickets: Objects
and Importance OF; selecting locations for and
methods of posting; duties of; how to act in
case of attack
Reconnaissance and scouting: Objects and
necessity of: open and secret: how tc conduct
how 10 defeat objects of Reconnaissance by the
enemy.
LECTURE 6, MARCH 10.
Field Notifications Objects Of: selecting sites
for; how to lay out; different kinds and forms
Of redoubts and lines; nomenclature.
Temporary intrenchments: Materials for
and methods Of constructing; their use in mod
ern warfare
sieges Reasons for and methods Of conduct
ing; description OF gabions, fascines, sap
rollers and other appliances, with mode Of
using.
LECTURE Z. APRIL s.
Assuming that enemy make demonstration
and attack.
Attack and defense: The militia are assumed