Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-13

of three men and an officer that represented q
battalion of at least $50 men at ride practice one
afternoon. What was my surprise when. on
reporting to the inspector in charge, l was
handed five cartridges and told that unless I
made 80 per cent Of the possible score at 200
yards Ia marksman score IN the state of Penn
sylvania) would not be permitted TO fire at The
next range. Itook my position and commenced
firing. the inspector or instructor standing at
the snnurciator. After firing four shots I was
told that need not fire any more. because
could not possibly make the required score.
protested that as we had shown enough inter-
est TO absent ourselves from our places Of bust
ness for half day We should have the privilege
Of using some Of the ammunition which might
have been used by those who were absent, but
the inspector denied the request, stating that
the supply of ammunition was not plentiful
and that that which was left over had TO be
saved for the practice of the brigade team"
THE INSPECTOR ONLY DID HIS DUTY.
To which Firing Pin replied: "A little in
quiry at headquarters would have satisfied
Private a. it did myself, that the inspector
was only carrying out the precise orders given
him BY the Inspector general Of rifle practice.
Private was treated Just exactly "a were all
other men who failed to make thirteen points in
five shots st zoo yards, and has. therefore. no
singular nor personal ground for complaint
His bringing forward the absurdly low percent
age required in the state Of Pennsylvania to
qualify q mdrkrmaD Is IKE tRe uoWefs tfaS
bloom in the spring II was the inspectors
duty. in the light of the orders given him. to
sayes smunition and any reasonable man will
admiSthat il was much better to let tho brigade
team use up the cartridges than 10 throw them
away on men who cannot make more than eight
or nine points Tor even lessl at 200 yards. IL
Private begrudges the brigade team any of
the ammunition it fired awav then he is lonely
man in the District National Guard. The bril-
gade team of 1880 did more for the credit Of
this city and its soldiers than all the COMPETE
tive drills ever held in the national capital or
anywhere else"
DISCOURAGED By RIFLE PRACTICE.
Taking up his line Of criticism Private" con-
times: Il have rs great desire Of perfecting
myself in this (riae practicc) branch of a SOL
di.r's duty as in ANY other. and / know this
mode of instruction has discouraged more men
thIn myself. In this know voice the senti-
merit of q large number OF the men of the
Guard" Then he goes on to say that he was
properly instructed on one occasion while At
practice in camp and by Capt Cash. Private
was. he SAYS. holding his piece incorrectly. but
under the captains instruction remedied the
defect and qualified at 200 wards.
On this statement Firing Pin" comments
as follows: Private has evidently failed to
study the general orders which are so literally
distributed throughout the commend. He has
wrong conception OF the duties Of an III
Spector. The Inspector may instruct. and he
does whenever it is possible. bat il is not
his duty 10 teach man the preliminaries in
aiming and sighting. In this matter Private
has dealt his company commander blow be-
tween the eyes, for IN general orders captains
have been directed 10 give at least fifteen min
utes on each company drill night to posi-
ton. aiming and sighting drill. It may be
that both Private and his captain were too
busily engaged In preparing for fancy drill to
paw any attention to the require ments of an
ORD fyOr Iona hyt ku4 10 4 n ynlII
excuse. nor can the shortcomings OF the captain
be visited upon the head of an irpectOr. An
inspector is one who inspects: who secs whether
the men have been properly instructed and who
reports thereon 20 the officer commanding the
regiment or battalion. II the captain viii obey
the general order referred to. and il Private
will only pay heed to his teachings there will be
no reason next year for 'P-ivates failing to
reach thirteen points in five shots ut 300 yards.
THREE SUGGESTIONS.
Private concludes his communication with
three suggestions that no one can take e1cep-
ton to; they should be needed. First. he
wants inspectors to rule any man off the range
or any practice day when that mans rifle il
dirty or rusty. Secondly, he wants every man
to be supplied with the proper rife-cleaning
and plenty Of it. Thirdly. let every
given special session with inspector and
allowed to ire ut least ten shoS.
NOTES.
The following have passed the brigade board
Of examination: First Lieut.. Harry Walsh as
captain company A, fourth battalion; Second
Lieut.. George A. Brewer. as captain company
C, fourth battalion: First Sergt. Cdell. as sec
ond lieutenant. and Private Richard A. Hardin
as first lieutenant company A. fourth battalion
Corporal George W. England of company ID,
third battalion, is a qualified candidate for q
second lieutenancy of infantry.
Those who failed to appear before the board
of the fifth, Sergt. H. l. Maddox of
the fourth.
First Lieut.. Louis T. Farabee Of company B,
fourth battalion. has been recommended by
OF rifle practice for the fourth battalion. in
place of Lieut.. +. l.. Graham. who has taken
command OF the first (sharpshooters) platoon
of the engineer company.
Major Campbell has also recommended the
promotion Of Hospital Steward w. G. Upham
to be surgeon, vice Richard A. Pyles, promoted.
Not more than two-thirds of the annual re-
ports on rifle practice are in. They have been
due at headquarters since November 30.
Those who are interested in military rife
shooting will miss treat il they stay away
from the lecture which will be delivered at bri-
gade headquarters on Monday night. Lieut.. F.
L. .Grahan. will talk about the Springfield
rife and the possibilities within it. Lieut..
Graham commands the sharpshooters' platoon
of the engineer company.
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