New-York tribune., 1890-05-04

well. THAT would certainty ot one ,.aN ", iOi'~
it: but / meant that YOU should utilize the sets
OF fours. The tactics do not contemplate march
ing any distance in column OF hles. Men are
almost sure 10 lose distance ,
Mine don't They can march mic l0ck-
stepped like so many convicts. Here. l II show
YOU And the captain whipped ont his sword
but the inspector told him ocular demonstration
would he unnecessary on that point
Just execute these movements captain ,hno hno
left front into line Fours night about; then left
forward. fours left. On left into line. Left by
patoons: then form company TO the front"
the boys will think it's mighty queer.
Evidently they did. for in two minutes the
Rifles were tangled up in n hard knot and con
fusion was worse confoundcd. little later,
when the company Strengthened out and
marching gallantlv In column Of fonrs right III
front The iucyorabe inspector told the captain
TO form line to the right front. Obediently that
officer shouted, Right front into line but.
true to their years Of practice, the men oblioued
TO the left and came up on the wrong flank.
Try n cain SIR" was the order: and this time.
though with much hesitation and some disorder,
the line was formed. . . 90.
I-p comes a prominent citizen. an old soldier.
a gallant war veteran. who proudly wears his
G. A. II. badge, and is local authority on all
matters military. He has been loudly condemn
ing the captains astonishing break TO o knot
of crestfalen friends of that officer and the re-
porier of the local paper is iotting down his words
4 Young gentleman in the neat uniform OF the
State University battalion ventures 10 Dut III Il
word in the captains defence 1t is pcrfectY
right according to tactics he says. -" 10 form
line TO front either by right or left oblique'
y" Bahl | never heard of such thing. ANY
old soldier will tell YOU that when the right Is
in front YOU must come up or the left. ana when
left is in front you come up on the night. here
I'll prove il by the colonel, he says: ana rest
having been ordered in the mean time. the old
major comes up to prove his point. and the crowd
follows. ,
nt.ip rno1o n biU mistake several or those
orders Ii was his fault that there was con-
fusion The company tried TO do right
NO ma jor, the captain 5 orders we're according
But learned my drill over TWENTY-FIVE years
ago. | was in the regular army before went
in the volunteers. and know it's wrong.
Mr. Y has time TO explain that he. too.
learned the drill twenty-five wears ago. and was
in the regular army. HE veteran shouts ms
views fer the benefit of his fellow citizens, and
then bursts Indignantly through the crowd and
ma kps his way ont of tie building. II is his
conviction. and doubtless That of the populace.
that the Inspector is an ignOlamus who knows
nothing whatever of the tactics. Indeed. the
reporter is all prepared 10 show him uD' in the
local paper, but, luckily for the reputation ot
that unfortunate officer the editor himself IS
looker-on. and it occurs to him 70 make some IN;
duirjes and 10 search the scriptures military
There Is no parade TO the music of Ilmmcrman's
band no speech making at Schlacscrs, no cheer
next station. leaving behind him community
impressed with the idea that lie has put Their
pet company IN q very WrOllE lEUt. anu hu"Nn
nothing whatever Of his business
Bnt next year the Rifles drill lust as well by the
left as by the right flank. The men have loGHd
out there are two ends TO The COMPANY aho tlaV
there is heap more 10 the tactics than was sup
posed. The Inspector is received without eIthus.-
asm. Of course. for the populice maintains tha'
lie has inst ruined the drill Of that COMPANY,
They used to come to every motion Of the load
exactly together They could tiA and unhN baNo-
nets just click click, click-likc that 1t was zen
times better than II is now and thcy VOID n S'"h'
olo,,. hot in a mi drill
abolition Of the old militia WAYS, Mr \.
vas undergoing the trials OF the rciorpIsr IS
well as one of those OF the staf-oficcr. Pretty
much every company had some esi"clal lrl,
which it had long cherished and was bound 70
protect al all hazards Most Of them had beau-
tair, or won at competitive drill-and tA'y
wanted 70 parade this hac at ins?fiitlon c1oa.
in the ruling that only on battalion formation
could colors he allowed, and then only one an
other company turned out III whte cra'a's lH'
bows tied outside the dress s-coat, ana swoIc u'S
had regular army authority for IT.. ON, yc
regulars How was it, what hapless Inspiration
possessed yc, that no less thon cIght olhcerS oi
gallant regiment should have had their cahinct-
sized photos taken-each man in full UNIFORM
with a white cTavat tied outside the coat Mr..
y. recognized The pictures. but refused 10 fec"S-
nize the authority. The officers "i ano1hcr com
pany appeared in mounted officers helmet CORDS
and said the bylaws Of the company authorized
it others wore buh 2anntlets on foot duty. \
open files in column Of tours aud then nj thr CON
nand Knapsack rest carry the rifle horizontally
at the back Of the neck. both hands holding y Do
that position. OF course there were a dozen ac-
curately and admirably drilled companies. bnt u
was uphill work 10 try and eradicate all these
and a thousand other milsh pccuIlarlilcs from
the others. The Adju'Hni-Gencf3 was hacNIn}
thc inspector Just as far rs lc could however. and
knew far better than did Mr. y. the difficulties
in the wav Whenever the latter had occasion
TO score an organization pretty heavily il
IL ci.11 huHfpued q
by German officers. would Immediately rush 70
Tie Governor and complain and even threaten
" The bows won't stand it, they snid. md II was
intimatcd pretty plainly that if the s'ah-olicer
was allowed 10 find fault with the "GcrmanaS
or the Bismarck Guards or thc frinI h'ri
Rifles the old Governor need look for no votes
from their districts if be came MP for reelection
and that astuir fcclcr OF the public pulse was not
Il little discompoSed
Once after an exhibition % almost total igno-
rance az the tactics on the part Of the captain and
1ertenarts Of one Of these commands, the inspector
was cautioned by civil official 10 he very
careful what he said about that company They
are AL but three Of theu-,;,-, ana ,hr onc'a
mower Mr. x said he could not see what that
had 10 do with The question of their efficiency
or ncn-eficicncy as state troops; ana thr Pcnt,"-
do with tho question il did have great deal.
Another officer found 10 he gricvously Ignorant
~ the tactics, excused himself; because his men
were workinrmcn and couldn't got around
Mr. y pon'rd ont That the hest instructed com
panv in the district if not in the state, was made
up entirely Of wor;inQmcn. and that in any event
that was no excuse fer the captains ignorance Of
his own duties: bat the reply was too much for
the irspector.
We'll you it's this way, colonel; I'm 90
worried all the time lest they should 90 wrong
that don't thinl; Of my own commands
Then what a time we had when getting rid Of
the tail-coat. What kick there was when
first il was announced that new companies must
adopt the uniform of the regular service and moth
ing else, and old companies would he required 10
provide themselves herewith as soon as their
rginal dress should bc ont. Yet. when
those neat, soldicrlY, derk-bluc tunics with the
white pipings and iacings appeared on guard and
parade i'll camp. the prejudice disappeared. Three
and four years the cry was that " they arc
irving 10 make us like regulars" Two years ago
they themselves were beginning 10 try 10 look
like regulars and could not fast enough learn 10
carry themselves as bettrd their new dress. And
finally. last year, in his report 10 the Secretary
of War. based on the observations Of n most ac-
conn plishcd regular sent to observe the work Of
each regiment in camp, the Adiutant-Gcncral Of