Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-05
THE STATE TROOPS.
Adjutant General Hastings Com
pIetes His Report on
Their Condition,
SHOWING GOOD PROGRESS
Has Been Made Toward Improvement
in Various Directions.
NEW EQUIPMENT MUCH DESIRED
And a Magazine at the State Arsenal
Strongly Recommended.
SHOWING GOOD PROGRESS
NEW EQUIPMENT MUCH DESIRED
MANNING BOARDS WORK COMMENDED


Hastings, In MS last epOrL OF luS -hlllt"ln
Department of the State to the Governor,
just com pleted, says the spring inspections
evidenced 4 marked Improvement in the
several company organizations, and that the
division never appeared to better advantage
than it did at the annual inspection at Mt.
Gretna last summer. An unusual and
noticeable ease was shown in all the minor
details; the State property was in good con-
dltlon, and a general desire was apparent
among officers and men to excel. Alter
stating mat the rainy weather toward the
close of the encampment at Mt. Gretna pre-
vented the inspecting of maneuvers in
number of regiments, and made it impossible
TO give the regiments their relative ratings,
the Adjutant General says:
The growing interest displayed in every de
partment and in every organization; the evil
dent disposition to learn and excel; the general
care and psinsiaking and the commendable am
bition shown on all Sides leads me to the con-
clusion that the time has now come when the
summer eucampments of the guard should be
prolonged TO ten days two weeks when in
division encampmeut Any careful observer
must be convinced that the advancement shown
IN a single week i'll a division camp calls for a
longer period OF duty If the first week of di-
vision cucampment could be devoted to general
duties required and the second week to a care
Iul inspection, am satisfied that it would
yield better results than anything else that
could be done for its Improvement.
Cost of Mt. Gretna Encampment.
Adjutant General Hastings says the joint
encampmeut OF National Guardsmen and
Regulars was most beneficial to the division.
The cost Of the encampment is given as fol-
lows: Pay o. troops Give days and re-enlist-
meat pav). S79.349 64; horse hire, S. 1874;
subsistence, SO, ,599 10; transportation, about
$4,000; Quartermaster's Department, So
$50 %; total, Sl25,O70 0l. Continuing, Gen
eral Hastings SAYS:
This encampment was the least expensive of
any division encampment ever held by the
National Guard. The total cost of tue division
euc2mpment at Mt. Grema in 1857, when eight
Gavs' pay WIS gwen to officers and men,
SEi,OI9 50, and the cost OF the division encamp-
nent at Gettysburg in 1854. when officers and
men received five days pay, was sl5O.96S 50.
During my term of office (about clOsng) the
division had been equipped with the new
Springfield breech- loading rifle muske5s, 1880
IL all. costinl, Sl03. 80 The division Is now
armed the same as the United States Army.
The additional canvas purchased amounted TO
Sll,222 81 The State rifle range erected at
Mt. Gretna. and which has been useful
and productive of good results in rife practice,
was another extra expense of about $4,000.
The uHiforming of the Fourteenth Regiment,
after its tour of service at Johnstown, tosetRer
with other incidental expenses connected
herewith, amounted to about 81, 200.
Outlay for Rifle Matches.
Another unusual item and expense is the en-
campment of teams at the State range at
Nit 1iretna each fall for target practice and
The shooting of brigade and regimental rife
matches which, with the additional ammuni-
tion used bv division target practice. amounts
now annually to about $1,000 This Is in addi-
tIon to the sum of $50 appropriated TO each
company annually for rifle practice. These
extraordinary expenses. amounting in the ag-
Eregate to more than Sl33 81 81, have called for
lunusual economy IN every department, and it
lis source OF qualification to know that the
Expenses of the department have not exceeded
the annual appropriations during the last four
years.
Governor the entire division has been assem-
Oed SIX different times, which has never be-
fore occurred in the history of any Governor
of the State. The experience derived from
concentrating the division at the several points
(IarrisburE. Philadelphia, Z Mt Gretna, Wash
inctun New York. has been of great benefit to
the guard and aided largely in giving it lis
present national reputation. The movement of
the troops WAS uniformly prompt and exact,
and no serious accidents occurred. 1t is proner
80 add that with our present appropriations, 1t
would have been impossible to have assembled
the division, had it MT been for the generosity
displayed by the several railroad companies oil
the State.
New Equipment Badly Needed.
There should be au entire new equipment for
the guard. The great coats, blanket bags,
haversacEs canteens, meat ration cans, tin
CullSs hNlNtSt loIhS anu Sl'OOuS, hdlSb bellS ana
plates. cartridge boxes and bayonet scabbards
now In use have been used by the guard for
more than ten years, and are worn and un-
slightly and in many instances almost useless.
Most Of he overcOats cartridge boxes, haver-
sacks and blanket bags are not of the
pattern now used by the Regular
ARM Army The he present present HIIr5 equipment was
extra appropriation made by the Legislature in
lS7s. and, considering the limited appropriation
fur the annual expenses of the guard, the
s1arfr in ha orAna lad IN fnrr
lief in this direction.
Under the provisions of the act of 1857, the
term OF enlistment reduced from five to
three years. and as premium Tor re-enllst-
nenT each soldier received an additional COM
pensafiun OF . cents per day for every succeed
lnE term Of enlistment. While this provision
OF the law has had the effect of reducing the
number OF rc-eulistments. it has increased the
muster and pay roll considerably as will be
seen by the former reports from this depart
ment. ana should any considerable percentage
of the rank and file remain in service for three
crease the pay roll to such an extent as to re-
quire an additional appropriation.
Allowance for Armory Rent.
In answer to the question often raised why
military company located in town con-
tanning more than 200 population should
receive 500 for armory rent while COM
pany located in town of less population
should receive but 500 for the same pur-
pose, the Adiutant General says it would
be well to change the law, so as to provide
that the arm0ry rent and The annual allow
ance to each company should not exceed a
fixed sum. This would then throw the re-
sponsibility of fixing the amount upon the
State Military Board, which now has no
discretion as to the interests of any given
company. The General continues:
In my former report, called your attention
TO certain sections of the State as having no
representation IN the guard, and under the
present organization and appropriation it is
impossible 10 correct this apparent Injustice
OF course, the remedy would come with an in
creased appropriation and an increase of the
numerical strength of the division This sub
iect is well worthy of consideration
The amendments of the act of 1851 making
assistant surgeons and Quariermasters for COM
NAMES of cavalry and artillery, have not in
creased the efficiency of the companies indi-
Gated. but have added to the cost of maintain
inc rben No reflection is intended upon the
I,osit1ou to increase the number has a tendency
10 make the organ zation :op-heayy.
A state Magazine Recommended.
Iwlll call your attention to the necessity of
building a magazine at the State Arsenal, and
would suggest that steps be taken TO have the
ammunition used by the guard manufactured
ann reloaded For some time it has been re-
ouired that the troops return the empty shells
10 the arsenal, and there are at present 100000
in store there that could be reloaded and re-
issued at large saving of expense if facilities
were provided therefor
l also acain call your attention to the incom-
ple;eness of the records of the troops that
served during the War of the Rebellion on
file in this office, and to the fact that they can
now be completed from those in the War De-