Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-23
THE NATIONAL GUARD.
How the Different Rife Teams wan Bs Be-
leceed This Year.

How the Different Rife Teams wan Bs Dc
lscesd This Year.
GEN. oRDwAY's cnculAa A no paAcr1cr An,
nAnxxSo-oApKns TO TIE BATTALION IN
sPxcToRs-xyeHTH PER CENT RECORD TO n
hxounzD-wHAr TIE INSPECTION RIVALS.
THERE WILL BE TWO SCHEDULES Fol
- this seasons rifle practice Of the Distric
National Guard, one schedule for the record o
the brigade, when each battalion will have q
least half day on the range in each of tn
months OF July and August; the other schedul
Tor the training Of specific material to b usst
~ brigade team. Last year the selection of
team was . matter Of considerable difficult,
because SO many Of the contestants for place
were untried men. This condition demanded
degree Of lsxity in regulation and elasticit,
In the practice program not to be found in tn,
arrangements made for this summers work
Maj. Pollard, inspector general Of rife practice
and Capts. W. L. Cash and James E. Bell, tn,
resimental inspectors, have been quite bus,
OF late seeking out an equitable basis upor
which to build the team. Their ideas hsv,
been formulated and submitted to Gen. Ord
way, who has issued the following circular.
| GEN. oRpwAY's CIRCULAR.
10 enable the selection of q briRade rife
team for the present season two preliminary
teams will be formed for special instruction
and practice under the command of the in.
| spectors OF rifle practice Of the first and second
regiment respectively.
selections for this practice will be based on
the following considerations:
rifemen.
''Second-Fact of being able to attend range
practice at least one-half day in each week
during the season and night gallery practice as
often as may be required.
Enthusiastically qualities Of prompt and
strict obedience to orders and instruction.
The inspector of rifle practice of the hrst
regiment will select not exceeding thirty men
and officers from the first regiment and the
engineer corps
THE inspector of rife practice Of the SEQ
ond regiment will select not exceeding thirty
men and officers from the second regiment, the
hrst separate battalion, the light battery and
the first separate company.
"Ths men selected for this practice will be
considered as on detached duty from their
fteespeetvs ORGANIZATIONS during the time that
they are retained on the teams, and will report
to and obey the orders Of the commanding
oficers OF the teams Battalion inspectors Of
rlte practice will report to their respective
reglmental inspectors Of rife practice for
teams.
Each team will practice once each week on
the range and once each week in the gallery
on such days and at such hours as NAV be
ordered by their respective commanding Off
GERS.
I'm each practice on the range each man will
De allowed to fire twenty rounds. As rule
hve rounds should be fired at each distance,
but In individual cases this may be varied to
suit the necessities Of instruction.
GALLERY PRACTICE
Gallery practice will be conducted under
exact range conditions. In this practice spe-
cial attention will be given to instruction in DO
sition, steadiness Of holding, and plumbing or
levehng, the rifle. The results OF range
practice depend largely on the care with which
instruction Is given and practice conducted in
the gallery. Scores made in the gallery will
constitute part of the target record.
The commanding officers of the practice
teams will from time to time drop from theif
respective teams. men that do not develop
promising ability d sharpshocters, who fail in
regular attendance or are inattentive to orders
and instruction. They may also at any time
Ieneve any man from duty on their teams in
their own discretion and without assigning any
| reasons therefor. If found desirable they NAV
select men to fill vacancies.
las the teams will be composed Of commits
stoned officers and enlisted men II must be uu-
derstood by commissioned officers that the
GERS and must be obeyed without regard to
rank.
From these practice teams il il proposed
to finally select q brigade team Of twelve prin-
cipals and six alternates to represent the bri-
gade in any competition that may be entered
into during the season. The members of the
brigade team will not necessarily be under any
personal expense, provision having been made
for transportation and for subsistence while
absent from the city, and those in government
employ will be entitled to leave of absence"
ORDERS TO BATTALION INSPECTOR. -
The foregoing circular has resulted in the is.
| suance Of orders to the battalion inspectors OF
| rifle practice which will result in the formation
| Of the teams. A gallery record of not lest
than 80 per cent is to be required Of the six OF
| eight men who will be selected from each bat
TALON, but the gallery record alone will no,
govern selection. Some men put up phenom.
email gallery scores, but drop considerably When
they get on the range, while others, who are
less successful at the indoor practice do admir-.
ably In the open air. Each battalion inspector
knows OF such cases and his information and
experience can now be used to the advantage
of the brigade and with credit to himself and
his selections.
WHAT THE INSPECTION REVEALS.
When the fifth battalion comes out Of the
mill next Friday evening the annual inspection
will be complete and q general sigh Of RELIEF
will 60 down the entire brigade line. The an.
nual inspection is an ordeal that is pretty gen
orally dreaded, a condition of affairs due prob
ably to the fact that the inspector generals re.
| port for 1890 was published in full in The STAR
| Some Of the criticisms had in them the
elements OF tartness, but every one had
the greatest respect for Maj. Gales ability and
fairness, SO no one had cause to grumble. The
effects of that report have been plainly visible
| this month. Some of the commands that ca D
| tured the bulk OF last years censure braced UT
wonderfully and it is not at all improbable
that one OF the worst sinners in 1880 will show
up dangerously near the head in 1891. Honest
comment does no one any material injury
Nothing specific can be had yet as to the rela-
tive merits Of the various organizations, but
| it is definitely known that the inspection now
| almost concluded revealed a far higher
state OF efficiency than existed in the past.
NOTES.
Scores are being rapidly completed in the
gallery, and as rifle practice on the range viii
not commence until July there will be fur
| Their opportunity for closing up the gallery
records during the month Of June. Some o.
| the company commanders have been indus
| trious in their efforts to have their records
complete, but others have been inexcusably
| slack In drumming up the idlers.
| The District National Guard loses a good
friend through the departure Of Col. Carpenter
who has been in command at Fort Myer evel
since the cavalry post was established there
Col. Carpenters lecture to the officers of thu
guard on grand guard. outpost and reconnsis
ssnce duties was Of much value.
| A al VT hat