The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-16
PRAISE FOR THE TROOPS.
CAPT. FIELDS REPORT UPON THE
CHICKAMAUGAE NCAMPMENT.

Best All-around Soldiers Capt. Field
Has Ever Known in the American
Militia-Ihe Cadets Highly Praised.
The Guards Drills the Best of
the Encampment - The Inspector
Touches Up the Battalion's Discip-
line.
Capt. Edwin Fields report as inspector
and instructor in Camp Chickamaga last
June to the inspector general of the
army has just been published. 1t is
an exhaustive report covering fifteen
pages of printed matter - the result
OF Capt. Fields inspections and operations
during the encampment.
After dealing with the encampment
generally, Capt. Field gives the result of his
inspection of the various commands. The
Savannah troops received the kindest con-
siderstion, and passing under his severe
criticism. what praise they received is GER
tainly merited.
1.-THE encampment groundCa Field says
IN many respects, it has facilities probably
not equaled elsewhere in the state. The OBJ
]ectons, he notes, are its geographical posi-
ton IN the extreme north, making the tri a
long and hard one for the companies from
most thickly settled, and the character of
the water.
THE SOLDIERS UNIFORMS.
Capt Fields reference to the uniforms of
the troops is both complimentary and IN
complimentary. He says: 1.-The uniforms
were or many patterns, ranging from the
neatest and most soldierly have seen to
| shapes entirely untitled for active service,
suggestive of ante-bellum target exercises
n mn fara and fnsr faN.r
uniform of the Savannah companies Of the
First regiment and Third battalion is excel
lent for warm clmate-blue flannel
shirts, cartridge belts, gray and drab
trousers and canvas leggins. They might
easily be taken for companies Of the army
starting for an Arizona campaign"
The commands differed so much in
knowledge of tactics, comprising. as Capt.
Field says, some crack prize drill COM
panies. among the best drilled in America,
and many that only know the rudiments,
that he took up each organization separately
in discussing battalion and company drills,
guard mounts. dress perades, reviews, and
instructions and discipline
THE FIRST REGIMENT.
OF the First Volunteer regiment. the in
spector says:
| THE First Volunteer regiment Of Geor-
gia, composed entirely Of Savannah COM
panies, most OF which have histories going
well back into the last century, has, in my
opinion, the best all-round soldiers l have
ever met with in my experience with the
American militia Their battalion drills
were generally excellent Lieut.. Col Peter
Reilly is good dlsciplinarian and tactician
and every inch q soldier. The adjutaat,
Lieut.. OByrne, with only one years expe-
rience, is a wonderfully prompt and fine
soldier, and has the making Of one of the
best adjutants in the service The chief
20 L., kafk o1s A-fn
distance in forming line by fours right or
left and companies from parallel columns Of
fours due to not preserving tbs distances
in column accurately and the failure of
tours to wheel on fixed pivots Guides
were well placed and well up in their
duties. Company drills were generally
good; the chief faults we're a tendency to
open out and lose distance in wheels by
tours, due to pivot men not hating and
turning exactly in their places.
THE CADETS.
1.-THE manual of the Jasper Greens, Capt.
Flannery, was very snappy and good,
although they had good many new men
in the ranks, and the manual of the Savan-
nah Cadets, Capt. j. r. Brooks, very smooth
and uniform.
.'This latter is the only company in the
state that has paid any attention to skirm-
ish drill. and Capt. Brooks gave not only
the finest skirmish drill | ever saw, but far
beyond what l imagined atteinable. Inter-
vals were absolutely perfect, alignments as
faultiess as is consistent with individuality,
a light, springy step. wonderful alertness in
kneellng, lying, rising. advancing, firing.
In firing when moving by a flank the num-
bers never pass one another, but drop and
advance alternately with the precision of
machine, while the odd and even numbers
comply exactly with the theory rarely ever
put in practice of alternately opening fire.
| R0Cr n all sir i'd
of headwork. When rallied by company
the instant the imaginary charge had been
repulsed the TANKS opened out to give the
largest front OF fire on q retiring foe | told
Capt. Brooks VIC would come some day and
learn the rudiments of accurate skirmish-
ing.
Guard mounts were excellent; OCCASION
ally flaw such as not touching to the
pivot in wheeling and the failure OF guides
OF pivot flank TO halt in wheeling platoons
into lire: often perfect. The dress parades
were generally good, the men about as
steady during the beat-off as regulars,
about the hardest thing for militia to attalu.n
THE INSPECTION OF COMPANIES.
The inspection of companies as as fol-
lows:
Jdsper Greens, Company B.-Capt. Flannery,
officers and SO men. Guns and belts: Very
fair condition; nearly all servceabe one or
two had too much rust in cha mbers; might cause
|
viceabls and clean though much worn KNAPP
sacks: Box pattern. Haversacks: U. S. Army.
Uniform: Neat; well cared for; admirable for
service. Physigue: Very fine. Solderly bear
ing: Good; very fairly set up. Manual during
inspection: Fair. Tents, mess houses, kitch-
ems: Perfectly neat.
FIrst-class company.
SdUGnndh Cadets, Company Ca pit
Brooks, 3 officers, and &c men. Guns: Good; all
serviceable; generally clean. Belts and boxes:
| Neat and serviceable. Kuapsacks and hRver-
sacks: AS above. Uniforms: Beautifully neat
and cared for. Physique First class. SOL
dierl7 bearing: Well set up. Manual: Good.
| Tents mess-h Ouse aud kitchen: Perfectly neat.
One of the best companies III the American
| militia.
OglethorDe Light Itfdnt7y, Company D.-Cap-
| taia absent; Lieut.. McHarrie commanding, and
| ~ men present. Guns, etc Toerablecondition;
| too much rust 10 some chambers. Belts and
| boxes Worn and shabby. but serviceabe.
| Knapsacks, haversacks: AS above. Uniform:
| Neat, well cared for; excellent for service
| Physique: Good Soldierly bearing: Very
good. Manual: Poor. Tents, kitchen and mess
| house: Very neat
Good company.
German Volunteers, Company Capt. Kol-
| shorn. officer. l6 men present Guns: Not clean;
rust enough in chambers TO interfere with
service. Belts and boxes: Worn and shabby.
but serviceabe Knapsacks and haversacks:
| AS above. Uniform: Neat; well cared for; ex-
cellent for service. Physique: Good. Soldierly
| bearing: Very good. Manual: Fair. Tents,
kitchen and mess-house: Perfectly neat.
Has made more progress in past year than