Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-21
THE NATIONAL GUARD.
Matters of Interest to Members of the Dis
trict Militia.

Matters of Interest to Members of the Dis
trict Militia.
THE OFFICERS OF THE TWO CoLoRED BATTALIoNs
TO HAVE THE SELECTION OF THE NEW MAJOR
A MEETING CALLED FOR roDAY-PRoGRAM OF
THE FENcIBLEs-yorEs.
Unless appearances are deceptive the trouble
which has brought the seventh and eighth bat
talions into prominence will be of an end this
evening. To bring about satisfactory conclu-
sion Gen. Ordway has granted the officers of
the four interested companies privilege that
has not been given any of the officers of white
commands-the privilege of nominating
ma or for the new battalion which is to result
from the consolidation of the two-companied
battalions of colored troops. Tho militia law
OF the District provides that the President
shall appoint regimental and battalion COM
manders upon the nomination of the general
commanding; now the general will give the
company officers an opportunity to express
their preferences by ballot The following
order was issued from brigade headquarters
yesterday evening:
HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA MILITIA,
"WAsHlNGroS. d. c., March 20, 1891.
Especial Orders. No. "a.
Il. Companies and p of the seventh bat
tailon and companies A and y of the eighth
battalion are hereby consolidated into one bat
| TALON of infantry. This consolidation will take
effect and date from the time when the field
| and staff officers of the new battalion are
designated and the necessary further orders
given to govern the details required to effect
the consolidation. Until this consolidation is
thus completed the battaions will retain their
present designations ard will remain under the
command of their present battalion command
| ers respectively.
~. The commissioned officers of companies
and h of the seventh battalion and the COM
missioned officers Of companies A and Il of the
eighth battalion will assemble at these head
quarters on Saturday. the 2lst instant at 8
o'clock PM. for the purpose of nominating a
major for the consolidated battalion organized
by the preceding paragraph.
Nal Frank Aldrich, quartermaster general.
viii preside
THE FENCIBLEs PROGRAM.
Company c, second battalion (.he National
Fencibles), has laid out for itself most inter
estlng seasons program. On Tuesday even
the semi-annual plume drill will take place.
when members of the command will compete
for the individual drill championship. Sergt.
W. T. Crlst holds the honor at present and he
may continue to hold it, but lie will have to do
great deal of high-grade work to defeat some
OF those who will compete. The judges will be
Col. Burch of the Kansas National Guard. Capt.
Wilson, company G. sixth battalion. and Capt.
Walsh company "A. fourth battalion. OF course
the drill Will be attended by the usual crowd
and the fair sex will, usual. be more than n
majority of the assemblagc. When the drill is
cverth winner and all other members of the
company will have an hour or two of rational
and Misunderstanding amusement.
The next event in which the Fencibles are
deeply interested will culminate on Memorial
day. On that public holiday a number of
companies of the District National Guard
viii compete for drill supremacy, but tho Fen
cibles will not be Of these, for they will
run the contest and pocket the proceeds. The
new base ball park will probably be the scene
of conflict and the program promises an inter-
estlnS afternoon. There will be three company
prizes. prize for the best captain. another for
the best first sergeant. Zach company in the
District VIII be entitled to two representative
In the individual contest and the two best men
will be appropriately rewarded. The judges
Will be officers of the third United States
tlllery. The committee i'll charge of the aft
falr-which is be known as the District drill
contests composed of Geo. +. Bracket,
chairman; Lee Il. Mosher. secretary; L. J. 4.
Graft. treasurer; W. W. Mortimer J. l.. Betz,
W. Z. Crist, J. q. STEELE, l.. J. Barber and L. J.
L. . Neil.
On June % the Fencible8 will celebrate their
| fourth anniversary with parade and other
appropriate ceremonies, and when the birth
day is past the drill team will settle down to
the steadlest kind of work. The laurels won
last year at Kansas CITY have but whetted the
appetite of Capt. Domers experts. and this
season they expect to do very much better.
They will go to Minneapolis in September after
a 5000 prize and they are of opinion that
some OF that money with be brought back by
them. Mr.. ". VI. Bracket OF Minneapolis
(brother of Major Bracket of the second bat
tallion is III the city and he has been i'll consuta
ton with the Fencibles officers Mr.. Bracket
Is secretary and general manager of the Minnie
apOlls industrial exposition and he is anxious to
have the September drill the finest thing of the
kind ever seen in this country. There will be
no general invitations. it Is understood but
about a dozen of the finest companies in the
United States Will be asked to enter the compe-
| titlon. The test will be severe one. and the
winning team will have every reason to be
proud Of its victory.
WHO Is THE FIREBUG!
There seems to be pretty thoroughly preva-
lent idea in circulation around the Center
Market armory that the fire which threatened
the armory on Thursday night was of incen-
diary origin. No one who is opposed to this
theory has, as yet, succeeded i'll explaining the
| removal Of the big dry goods box from the foos
| of the steps to the door Of the room occupied
| by company 4. second battalion. nor has any
one explained the fire which was discovered in
! the same building but a week ago. The first
attempt was made i'll the rear of the rooms of
company {, second battalion, National Fenc-
| blesD few days since. 1t only by mere
chance that SIR. l.. }. Barber discovered this
blaze before the oll-saturated paper had AN OPP
portunity to communicate its IaIne To some
! equally inammable but more enduring mate
rial. But little said of the first confagra-
ton, because some hopes We're entertained OF
trapping the tirebug. There are all sorts Of
rumors as to the causes OF these yillainous
| crimes. rumors that may be extremely unjust
but they are the natural result of somewhat
strained military situation.
RIFLE TEAMS BEING ORGANIZER
The rifle teams of the first and second regi-
ments are being organized for the match which