The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-14
NATIONAL GUARD.
Tactical Companies Under the
New Regulations.
The Next Parade Will Tale Unfold-Banouet
to the Governor-The Seconds Adjutant.
Naval Battalion Election.


seven men and a Corporal; two or three
SQUADS form section, each platoon is
aiVided into two sections and the company
lnto Two platoons. Apply these conditions
10 the companies Of the guard of this State,
skeletons as they are, and the results are
surprising ana anything but hattering.
Inc single platoon of two sections, with
TWO squads to the section, requires there
FORE 81 men, guides and an officer; total,
80 Inc minimum tactical company of two
piatoons, two sections to the platoon and
two squads to the section, will demand GA
men, guides, First Sergeant and Off
GERS; total, Y rank and file. With three
squads to section the platoon will number
81 rank and file, and the maximum company
OIL Two such platoons 104. The minimum
platoon will cover front of AZ feet; the
maximum of Co.'s.
There are three officers to a company,
ana TO give each minimum platoon would
require 96 men, added to which the guides,
the INST Sergeant and the three officers
aud there's the number of your maximum
company OF two platoons, with three squads
To section, or twenty-four files front,
double rank. Three platoons of "a files
front would demand 134 men and a rank
and ii e Of 143, which is SO in excess de-
VI tuo lHdAllluul Oh lU9,
but the company is divided into two and not
three platUonS.
FEW INDEED FILL THE BILL.
a minimum company of two platoons,
minimum sections, requiring absolutely GA
privates, guides and 2 officers (total 70),
now many companies In the State OF Cali
fornla can make a tactical parade? OF
twenty infantry companies in the city
three. OF which one is very doubtful; in the
Second Brigade, OF twenty-six infantry
companies, three. of which one is very
doubtful; in the division of fifty-seven in
fantry companies four, of which one is very
doubtful, and this on an enrolled mem Der
snip as shown by the returns for Septem-
Der. which are the latest which the Adju-
tant-Geueral has published.
In 1act, no company has paraded with its
full membership save, perhaps, for muster
and inspection. On street parades the COM
pany commanders have been particularly
exhllarated, and, like Monte Christie, have
exclaimed. "Phe world is mine," when they
have paraded TWO platoonS of sixteen files
front, single rank, humble ring, with guides,
thirty-four To parade with more than
tfty-four was extraordinary, yet it has been
done, but only by two certain companies.
Taking seventy as the minimum for tao
teal parade and the military reader can
pick out the companies which can make
practical application OF the new drill regu-
latiOns, remem boring that none eau make
the maximum showing because the number
l04 does not Include drummers or markers,
and under the regulations there are only
five Sergeants
First Infantry, enrolled memberships,
81; b, 62; &, 1O2; ID, 81; +. 50; q, 90, and IL,
56. and q, may be perceived, have
men to spare if all would report for parade.
Second Artliery-C, Is; ID. So; Z, 81; +,
90; e., 90; Ii. 81.
Third lnfantry-A, 56; B, 81; c, 60; d,
So; E, 20; +, O.; &, 90. is the doubtful.
The only other company in the division
Is OF the First Artillery, with reported
membership of seyenty-two.
UNMAsKING THE WEAK.
From the above it is apparent that the
first parade in public under the new drill
regulations Will bring about one result very
much to be desired. Captains who com-
mand companies OF men, and not simply
company roll, will have the satisfaction of
having their tactical com panies represented
while those who have very fine roll, but
never drill more than sixteen TO twenty
four men, and, on extraordinary occasions,
may parade thrty-twu, the minimum al
lowed by Law, yet are ranked as companies,
hold their places in line and draw the same
allowances as the company of line men,
will be unmasked by the comparison.
The National Guardsman oil Washington,
ID. c., has published its warning on this
subject, and the " ords seem TO tit the case
so well that one would think the parades of
the Second Brigade, \. u. c., lad suggested
them. 1t says:
Among the probable immediate results OF the
Introduction OF ihe new drill regulations, none Is
more conspicuous than the Necessity for reduc-
lug The number and ncre asing The effective
strength of AIRY companies. III many of tie
States the practice has grown up dm ing the past
ten years OF drilling aud paradlng in slugle rank,
thus enabling small companies 10 make a re-
spectacle showing, aud developing Il tendency
10 increase The number OF cOmpan es and higher
organization Without any apprecidDle addition
10 lie aggregate strength. The new drill regu-
iatiOns direct that The nabtliai formation snail
double tlIHr Iau
and lively reci uiting all along the line, or what
Is more probable consolidation ana con.
seQuenl reducing OF The humber OF Companies.
10 many military men this contamination Is not
likely to be regarded with any considerable re-
sret.
The spectacle OF regiment on parade the
average strength OF whose companies 10 not
exceed sixteen To tweDty-four men, Is too
often the case OF recent years, Is by 10 means an
agreeable one 10 The purely military eye. To use
an lueltgant but familiar expression, II has re-
suited III making OUT regiments 10y A
tbi ee- Ddttalion regiment pdrading hity officers
ana Two hundi ed men lacks the harmonious pro-
portl0ns that Ale The foundation Of military or
gahlZatlon Now hat The slnge-Iank formation
Is absolutely prohibited, aud as no self espect-
ing Company Commander Is likely 10 report HIM
self ON parade with a front vi eight 10 twelve
nles, there Is strong probability that the future
Will see larger companies or less OF them. Does
this mean consolidation or an Increased activity
III ihe National Guard The attention OF the
mil!t AIRY observer las been for The past year at
lracted 10 an apparent apathy In The ranks OF tie
militia, mat seems to be confined 10 no particu-
with view OF discovering remedy.
MURRAY AND THE TACTICS"
Some one must have been guvng Colonel
Murray, A. A. IL. in teegraphiDg down
from Sacramento his views oil the new "tac-
tics. Colonel Bob is made to say that 1.-THE
soldier by the new tactics must obey every
order given him. by his superior officer"
He is also given credit for the astounding
discovery that 1T is allowable TO come to a
right shoulder" from Il carry: and
finally the Colonel has laid down the law
that times have changed, AM now if
laundering officer gives the wrong command
his stupidity recoils upon his own head.
where It properly belongs" But, levity
aside, the more you see of the new drill
regulations the more you like them.
Leave OF absence for sixty days, begin.
ming with Saturday. has been granted
Lieutenant Colonel w. d. Sanborn, A. D.
T., and for twenty days to F. s. Chad
bourne, same rank and billet, the last
named with permission TO leave the State.
Again things in the National Guard of Cali
fornia have come to u dead halt, when they
were moving so nicely
Inc Signal Corps has a membership of
AZ. being short one enlisted man and one COM
missioned officer to make up the maximum
allowed it.
The resignation of Lieutenant B. Y Nor
ris OF A OF the Fifth Infantry has been ac-
cepted and he is now out OF the service.
THEY ARE sHooTIsTs.
Adlutant-General Allen urged at the of
hcers' annual convention more work with
the rifle at the ranges The Albany On. "
Argus compliments its Stlte guard particu-
larry upon its target practice. and says:
Relatively only few years ago it was pos
slble for man to serve his fun term in the
National Guard of this State without ever
having loaded gun in his hands. The
present rigid rules for target practice are
making fine body of marksmen out of the
militia. This year the number of sharp
shooters has increased to 346. against 254
last year, and 3400 men have won bars at
the ranges. The qualified marksmen num-
military force.
Daniel M. Burns, who was commissioned
by Governor Markham as Colonel and In
spector-General Of Rifle Practice, has re-
signed, having done nothing while in office.
lie wore the uniform once at the inaugural