Los Angeles herald., 1891-09-20

Is. Respectfully yours,
G. G. ALLEN, Adjutant- Geneal.
l.. S. BUTLER,
Lieut. Col. and A. A. g., First Brigade,
N. G. G.
Colonel Cutters report on the en-
campment is regarded by the guards
men in this city as a rank injustice to
them, as well as to everyone belonging
to the First brigade. In the opinion of
men who have been in the service in
this and other states, the inspector does
the entire command a rank injustice,
and his severe arraignment, particularly
of the Seventh regiment, is said to be
entirely uncalled for, and in many re-
spects directly at variance with the
facts.
His report contrasts very unfavorably
with that made by Captain O'Connell,
the regular army officer detailed to in
spect the various encampments through
out the state. Captain O'Connell has
seen long service, and, as will be seen
by his report to the war department, an
extract from which is given below, he
found some good things to say about the
First brigade after being with the COM
mand during the entire encampment,
while Colonel Cutler spent but few
hours and made only one inspection,
and hurried one at that.
The officers in this city are considera-
bly, cut up over the report, but military
etiquette and discipline compels them
to remain silent
A general staff officer. in conversation
with HERALD reporter, spoke as fol-
lows:
| believe the report of Lieutenant
Colonel A. D. Cutler, division inspector
of his inspection of the camp OF instruc-
ton of the First Brigade, at Camp John
son, Santa Monica; also of the Seventh
and Ninth regiments and brigade signal
corps, as transmitted from the office of
the Acknowledgement under date of Sep
tember IL, 1891, has aroused more in
dignation and adverse criticism among
national guardsmen in this end of the
state than any similar document which
| have seen for a good many years past.
1t is barely possible that in the short
period of time that Colonel Cutler was
at Santa Monica he gathered better
impression of the camp and the regi-
ments stationed there than others who
were there practically the whole time
that the brigade encampment existed.
But must say, for myself, that do
not believe that the facts are in keeping
with the report of the inspecting officer
Until | read his report, was under the
impression that the sanitary arrange
ment of the camp was of the very best,
and | seriously question his statement
that serious medical trouble would ulti-
mately have resulted had not the camp
beeen placed upon an open bluff. And
unless my memory is detective, Colonel
Lane, the medical director on the staff
of the division commander. informed
me that the sanitary arrangements,
drains and kitchen matters, would COM
pare favorably with any camp which he
had inspected.
One thing, you may be sure, and that
is that the report of the inspector is
in direct variance with opinions fairly
and promulgated by regular
army officers who were in and out of
camp during the ten days we were there.
Some of his criticisms, to me, seem
purile, as for instance, "that one regi-
ment was at right angles to the color
line," which he terms "an innovation
that was unexplained and seemingly un-
necessary"
Unless l am seriously mistaken, the
tactics call for the formation of the
guard on the parade or garrison ground,
and fail to find any authority for their
being formed on the color line.
The fact that Captain O'Connell. the
detailed United States army inspector,
the formation of the guard be-
tween the regiments nea- the headquar-
ters, away from the color line, would
seem to indicate that there is no iron
clad rule in this matter, unless perhaps
he, (O'Connell) may not be considered
good authority on such subject.
Another thing.
| noticed that the inspector desired
field and line officers to execute the
inspection swords" which
was to me rather novelty; and | be-
lieve that the colonel commanding was
correct in declining to allow his officers
to execute such an unusual command.
Non-commissioned officers who wear
swords execute inspection swords"
but not commissioned officers.
There were several other matters, to
which it is unnecessary to refer now, in
which the division inspector seemed
ratified in his knowledge of the tactics,
and l am inclined to believe that the
differences which sprang up between
himself and the colonel commanding
one of the regiments caused him more
or less OF color blindness when he made
this report to the inspector general.
For my part, having more or less eX-
perience as a member of the national
guard in this and other states, believe
that the camp of instruction at Santa
Monica, considering the very unfavora-
BILE auspices under which the national
guard at this end of the state labors,
would compare favorably with any
camp, and that the officers and men can
not be too highly commended for their
manifest desire to make this camp one
of instruction and not to consider it
picnic, holiday or place to be de-
voted to beer and skittles.
Captain O'Connell's impressions are
conveyed in the following section of his
report on the state encampments, in
which he gives the First brigade as high
a rating as any other command in the
state:
"The First brigade, consisting of the
Seventh and Ninth regiments, number
ing nearly 800 men, went into camp on
the 18th of August. The personnel of
the Ninth regiment is above par in mill
itary appearance, education and social
standing. An intense military spirit
actuates this fine regiment. The en-
campment was largely devoted to re-
views and parades, which were highly
satisfactory in execution and far sur