The morning call., 1891-08-10
NATIONAL GUARD.
Curious BIunderS Charg to
The Powers That Be.
Returns Of the Muster-Last of the Summer
Encampments-Women in Camp again.
Second Artillery Armory.

The marvelously loose way in which
things are sometimes done in the National
Guard, and generally by superior headauar-
tiers, would seem TO give grounds Sor the be-
lief entertained by many tina: there is good
deal of the farcical connected with this
very important and necessary branch of the
State Government. A recent contest for
salared position in connection with CalifoT-
nia's exhibit at the Worlds Fair recalls,
and in the light of subsequent events en-
phasiZeS, one of these very loose transac-
tionS which occurred during the StOneman
Cosby administration. Not all in the Ma
tiona Guard Will have forgotten that in
1885 the armed force was increased from
forty to fifty companies and that one OF the
ten new companies went to Fresno. The
company was known for time and borne
on the records of the Adjutant-GeneraPs
Office as the Forsyth Guard" organized
on June 10 1885. On July 22d it became
Company of the Sixth Infantry Battalion,
now the regiment of SIX companies COM
manded by Colonel Eugene Lehe OF Stock
ton.
William Forsyth of F:esno. after whom
the company was named OF course, was then
sporting the military title of Lieutenant
Colonel, with rank from FEBRUARY I, 1858, as
the CommiSSary on the staff of the then
Division Commander. True, it did not mat
ter much that company Of the State guards
was named after = foreigner, but it does
seem that a military commission with the
high rank Of Lieutenant Colonel might have
been conferred upon some one not an alien,
who, rs recent events proved, did not care
to become citizen until almost nine years
after. And this is his claim 10 the title of
" Colonel"
APRIL FOOLS DAY SOLDIERS.
Talking about commissions there is a lot
OF April fools day soldiers galavantng
about and sporting titles and uniforms
without right or title as Lieutenant-COl-
Onels, even to this day on the beach at Santa
Cruz. A bill was passed by the Legislature
goodness knows why-creatng eight adj
dltiOnal AideS-de-CampS 70 the Governor
each with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
The bill appointed no time when the act
should 90 into effect, but Section 1913 of the
Political Code mended that slovenly omis-
sion in providing that in such case the act
shall take effect sixty days after passage
The act was passed on the 10th. and a p
proved on the oath of March, so that it did
not go into effect until some time in the
middle Of the month of May. But, 10 and
behold, the wisdom and looseness Of the
Acknowledgements office. q. o. No. IA
came out one fine day and made announce
ment Of the appointment OF four of these
eight additionals to hold rank from April
l, 1891. Now, of course, the commissions
OF these would-be addtionals are not worth
the paper they are written upon, the alleged
Lieutenapt-ColOnels are as much Lieuten-
ant-ColOnels rs the next best man in Tim
bucto0, and they are as much officers in the
National Guard as any one in Timbuctoo.
This same act, by the way, changed the
time of muster and inspection from the
month of July to the month of March, but
without waiting for the act to go into opera
ton during the month of May, the inspec-
ton was held in April. The law not hav-
ing been In force, the muster should have
been held this year 10 July as heretofore,
leaving the first March inspection for 1892.
But how badly ratified theAdjutsn, Generals
office IS on the subject may be gathered
from General Orders 10 of July Is, 1891, an
nouncing the percentage Of attendance and
figure of merit at the annual inspection in
March, 1891" when in truth no muster and
inspection was held during that month.
UNDER CoURT-MARTIAL BAN.
General Orders 9, dated May 8, 1891, pub
lShed for the information of the National
Guard, that upon application pardon had
been granted to certain private of Com
pany Ii, First Infantry, who had been dis
hnnorabiy discharged in h. O. 10 of June
80, 1877, from absence for more than three
consecutive assem- blies, which is a court
martial Odense, Thereby hangs tale of
lnoSeneSs chargeabie as well to Second
Brigade TO general headquarters of pre-
vious administrations.
Section 1892 of the Political Code says that
mo dlshouorablv DISCHARGED pri-
vate must be permitted to again
enter any company of the National Guard,
except the offense is pardoned by the Com
nIander-in- Chief" Now it is said that
brigade and general headquarters, which
directly and indirectly sanctioned the court
martial discharge, ignOTantiy and loosely
permitted this same man afterward to re-en-
list in the Second Brgade's cavalry troop,
and while so serving with the unpardoned
ofense hanging over him he rose to the
rank of Sergeant.
He has received his exemption certificate
since, and now enjoys ali the privileges of
membership in the Veterans Association
and yet not until 1891, after he has done all
military duty which the State can enact
from him, were he not under a ban, comes
the removal Of advisablity incurred in 1877.
In fact, all recollection OF the case had been
forgotten until attention was called to it by
the publication of 5. O., No. 8.
RETURNS OF THE MUSTER.
General orders have been received an
nouncng the percentage of attendance and
the figure of merit OF each organization of
the National Guard of this State at the
annual inspection held during the month of
April. The consolidated report makes the
following showing:
Present Absent Per-eutaye