The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-29
MARKSMEA At #. KE0GH
Annual Competition Of the Depart
ments Of Columbia and
Dakota Next Month,
To Shoot for Medals Given by
the Government as Re-
wards.
About Eighty Experts VIII Engage in
the Competitive Firings at Fort
Keegh in August.

A Miles City visitor says that down at
Fort Ksoch arrangements are being made
for She annual department rifle competition
and the cavalry small arms competition fol
the departments of Columbia and Dakota,
which includes Montana, which will take
place there next month. Maj. Writ Davis,
Fifth cavalry, inspector OF small arms
practice for the department of Dakota, will
conduct the competition. Capt. Philip
Resde, Of the Third infantry, says that
Mai. Davis has tucked away In his office
safe in the army building. foot OF Robert
street, st. Paul. a gold medal rs first prize,
three silver medals AZ second prizes. and
ak bronze medals for the remaining men,
bers OF the department OF Dakota rlne team.
These medals are given by the war depart
u,ent, United States army. to the ten COM
~petitors who, after four days contest make
the highest aggregate scores. skirmish mr.
ING at undetermined distances, plus the
totals OF two days shooting at fixed targets.
Thu composition of the team OF ten men
and two alternates will be de-
terminsd by the aggregate OF
the scores for both classes of hr,ng,
The infantry competitors will shoot with
the Springfield service rifle and service am.
munition, exactly az manufactured by the
ordnance department.. U. s. A., ana the
contest o after three days OF prellm'
mary practice, will begin on Aug. 10. Inc
representatives OF the mounted arm OF the
service will be required to shoot for . IKE
period, except that the army carbine ana
original service cartridges will be used In
the firings. The carbine competition Will
be supplemented by a revolver match, cav
alrymen only participating. in which all the
competitors at the regular contess will par
ticipate, using the service Colts or Smith
q Wesson revolvers, with trigger pull not
less than three pounds and their service
ammunition. This latter match will
extend over two days. the firing the
first day being d~ismounted, and the second
day mounted. To the members OF the car
bine team, thus selected, the following
prizes will be awarded by the government.
First prize, a gold medal, suitably inscribed;
to the next three. suitably inscribed gold
medals, and to the remaining six winning
competitors each a silver medal. The final
order of merit for the revolver match will
be determined by the means of per cents:
obtained in the dismounted and mounted
firing, and when thus arranged-one gold.
Gnxe6 S1kveE 6uN alA OloALc 4Gdo Wal ~
awarded by the United States. Thus three
sets of prizes will be competed for az Fort
Keogh next month; these insignia may be
worn on all dress occasions, arc OF intrinsic
value, artistically designed, made at
the United States mint in
Philadelphia and possess peculiar value be-
cause awarded by the government and are
fortunate competitors, but may not be
parted with without the authority of the
commanding. general Of the army, except
battle medals and medals Of honor. The
only insignia of decoration bestowed by the
United States are those earned in connec-
tion with target practice. Despite the
handsome and valuable rewards that are
nov given in attestntion of Workmanship.
an old veteran of the rifle range says that
shooting isn't what 1t used to be when
only one medal was giyen.' The causes OF
this deterioration or. at least, lack of in
terest in what is popularity known as tar
get" may be given further on.
Probably about eighty expert Shots
skilled in the practical use of the service
rifle. carbine and revolver. will engage in
the competitive frings at Fort keogh, in
August. The exact number cannot now be
stated until it is dete mined how many Of
ticers, or nan OF the general service de-
tachments; or general staff OF the army, or
distinguished marksmen will engage in the
ItbDeCtiV6 COItCbb5s l. W. ChOA
regiment, or any part of a regimental Or
eanization, serving in the department of
Dakota, may be selected as competitors in
the rifle contest, provided such officer has
not been three times a member of q de-
p%artment team, or has not won any three of
the authorized medals. In the latter case
he il no longer eligible to enter any de-
partment competition, but belongs to the
class officially known as ~"distinguished
marksmen." The same restrictions apply
in the case of enlisted men, thus lnsurlng
parity of selection and equality OF condi-
tions.
For the department competition the COM
petltors are annually elected by the com
handing officer of each company, troop or
battery from the enlisted men of their
commands. one man. and one man only
from a In the determination Of
the most suitable soldier. regard is paid not
only to the excellence of shooting, but to
steadiness and good soldierly conduct and
habits. lhe name of the man thus chosen
by his company commander is reported to
the post commander. who sends the man
to. this year. Fort Keogh. 30 as to arrive
there on Aug. SHAT being the date fixed
by Gen. Merritt. The majority of the
competitors who will assemble there are per
sonally unknown to each other, but all will
have been instructed in precisely the same
system. mi one republican feature of this
CoIllbttitlol VIII to sAht, ukou bub Illlb
range-there is nc aristocraoy of rank-tte
lieutenant stands, as q competitor, upon
precisely the same footing al the private,
Some of our generals-Miles for instance
believes it unfair to the enlisted man to
allow officers to compete at the Same time
and place with their military interiors.
Gen. Sherman supported Gen. Glbbon in
the ~lattet's argument to the effect that no
danger to discipline Iurked in allowing
shoulder-Btraps and chevrons to. similarly
armed. fight the bloodless battle of the
targets together.
The mark at which the bowmen of Robin
Hoods day used to fire in their ordinary
practice was called a target. Young ladies,
who are fond of lawn parties and archery,
aim their barbless arrows at 4 target hay
ing circular divisions and a circular BULBS
eye of the same general pattern and dimen-
sions as used in the forests Of Merrie Eng
land when the yew-tree bow and cloth and
shaft of FIiar luck was at the beck and
call of the bold, chiyairic outlaw, reirn OF
Richard 1. of England.
For the past seven years the United States
combatant forces have been practlced in
shooting at targets having ELI, teal InsteaC
of circular divisions. and the obiectlye frs,
employed, or target "a" at fixed distanc,
firing, 20O and 300 yards, has a height one
TIL d in excess of its width. Aside from
the natural dispersement OF the tirearm Gu,
70 variations incidentt to the rifle, or its Rim
munitIon. or the personal equation of tn,
mnrksInnn, unnecessary here to discuss, j
IL obvious that the shape and size of the tar
g ahOnld bear some resemblance TO WIN
the soldier would have to shoot at in th,
time Of WEI: that IS. a man. BY reason 0
tins fret the | nlted states army EMPLOYS n
o. j~ectlNes for It's Skin mIshers black pa, G
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