Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-09
DISTRICT NATIONAL GUARD.

Franklin Hall, Columbia Hall. &c.
DISTRICT NATIONAL GUARD.
Interesting Talk of Mai. Pollard. Inspector OF
| Rife Practice.
GEN. oRDwAy on THE NEW CYCLE MILITIA COM
| PANY-APPoINTMENTs AND PROMOTIONS THAI
HAVE BEEN MADE AND THE CANDIDATES FOR
| ADvANCEMENr--soMEG GENERAL NOTES.
THE voluntary feature of the rife practice
for the ensuing year," says Major J. NJ. Pollard,
inspector-general of rifle practice, seems to
be happy solution of the vexed question of
getting the large majority of National Guards
men qualified as marksmen. The plan is to
keep the gallery open from to p. m. daily,
ali members of the guard being entitled to
! practice during those hours and to have their
scores recorded and certified to company COM
manders Ammunition is supplied at / cent
| per round. and beginners are taught the prin-
clples OF aiming and sighting, instructed in
| position, and incidentally are expected to abb
sorb more or less valuable knowledge on the
care and management of their rifles. They
| will ascertain that dirty and rusty weapon is
tremendous handicap in the contest for su-
| premacy, and that small investment in vase
line and w!ping cloth will relay many fold in 4
harvest of bnll's-eyes This is lesson badly
| needed by some company officers.
u he scheme will doubtless be advocated by
the inspectors as applicable to range practice
during the next season. 1t is believed that
| many rifiemen will thus be enabled to COM
| piete their range records when they could not
| 40 so by attending only with their companies
! and that the greater freedom and opportunl-
| ties Tor instruction will enable them to make
more satisfactory records. One afternoon in
each week devoted to practice of this kind
would enable all ambitious Of winning marks
men or sharpshooter trophies to secure them.
Iieantme the practice has already been in
augnrated at the gallery, with good results all
participants securing better scores than in the
haste and confusion Of company practice.
1t has beendeclded to give all possible facil-
tiles for the completion OF records and to ac-
cept no excuses for failure. The rating for
eihcIency at the close of this year will be very
| largely based upon the aggregate scores of the
various companies and their skill as skirmishers
and marksmen.
"A curious state of affairs is revealed upon in
spechon OF the company reports of the practice
of the past year. Some companies have made
magnificent records, showing that they are
well qualified for instant and serious business
III any emergency and able to hold their own
with any troops anywhere: other companies in
the same battalions sadly lacking, all efforts
having tailed to get them to the range for out
door practice. Indifference on the part of
company commanders is amply sufficient to
account for this neglect
With all this the advance during the season
Just closed was very great and gives promise of
what can be accomplished when all hands give
| long and steady pull together let US hope
during the present year. The membership
of the guard should be doubled in sixty DAYS.
The new tactics abolish at one swoop all the
proftiess drndgery of the old drill; the monot-
| onous treadmlll of cadence and wheel and
manual have given away to useful and interest
problems fs m vrh no,
go and snap enough to satisfy the most exact
ing athlete, and bring the skirmisher and
marksman prominently to the front as the
ideal soldier.
The officers Of the National Guard have taken
up the study OF the new tactics with commend
able zeal, and find the service very much more
attractive than of old. So also with all the
guardsmen When the range season opens
they Will have an opportunity to practice
their lessons In earnest and with bail cartridge,
ana Will achieve their own victories or other
wise.
Meantime the preliminary lessons can be
| learned In the gallery, and better than auy-
where else. Practice there will be a good in
vestment."
TACTICS FOR wHEELMEN.
Col. Long has his hands full. There ALWAYS
is plenty for the adjutant general to do, but he
Is buster than ever now, for is he not whole
tactical board unto himself? The cycle COM
". a
while those who are members thereof will want
10 do some drilling on their wheels. But they
cannot maneuyer until the movements tLey
can make have been figured out and it is this
figuring which just now is engaging so much
OF the colonels time Gen. Ordway and Lieut.
Thompson are also hard at work in behalf OF
the soldier cyclists, the former trying to make
q satisfactory combination of carbine and
bicycle. the lieutenant endeavoring to smooth
the pathway which is always moro or less rough
to the newly organized command. As a matter
| OF fact great many guardsmen are doing
everything they can to forward the interests of
the new company.
THE BICYCLE said Gen. Ordway yesterday
evening, can never be of much service in the
field III this country. One Of our ordinary
roads would be almost impossible for a wheel
during or just after a raiu storm. and you can
imagine how much worse the highway would
be If il had been used for a week or two by cav
airy, artillery and wagon trains. On the city's
streets. however. the cyclists could render val
liable service. mob could be dispersed by a
company proceeding to the scene OF action on
wheels before troop of the most active kind
of cavalry could respond to boots and saddle
England and Germany with their magnificently
built and carefully preserved roads may find
much work for Bicycles III the field. bat l shall
be sa lsfied with company of mounted infln-
try that can be trained to do effective work
within the District limits.
THAT wIDEAwAKE FIRST BATTALION.
When the first battalion gets fairly started
on the road to reform the remainder of the
brigade win have to get a very rapid and
lengthy move on itself if it desires to keep the
head OF the parade in sight. Heretofore the
first like more than one other battalion, has
fallen considerably short of what it might have
done as to rifle practice Lieut.. Ebert did his
best to push things along, and that every effort
WAS not crowned with immediate success was
not his fault. This year the first will endeayor
to be at the front when the official scores are
complete: the means to this end will be In
place within week or two. In the south
eastern corner of the big drill hall three targets
will be set up. and on these will the first bat
TALON do ali its indoor shooting. The targets
will be mounted on wheeled platform. and
when their presence is not necessary they will
be pushed into an alcove that seems to have
been designed by the architect for Just such
purpose. Practice will not in any way inter-
fere with drill, for the gallery ANN unition is
almost poiseless 1t would be good thing if
every battalion had a range under the same
roof as its armory.
THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN DONE.
The promotions and appointments made BY
the President and the casualties that have oc-
CURED during the quarter which ended De-
cember 81. 1891. are set forth in general orders
No. IL, in effect. as follows:
!. PROMOTIONS.
Third battalion-Second Lieut. A. ]. Robin