Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-12-28
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up 70 fse htshe& posslDis snasfH q
emc1spcy - T1ie.Hxn. renewing WAT unies'
soldier vas q ifast fs'S g1Arksmaa ff
had no place IN The service. The time has
passed vhes man can Dc frgaf'ies go<,d
soldier And mo- have knowledge OF The
weapon with which he y armed. Muscle.
courage psfrict'sm Or disposition % be
effective and do his duty cannot make NJ
for the lack OF kn0rtes'gs necssed to make
. soldier destructive pSser in ezss bis
services are required.
Tho fact that ~e can sightfully claim al
strong body Of soldiers ss any other STATE,
does not syssl 30 long ~ We are still lacking
in efficiency. With the exception Of ~ 0 years,
] have had the instruction Of rife practices
since 1880, and have decided convictions n
10 the causes which maks It difsieult 10 bring
the miiftia up To reasonable degree of
efficiency, and the remedy therefor.
For the short time that my appointment
In 1891 gave PIE 10 eonsnst and instruct tho
men. good sork was done, and the year OF
fssz Just closing has shown most remark
able advance in the skill OF the militia ~
marksmen. Ths work Of some companies
has been marvel to u,s /.
According to the returns made 10 me, WI
have In tho companies Of the Second Regi-
nent, Officers and aen 37s- The First Reg
imsnt tl1. Two companies Of heavy arfil-
iery af Passport and Calais. now armed with
the Springfield rifle liz men or IN all I31 men
80 the regiments, 81 men IN all The t~o
gun companies one At Lewiston, and one at
BruGswick constitute Names military force.
Indeed IL II small force for state with a
territory of large extent bordering On that
of another government, and its long line of
coast. Ihia force Il seems TO me shonid be
Of the best Of material, and thoroughly
equipped. drilled and every man a gooi
marksman. What say IA this report is not
intended to apply ~ any part of the sersec
except that which have had charge.
A. will be seen by appended table, only
one-haif of this force are efficient soldiers,
under the qualifications Of 1899, and former
record. The Second Regiment being con
siderabiy stronger than the First Regiment.
and the two companies at Passport and
Calais equal to the Second Regiment.
The fault rests fFst ~ eDiisfing men
without most thorough understanding Of
the demands sueh enlistment VIII make upon
their time aud OF the requirements in bec0m-
ing efficient in The nre OF the rife, the prop
er drill, together with m examination Into
their former habits ~ life. II .eading up to
those things that viii tend toward becoming
good soldier Many officers do not seem
TO realize taat a man IN the ranks Is but
iittle better than wooden man who cannot
shoot ride well and stu there are not a
few IN the Maine militia today that never
could hurt an enemy unless 1t was acct.
dental. An examination OF The tabular
statements OF company practice VIII SHOW
you where most OF these men are. il might
be proper to say that among such as nave
done no practice the past season might he
found very Few fairly good marksInen,
but they lack the interest good soldier
should have
what wiii remedy this iiihcnity' thlhk
that The answer is easy and the remedy
simple. Compulsory rifle practice, and the
holding OF every officer and man 10 the pro
per regard Tor ORDERS and the discharge OF
his duty. u may be SAID you had compui"
sorry riiic practice last season. True, but
tile regard for general orders and fear of
any Injurious effect of such disregard, was
repeatedly brought TO my mind, by officers
saying, general orders do not mean any
thing. However the order compelling rifle
practice did do great deal toward bringing
mp the standard of efficiency, and
eonyinccs me that IL backed by
the proper military discipline, it would
IN very short time produce the best
militia of rit'e-men in the world. | point
with especial pride to the present condition
rs shown by the appended tables. There
are hut few IN most companies who have
not done some work on the range. and II
the proper rule was adopted, and enforced,
there would not be n man in the militia at
the close of next season but what would he
an effective marksman. The State, nor
any officer should be- satisfied with anything
short of this. Every shot fired by the mil
itia has besn retained to me, and have
scanned the scores critically, that the need
cd advice might he given. To place uni
forms upon the bodies, and rifles in the
hands Of men, who have hardly the reno
test idea of their use and call them
soldiers and allow the State to think it has
a defense in the same, seems like burlesque.
lie, il be once clearly understood that new
policy Is adopted. and that there will be no
countcnanee given any Sinking of respon-
sibilitics hy officers or men aud it will be
much easier to maintain good and efficient
body Of ritemeu, than TO try and keep up
the practice where tl,e best efforts of few
soldiers are paraiy kod by those who have no
taStc or desire to he Trustworthy marksmcp.
In proof OF this position, want 20 call
Your attention to the work of one company,
that of Go. &. Second Regiment at Bangor
When visited that company at the cont
menccment of the season and after an or
der was issued compelling a certain amount
of ammunition to be expended during the
time before camp by each man, and in con
sultatiun with Capt. James H. Mitchell and
Lieut.. Fred f. Pottlc. was assured that /,
would be- impossible to get quite number
of the men of that company 10 spend time
sufficient ia comply with the order. But
aided Capt Mitchell II and my company
obey orlers.' Now notice the result. Re
fore encsmpment. by the energy of these
officers and the good discipline of the com
pany, every man. not only complied with
the order. but every man was qualified as q
marksman in some of the classes, the best
record that any company can boast of in
this country. vs. will In seen ty The tables