New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-07
NATIONAL GUARD AFFAIRS.
COLONEL GREENE ON STATE TROOPS
NOTES

| COLONEL GREENE ON STATE TROOPS
NOTES
Francis Ninion Greene, formerly engineer on the
stan Of General Fitzgerald. and at present the colonel
OF the list Regiment. has written article for The
Century magazine which should be carefully read by
all National Guardsmen Colonel Greene is well quail
fed both by training and experience to speak
expert concerning the needs and the present efficiency
Of the citizen soldiers. Considering the subject his
toricay. he begins with description OF the old train
bands of the days before the Revolution. The
members Of the Constitutional Convention he says,
were thoroughly mbued with Jealousy Of a standing
army" and, their ideal Of soldier the minute
man of 10 who provided his practically
without uniform training, belonged to the great
body of the population and not to class apart, and
forth in emergency to fight with all his will,
but returned to his ordinary avocaOn the moment the
mergency passed, and not infrequently reserved
to himself the right jndge when that moment had
arrived With such soldier in view-and there are
instances Of his in the Revolution along
with many faures-the trainers Of the Constitution
gave small prominence to the militia in their
scheme Of government
IN spite of the evident intent OF the franz
ers Of the Government 70 provide for
an efficient military force Colonel Greene tells lis
that Congress has done little or nothing to
carry out these i1tcntion- and has only passed
sixteen laws relating TO the militia in the space of
100 years, and Of these only i've OF more than
temporary importance. Then he reviews the prac
tcally obsolete Inv which requires every between
the ages Of eighteen and forty five 10 he constantly
provided with good nIuskct frc-lOck OF bore
sufficient for balls Of the eighteenth part Of pound.
sufficient hayOnet and belt, two spare hlnts, etc.
He then traces the History of the National Guard
since the Rebellion. and describes how the vicious
y ten Of too many high ranking officers finally cul-
minated in the disgrace OF the tiuard in the labor
riots Of 81 and 80 led 70 sautary reforms In the
tables which follow, giving the aggregate strength Of
the military forces Of the several states, he says
in place:
" In the states Of Massachusetts,. Connecticut. New
York. NewJcr-cy and rcnnsy lvania. available for
prompt CONGO lgalon at any point between Boston
and Harrisburg. 3i,5o0 men,
| Thi, item l. misleading. a certain extent.
because the National Guard forces Of all
these States ut least could not be ordered out of
their respective states and could not be con-
cenracd ut any point between Boston and Harrisburg.
In figuring mp the expense incurred by the respective
state and the National Government In maintaining
The military lO-ccs. Colonel Greene finds that willie
In States the amount allowed by the Federal
Government equals the amount given by the Sme'
In Nev-iOrk the state Government pays fourteen
times a. much to maintain The National Guard as
the United states Government does. What Colonel
Greene has to say on tho uniform question will prove
exceedingly Interesting.
The fault he says, "f any, In the uniforms IA
too much simplicity In all armies the picked
regiments and corps have special full dress uniforms
often quite unlike. even In the -ame army their
history IS associated with these uniforms and they
have a positive military value in promoting resimentai
culdc and esprit corps. The uniform Of The ca
lei, at West Point which has not been changed except
In hcagcar FOR over seventy years. Is OF TINS chnicci
as +, also that OF the 7th Regiment in New-lorh II
would we'll II each regiment. at least each state
had such a distinctive Uniform for full dress
ls,f.p. = A
tract the greatest amount OF interest however Is the
COMPARISON lie makes between the forces OF New York
and Icnusy lvania
In PENNSYLVANIA he saws. the whole force is
unit a compact division. which can lie relied upon 10
put 5000 men AT any point within the commonwealth
on notice Of forty eight hours. The men IN
camp pitch their own tents. draw Taons from the
Commis,arv Department and cook their own food
The time In camp /, occupied in rife practice. guard
duty. rcglmcntal and brigade driil. Inspection Dy th
Adjutant- General and review bv the Governor II l.
no picnic but six days and nights OF the hardest posi-
bic work. rcsalrlc,s az weather yet the percentage 81
present (, about - per cent Of the total strength ana
The work /, performed not only without complaint bnt
With enthusiasm. The Quad is popular throughout
the state and corporations and other emp ScFs en-
courage The attendance Of their employees n The camp
The New lorO troop, are armed with Rem
lng,on llhes callbrc 90 which cannot Use the Govern
mcnt ammunition. They all have an undeSs UNIFORM
addition each regiment ha> illI NIts>
II il, OWL many. but not all. OF which are identical
During the winter they drill I'm the evenings In their
arroIle, which are larger and superior In every 70
.peo I, those possessed by any other state in fact,
.uch magnificent covered drill houses not to be
found any where else in America or I'm Europe.
The state own, permanent camp ground near Pech'-
ml on the Hudson where The tents pitched by
enployes comfortably Ao0rcd. and remain standing
Throughout the camp season Of ,iX weeks There i
also a permanent shall. erected at II co.., Of ;2oOOo
where the men are led by caterer and hired COOKS
The number present averages only 40 per
cent OF The total the feeling Of the employers In New
York toward their cmploycs In regard TO absence Tor
this ,crvice being quite different from that existing III
Pennsylvania.
THE systems Of organization and ins'rIcUoh
are quite di,-milar In PENNSYLVANIA there j. unit
The divi,ior-wth It's subordinate organizations and
welldetned military channels. In New-lork ther' l.
a collection Of regiments and separate companies
which are seldom brought together and many OF wh'h
do not each other for years rhepr'cnch i''r"'
ton in modelling, Transporting and supplying ''e
PENNSYLVANIA division Is invaluable to the STAN TIC
,ducaOn in the hartship> aud d>comforts OF sol
dcr's lie, and in taking care Of ones sell wheh ic'
moved from the sphere Of the landlord the tailor, the
butcher the grocer aud the baker l. equally INVALUABLE
t. the company officers and men. Inc cApeflcl'" OF
seeing large bodi, OF troop, assembled ana c"nnahdcd
In proper manner gives an idea Of the uitlna'" emu
and Of all military INSTITUTION WHY" N"ii "o
,ined i'm no other way. All this the PennsN wanna .y-
ZEN provide, In some measure. and the New loFA
- TEN no. AT all the other hand. this i gained at
The spcnsc 81 proficiency in details
The New -loriI troops are beilcr lei up present
a smarter appearance, are much more thoionshiy
drilled i'm the school of the company ard battalion,
have a better know ledge Of guard and outpost duty,
rr more ob,ervant of military courtcsy-n short are
in every way better drilled regiments. In PennSy
wanna omc Of thc Governor, al # the general Officers
md many nf the colonel, have been veterans OF inc
vl Nar: they keep in close touch with the Army ana
m pliprlpal cIS AMI they prid, themselves on being
yriricll .nh cr, and NOT merely men al parade. Ihrlr
model /, the veteran volunteer, Of 1850. than when
none could be- better: but in c!l s.ng this ideal TOO
many ~ the men mistake >lOurN Appearance. la'k
~ discipline and II disregard az cleanliness In taHp Df
Evidence, of their practical knowledge. incOn,ciou-N
the, initiate the hunu.er instead ~ the Nctcrll III
,cw Work. on tie other Land. the proportion or 0hccrs
Who served i'm the tiVl War i much smaller the m u
A. a rue pi, po csse OF mO;r means. the state spend,
81, money I'm DroVidiug them with .InOres