Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-03
THE NATIONAL GUARD.
Reports That Will Be of Interest to
the Soldier Boys.
CHANGESIN RATIoNsANDCLOTHEs,
And Encampment Recommendations That
Will Work Reforms.
RATINGS OF TIE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

tant General krumbhaar has been pushing
the reports at headquarters and to-day thu
manuscript was placed in the hands of -th'
State printer. Major General .Snowden'
report is quite voluminous and covers thu
operations of the guard very fully. He re
fers in complimentary terms to the admir-
able movement of troops during the coke
riots and adds: 'Tt is gratifying to regard
this swift and formidable demonstration q.
an illustration of the ability of the entire
division instantly to respond to calls of q
like or even more serious nature"
Considerable space is devoted in the re.
port to the ceremonies incident to the dedi.
cation of the Hartranft Monument erected
by the guard. He deplores the departure
from the table of rations heretofore in use
at camp and thinks the issue of butter,
milk, eggs and fresh beets, corn, tomatoes,
not to speak of watermelons and the like, is
an innovation open to serious consideration.
He thinks the extra expense on this score
would probably be sufficient to support an.
other troop Of cavalry and another battery.
He also deprecates so much baggage in
camp and thinks this is matter which
ought to be prescribed in regulations from
the highest source.
| Officers Must Not Mess With Men.
There is censure, too, of officers messing
with their men at camps on State rations.
AN officer has recently been tried" he
says, for taking some of the rations for use
at an officers mess. While the verdict of
acquittal has not met with my approval. the
I trial will doubtless stop like offenses in the
| future" Hereafter all the officers will be
required to have separate messes of their
| own. The report states that the suggestion
i to enlist company cooks would, if adopted,
| obviate the danger Of the companies being
left in an emergency without persons skilled
| in cooking.
With respect to uniform the Major Gen.
eral recommends new overcoats, uniform
| shirts of dark color and servieeable shoe
fit for camp and campaign duty. He ap-
proves the use of leggings and the army ia
tigue hat instead of the helmet The in
| spections, he says. were close, exacting and
complete. Regarding rifle practice he pro-
! tests against the efforts of the General In
spector of Rife Practice to interfere with
the line officers by the proposition to mus
ter out companies which have not qualified
certain number of marksmen. He re-
marks that the duties of the Inspector Gen.
eral were fulfilled by observing the manner
in which instructions and practice were car
ried out and not in taking command to carry
them out himself. Considerable space is
given to the discussion Of the proposed re-
organization of the guard on the battalion
basis. The charges of misconduct involv-
ing the Thirteenth Infantry were found to
be without foundation. The example of
Colonel Hulings putting his men into camp
outside the regular encampment is COM
mended. As to the presence of the guard
at the Worlds Fair, he thinks the time Sc
lected-from the 9Th to the Goth of August,
1S93-is the most suitable.
As to the Third Brigade.
General Goblin says in the report of the
Third Brigade that there has been no
change in the organization and that the reg
iments have maintained their organizations
intact "A feature has been the organization
and arming of several cadet companies in
connection with or under the supervision of
regular commands. These are intended to
prepare men to enter the guard when of
proper age. The inspections were rigid and
exacting and to him eminently satisfactory.
The various organizations appeared with
full ranks at the brigade encampment at
Mount Gretna. The commissariat was in
every respect satisfactory, the sanitary con-
dition excellent and the discipline une1cep-
tionable. The routine work and drill were
entered into with commendable zeal and
marked improvement seemed to follow each
days operations.
entire new equipment for the battery. The
rifle practice produced results exceeding his
most sanguine expectations There was a
gain of 51S marksmen over the previous
year. 1t is startling to think of the execu-
tion which could be accomplished by such
body OF soldiery, capable, with the i'm
proved weapons in rapid firing, of loading
and firing from IL to 13 times minute. The
Third Brigade won the brigade trophy at
the annual rifle match at Mt. Gretna and
thereby becomes the permanent owner
General Goblin is not favorably impressed
with the perfection of the changes in tactics
recently recommended by board of Off
GERS and approved by the Secretary of
War. 1t is evident that the radical
changes made by these tactics will require
judicious, careful work, which cannot too
soon be begun. He suggests the propriety
of issuing an easy, low-heeled, broad-soled
army shoe. They would protect the feet of
the men and be inexpensive. If the ma
tional guard is to keep pace with the march
of progress and produce the army of the
future with change of tactics and move
ments, it should also be made to conform
throughout to the new and changed condi-
tions He deplores the loss of valuable
staff officer in the resignation of Major
Everett Warner, Judge Advocate.
Praise for the Western Boys.
General Wiley, of the Second Brigade,
refers at length in his report to the strike
in the coke regions last spring and the ad-
mirable conduct of the troops detailed for
duty during the trouble. He returns his
most grateful thanks to Colonel Hawkins,
of :he Tenth Regiment, Colonel Smith, of |
the Eighteenth Regiment, and every COM |
manding officer and man of these COM
mands for their splendid service while on
duty in the coke regions. The spring in |
spictions of the brigade, General Wiley |
says, show a marked improvement over
the previous year. He calls attention to |
the unnecessary additions made to the issue
fthe Commissary Department of green corn,
milk, butter, eggs, etc., during the en-
which should not be issued at |
all. A good full army ration is sufficient !
for camps and campaigns. 1t is not his be-
lief that soldiers are not fond OF these arti-
cles and they should never eat them. Two
or three issues will entail the belief that
they are part of the rations and without
them dissatisfaction and complaints accu-
late. Then the cost is considerable.
Brigadier General Dechert, of the First
Brigade, in his report gives the strength of
the brigade as 17S officers, 2,475 enlisted
mes, a total of 9, 1858, a gain of 27 enlisted !
men and % officers over last year. He re-
grets that comparatively small portion of
the command paraded at the spring inspec-
tion, as he thinks these are better test of
the general standing of the companies than
the inspection at the annual encampment,
when every effort is made to secure the at
tendance of the men Of the commands
The Third Regiment Troubles.