The morning call., 1892-09-05
FIRST INFANTRY REGIMENT.
A yexatious. ArHofy Qucsfion-CoIons
SulIIysn's Command,


A yexatious Arnao,y Qarsfion-CoIonoI
SulIiyan's Command,
. Colonel William p. Sullivan Jr. has be.
/ fore him very delicate problem. Of which
a satisfactory solution Will. doubtless, in
due time be brought about by his good tact
|. The sale OF the aTm0ry on Post street, so.
long occupied by Companies C and G, and
+ the consequent vacation by them of these
quarters has forced the question to the
front. The companies OF a regiment are
necessarily all melh bers Of the same mill
+ tary family. and as such. shonldbe gathered
/ under one 'ropf. Ii some OF the brothers 20:
of and set up by themselves an estrange-
merit is created and the spirit of true com
fadeship IS largely lost. The different COM
panies are the units. of regiment and, tin-
less separated on detached duty by the
eXIgencies :0f the service they should
be together in the same camp or in. the
same barracks or tarmOTy. Their sepaTa-
lion for any other cause provokeS on both
sides an inYdious temper which, as IL
grows. becomes seriously deiTimen tai to the
morale ard discipline of the regimental
organ zatiun. The impression Is not in
tended to. be conveyed that this is the atti-
tnGe Of any of the companies in the First
Regiment. The good sense of The members
of both companies, Z and g. and of all the
other companies, has had It's influence in
checking or TesUalning the evil tendency.
Colonel Sullivan now desires 10 bring all the
companies Of his. regiment together, and
sees in the proposed vacation of the Post
street, AFmOTy bv Companies c and G a
favorable opportunity TO accomplish that
/ result.
Tie chief obstacle in the way, however, is
that these two com panies lave never. gone
off and set up by themselves, but are an
outgIowth Of conditions that existed before
the organization of the First Regiment it
self Company q prides Itself upon its
lvra brs inc h-a.n mi itFir lIxs
conrDany organization Known as the
Nationals" Company { is u younger off,
sh0otOf this organization. The "Natt0nals"
built an armOry long before the First Regi-
ment was heard Of. Acquiring vested In
teIests in real estate has exerted
strong fntuence in keeping them
apart from the regimental organiza-
ton except fer battalion drills and
brigade parades, More powerful than this
influence are the social traditions of the
'Natidhais." They have taken pride in
maintaining veteran roll. Their arnfOrY
on Post street has practically served as a
clubhouse. for the men on both the veteran
ana active list These pleasant associations
OF. years are not easily disturbed or broken
and the sentEntnts that have so long bound
them; together, as something apart from tho
|. First Regiment: Is sill: strong enough to
! make it a. difficult matter TO gather them
into The cOmHoR fold. This difficulty Is it,
creased f6r the moment D5 the fact thatt
business enterprise Of the NATIONALS"
leaves them in funds 10. erect another, "a
larger aEd more cOmm0dious, independent
| arm0ry.
/ In the. light OF these facts the nature of
! Colonel SnllyaH's. pr0bleui can be better
understood. He stands ready TO offer these
outside COMPANIES superior accOmmQda-
rQnS at the First Regiment aTmGTY on Mar
-ket and Tenth streets 10 be obtained by
additions. othe building that the owner OF
! the properly Is willing to make. Colonel
!. Sulllvaf has the military right and power
| to'cOncentrate his whole command as pro-
| Dcsed, but kp prefers to bring about the
doslTGble concentration by less arbitrary
means. He prefers that the request for
such actlen snail first come from the outside
( eompanles themselves. Otherwise there IS
| dagger Of their disintegTatOn and q loss TO
! the National Guard of two Companies who.
| have good REASONS 10 be proud OF their long
! and honorable conWection with the service.
| .Col0nRl' Macdonald would, doubtless, be
able. tQ .reorganiZs the two companies, but
| their ranks would very likely be filed with
| recruits. =: -
Theie is one possible way cat of the diff:
! Guilty which may prove satisfactory all
round, but II Will TeauiIe time 10 attain it.
The probability is.yery strong OF yeergafr-
! iZation Of the whole National Guard OF the
/ State by the Legislature atits next session,
/ That there must be such reorganization Is
| generally conceded: Its scharacter is already
/ foresh9d wed by: that of The new drill
regulations. The organization Of the troops
must be made TO conform TO; m0dsrn baths
| TACTICS: 'Ehe extended order imposes pom
| the colonel OF a. regiment in the field the
duties Of a; ,brigadier-g general II Isl hkeiy
that The present three. regiments in San
| .tTanctsco~of 81 companies VI Ill he rfOTgan-
lzed as two regiments of. II colhpanies:each.
| ms would allow to each. regiment three
! fOur-fOmpany baitalions, each under COM
! mand OF an officer with. the rank OF ma jGr
! These battaiiops might be provided with
| separate arm0rles In view of this contingency
the Nationals" are planning for the erection
| III new asm0ry on Ellis street equal 30 the:
| accom- modatioH OF four companies They
wouid. ip he event Of such reorgan izatioh,
be In a condition 10 exteiid accommpd atoms
| to two other companies Of their regiment.
! AD6ause; for IeglmentaE friction growing
out. OF tire existence of Isolated companies
would fn that case.speedily dtsappeaE
C0rporals +. a. Taggart. and JIG Hutt
of Company c 9lave been recommended f6F
proipotion TO; sargeants, and Priyates John
| Rltter and yo ohm A.. bunker TO be eoIp6raIa
SeIeeants William H. McNeiIl: ana William
| ,. Alexander haye been, at their own re-
guest, reduced TO the ranks. -
SECOND: AhTILLERY REGIMENT.
Nem= =comnaissionsd ed oniders to be Sch ole d
/ In: THE Firing Discipline. -
l. During the maneuvers at Santa Cr(tz: in
l. tsH
order: received IA very fair tria1< Colonel
| WLllfam' Macdonald had: an. oplJ0rtnnjtv-
which heimpreyed. to observe the co nIlr{.t
OF bis :nen:comlissioned officers Tie re-
suit III his observations were af such. n
character as TO: Impress bin very Btronply
with the idea thatthere IS .much.edircatioaai
work to- be done among them The new
drill, regulations have imposed lip on the
nen-c comm1ssiened officers IA greafer degree
of frespehsbilhy than haseyer been exacteJ
from this c]ass'iof soldiers. The inCrsas sed
TeSponshi Fl ties call for. higher sfnn1a ri of
men:1n an Intellectual SENSE. The particu.,
lar deficiency in them noted by Colonel
/ Macdonald was their almost entire lack of
contIoi over the hrlng and their inattentEon
! tothe orders of the officers charged with ifs
amount Us: Well as direction. There: was a
E.p{pnlgale and ~uGwarraned expenditures oi
.ainmupition:at times. They appeared tobs
carried away by the excitement If tile firing
| and then become heedless Of bot h his orders
ana those Of the captains and lenteuants
Colonel Macdonald proposes to. supply
q. remedy for this state of things, and
/ IT. Is his Intention to Institute : m Severe
course OF training TO- develop. among
his non. e0nnls lssi0fred officers far higher:
standard oil merit than they now exhibit:
| lhey are 90 be instrucied:more carefully in
liIe matter. Of their individual Responsible
lty lu regard 10 the :.irinps,: and to
ms emu the Importance is to be
encs. ON the part of the priyates. In
other words, the discipline intended by the
operation. oil The new .dfilT regulations: is
h9t TESS. rigid than that required: in: close
oiuer mo vemenis, but is, RI possible, more
i iigiu, notwithstanding SO much mpre Is
iel. F 70 tiie lndlYiduai resources Of: tire men,
For this reason there is to be a severe
scho9llng of the non-commissioned officers
or Tie Second: Regiment In this. nia tier
oolonel Macdonald is abreast; with the