Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-14
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Washington Soldiers Will Camp at
Chicago Next Summer.
MAY BE A WHOLE REGIMENT.
Anyhow-The Expense viii BE Mini,nized
Lieut.. Chas. Hine, U. s. A., Talks of Com
missary Matters-Many Other Matters of
Interest.

| II Gen. Ordway's plans are carried out, the
probabilities point to the presence at the world s
fair Of several hundred members OF the District
National Guard. 1t is hardly possible that Con-
gress will do anything with the Mitchell bill
providing for a combined army and National
Guard camp during the coming summer, SO it
behooves those men who want to visit the ex-
position to look out for themselves. Of course,
the Mitchell bill would have done much more
than give free transportation to 80 COO citizen
soldiers; it would have taught the lesson of
mobilization satisfactorily and economically
and made useful officers of men who are now
almost entirely ignorant Of their duties, but
such advantages these have no weight with
the present House Of Represe natives, SO there
will DO grand encampment But it does
| seem now though there might be as many
AZ three or four hundred Washingtonians in
| Chicago either in July or August. The general
commanding proposes shortly to make formal
announcement or his readiness to receive and
| file the names Of men who would like to visit
| the fair at the smallest possible expense. The
! National Guard Association Of Illinois has Sc
| cured control OF magnificent camp ground,
where visiting organizations OF National Guards
men will be at liberty to establish camp, and
the railroads will have very low rate made
especially for the soldier boys. These are two
big Inducements, and when Is added to them
the further advantage of subsistence-suprlie
by the ID. G. n. G.. commissary--but little is
left to be expected. The sixth battalion talks
OF going a. an organization and there may be
one or two companies that will have
sufficient strength tc stand alone. but
the chances are that provisional regiment will
be formed and that In it will march members
| OF every company in the brigade. Before the
sixth battalion came to the front with its propo-
Gr1 "a IN
| tention to. il possible. bring about the organi-
cation of a provisional battalion, but IL seems
just now rs though there would be three or per-
haps four battalions to participate in the Chi
cago celebration. As soon as the general has
any definite idea as to the number of men who
will go all transportation and other necessary
arrangements will be made. and as soon as
suitable date can be fixed the regiment will be
| ordered into camp at Chicago: that will give
departmental employees their time. An esti-
mate Of the expense would hardly be possible
at this stage, but it is believed that the cost per
man-to be paid by each ndividual-would not
exceed Il5. cheaper combination of holiday
and education will not be found.
SOUND OPINIONS FROM GOOD SOLDIER.
When the state troops of Virginia were in
camp last year they we're instructed and in
spected by Lieut.. Chas Hine Of the sixth U. s.
infantry. His report has just appeared in con-
nection with that of the adju ant general of the
state and Is full of interesting comment. Dis
| cussing commissary matters in connection with
| a street parade and sham battle lie said:
The celebration had been gotten up on shor!
| notice and the military arrangements were
| hurriedly planned. Each company WAS to provide
its own rations. This effort to make the COM
| pany the unit of supply resulted, in most in
! stances, in each mans making himself the unit
| and devoting his energies to the maintenance
| of that unit to the prejudice of proper at
tendance at drills. roll calls and other military
| duties. Whatever may be said as to the COM
parative merits Of the company mess and the
| consolidated mess for a regular garrison, it
| must be admitted that the consolidated mess ia
| the best for a militia camp OF instruction. If
time permitted. cooking should form part OF
every militiamans instruction. Unfortunately
! militia camps are always too short. Every
moment should be utilized for military in
struction. As we cannot teach in camp all that
| IL to be desired we must impart that informa-
ton which is least likely to be acquired
elsewhere. may learn to bake
| potatoes and fry meat on hunting trip, at a
| political barbecue or a Sunday school picnic
| just as well rs he can in a military camp. The
methods OF cooking do not vary materially I'M
| der these different conditions Military meth
| DDS OF instruction. trimming and organization
| differ so radically, however. from those of go
cial, political and religious bodies that purely
military knowledge can be practically acquired
only when sufficiently large force is assem-
|
intrequent occasions when militia troops come
! together i'll camps OF instruction valuable time
| should no. be consumed in teaching men to
forage and to cook Let those officers aud men
belonging to the subsistence department. or
assigned thereto. make ali necessary arrange
n,ents for procuring and preparing the focd
In July. 1891. this plan was followed
! by the first Virginia volunteer infantry
i'll camp at Wrighisville, n. Z. Supplies
were purchased in quantities, the regi-
mental quartermaster furnishing transporta-
| ton 20 assist in their collection The
cooking was done by force of hired cooks
under the direction OF the regimental commits
sary and the reg!meEtal commissary sergeant
| Not an officer or man OF the line WAS kept
from military duty. The cost, including the
hire of cooks was only 81 cents per day per
man. The fare, too. excellent. as | can
personally testify. 1t is believed that by pur-
suing this weil-organized system the troops ut
| Roanoke could have been sub listed at a cost
not to exceed 40 cents per day per man. At
| Roanoke. as at Wrightsville. each man had 10
pay his own mess bill, but al Roanoke the men
had 10 obtain their meals at eating houses and
ut much greater cost to say nothing of the
| interference with military duties"
TO SEPARATE THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS.
| II is understood that there will be this wear
| three grades Of decoration winners in The New
! York National Guard-marksmen. sharpshoot-
ers and experts. writer in the New York
| Times suggests:
Before the head of the department of rifle
| practice takes any steps looking to the creating
of new class of shooters il would be well, il is
generally thought. 20 ascertain if some plan is
not capable of being formulated which shall
make the present marksman badge mean some
| thing and increase its value as decoration to
| the individual As the matter stands it is an
| open secret that The bulk Of the wearers of the
state decoration are marksmen only in name:
that is to say. men who could not, by any pos
sibility, make the minimum qualifying score OF
80 points in five shots each at 200 and 800 wards
The present administration of the department
Of rifle practice will earn the enduring gra j.
tude Of the shooting men Of the National Guard
by adopting some plan whereby the experts
may be distinguished from the buffers among
the marksmen."
| THIS COLONEL MEANS BUSINESS.
Col. Cavanagh is determined that the officers
and men OF The sixty -nnth New York shall full
fill their self-imposed obligations "Any en-
listed man in this regiment" he said, mon
commissioned officer or private soldier who
does not attend the drills of his company and
all battalion and regimental drills will be sent
before regimental board for punishment,
and any officer who is absent from the armory
| when his sworn duty calls him there will be sent
before a brigade board. There Ia going to be
no more of this kind of business Of drilling
| when the officers and men feel like it. The
six'y-ninth has a reputation to maintain and !