Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-01

know while the brigade in its infancy. but
now that they have achieved prominent posi-
ton among the military organizations OF the
country they are expected TO be only little, il
anything, short Of human perfection. IL as
much attention is given the books and papers
rs Is being bestowed upon the men and their
equipments the inspection will be a success.
EVERYBODY WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITY.
There is going TO be n great deal Of rife
practice in the gallery during the month Of
May. A promise TO that effect Was fore
Swallowed in The STAR a week ago, and now IL
has been definitely decided that a series Of ex-
trsmely interesting matches will take place.
The program WAS made up at the regular meet
ing Of the inspectors Of rife practice held las:
Monday evening at brigade headquarters. Ii
decided that the series Of competitions
should open with a company match. each COM
pany to be represented BY team of ten men,
each man to fire ten rounds at 200 wards. Then
there are to be battalion teams of ten. to be
made up from all the companies in the ba;tal-
ion. and 10 have at least two men from each
company except whereas in the case of the
third and the engineer battalions-there
but three shooting companies. regimental
match for teams of ten is to take place. and
the first aud second separate companies
will also be pitted against each other.
When all these competitions have been
disposed Of there will be q team match be-
ments inspectors OF rife practice barred), ten
officers on each team, and following this will
come match between the inspectors OF rife
Practice of the first regiment and the inspect
ors OF the second regiment Since Monday
night ii has been decided to add one more COM
petition to the program. There are in the
brigade very many men who have not done
well In the gallery as they can do IL they en-
couraged and are given opportunity to try
For the benefit Of these and in order that the
company records be materially improved there
VIII be match for teams OF ten men from each
COMPANY, to be composed exclusively from
among those who have never qualified as high
as the grade of marksmen and who have not. in
the gallery, averaged more than sixteen points
during the four months practice for the pres
ent year. This competition and the
practice which will precede it will
probably land a good many doubtful
men well over the line and into the
ranks of the marksmen. II will be noted bv the
careless ones that no man will be allowed TO
shoot on q team unless he has completed his
gallery score for 1898. These matches will not
be voluntary. Orders directing the various
regimentsl, battalion and company commanders
to form teams and send them TO the gallery on
dates to be specified will be issued within the
next few days. The schedule of dates has not
yet been arranged. but it is probable that the
competitions will take place during the last half
OF Nav, thus leaving the earlier portion of that
month available for voluntary and preparatory
practice.
GEN. EUGENE A. CARR FAyoRs THE LANCE.
Gen. Carr, says the army and Nary Journal,
is in favor Of dispensing with tine saber in a
portion, at least, Of the cavalry regiments and
substituting the lance. He does not look with
very much favor on the revolver, but the saber
he is confident has outived its usefulness, and he
suggests the use of aluminium and OF lance
shafts OF hollow metal in sections IS means of
giving the soldier lighter and better and more
conveniently carried weapon than the lancer Of
any army has ever had.
The theory of the weapon OF cavalry, dis
tinguished from dragons or mounted infantry,
is that the cevalryran carries it to encourage
himself and + ssibly to intimidate the enemy.
but not to hurt any one with. The carbine IS
undoubtedly designed to disable the enemy, but
it is the weapon of Dragons The revolver.
while always part Of the outfit Of our mounted
men. was not treated seriously until within the
last few years.
The saber and the lance are the distinctive
weapons Of the cavalry, pure and simple. and it
Is not often that the cavalryma actually cuts
down or impales his antagonist. But il is argued
in behalf Of the saber that its possession gives
the soldier confidence in himself. and in q
charge the flashing blades and the rafting
scabbards make no small impression on the
minds OF the troops awaiting them. Gen. Carr
who has spent life in tine cavalry. believes
that the lance is the superior of the ssber in its
influence on the mind of the man at its butt end
as well as at its point. The possession of a
weapon that he can reach out with and on
which he might with good luck impale al
enemy several feet in front of his horses nose
would give the cavalry soldier that sense of in
vincibihty which he needs TO give him dash. At
the same time charging line Of spear points
might perhaps seem more appalling to the
troops attacked than the spectacle OF sword
blades brandished wildly in the air.
of ha lam ror,13 mn
return to the distinction. o5literated in our
service at the time of the war. between cavalry
and dragons. and other changes in the arm
ing OF the mounted troops would fellow that
would accentuate this distinction. The lance,
introduced as a substitute for the saber, would
eventually dispiace the carbine and possibly
the revolver.
There have been experiments with the lance
In our service. The chief objection to it is
that 1t requires long and careful training be-
fore men can handle the weapon efficiently.
Doubtless the men in the regular service are in
the army long enough to master the lance, but
our wars we shall nave to fight with volunteers
Most OF our people know something about fire.
arms and have some taste for them; they can
be soon made reasonably efficient with the
pistol and carbine. The saber they are wholly
unframed for, but they can learn to use it well
enough in a reasonable length Of time. Few
Of them will become expert fencers, but they
will not often be required to literally cross
SWORDS. But tne ianCe-tnct Is Qulse another
matter. There would be no time to teach the
volunteers the use of that weapon, and as the
volunteer cavalry must learn their businecs
from the regular cavalry there are objections
to arming the regulars with weapons the volun-
teers can't use.
But Gen. Carr's reputation and experience
rs q cavalry officer entitle his recommendation
to outweigh many theore teal objections and II
would be interesting to see the lance expert
meDt tried with a regiment Of cavalry. Perhaps
it would be wise to have a few regiments of
pure cavalry In our service, leaving to the other
mounted regiments in the regular service and
to the volunteers the duties Of dragoona
BOUND TO MAKE A RECORD
The rife committees Of the yarious conn.,
mands in the second regiment seem to be
attending closely to business. Can't Bell
called them together for meeting on Thurs
day evening, and good results NAV be expected
of the free consultation which took place. 1t
is evident that all possible effort will be made
to bring every man in the regiment to the gal
lery to complete his scores or TO Improve those
he has already made.
GETTING READY ron TIE RANCE.
This afternoon Gen. Ordwsy, accompanied
by Maj Harries, Lieut. Averin Of company
OF the engineer battalion and two or three off,
GERS OF the department Of rife practice, went
down to the Bellevue range TO make strange
ments for commencing operations in connec-
1on With ATS equipment. As soon as possible
Lieut.. Averill will take party Of surveyors TO
the ground. and when the firing points and
target plts have bean lorated thu vorkiuC force