Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-11-12
THE STATE MILITIA.
Colonel Siern's Repor! Giving the
Resuliof His Annual Inspection.
MORE UNIFORMS NEEDED.
otbcr weak Points AZ Well a. Matters OF
Merit Discussed Tho Strength and
Condition of the Commands.

fnspcctor-generai, has Just completed his
annual report on the condition~of the
Virginia militia, and the paper has
been forwarded 10 General Charles j.
Anderson, the acting adjutant-generai.
The report covers thirteen pages OF
typewritten manuscript. and is a most
interesting paper. In his opening re-
marks Colonel Stern states that there
are s.2S volunteer soldiers in the State.
rhe various branches OF the service are
,ivdcd as follows:
Total white infantry-Onhcers, l5i; men,
30. =.
cavalry Zone regimcno-onicerS' "a;
Artillery Zone battallon)-oficcrs. p;
ncn 1856
The membership OF the four regiments
Of infantry is as follows
r-,rst Regiment. % officers and AL men.
Second Regiment. 80 officers and $50
men. .,
Third Regiment. % officers and AS
Fourth Regiment. 20 officers and $40
men.
the First Brigade, with total MEMBER
Besides the artillery and cavalry there
are several separate infantry companies
which were recently organized Ihese
will be attached TO the First Brigade
later. The names OF these organizations
are the Suffolk Light Infantry, Suffolk
Va. with officers and " men; FRANKLIN
Light Infantry Franklin. Va, 3 oibcefs
ana Il men; Radford Rifles. Radford,
Va. 3 officers and 50 men; and Farm
s,,lln Guard. Farmville Va, officers
and 81 men. -
The Richmond Lght-Infantry Blues
the only Independent company-haVe
officers and 66 men.
RECENT CHANGES IN THE VoLUN-
TIERS.
l., order 10 show briefly the changes
IN top volunteers since the law under
which they are now organized was en-
acted. Colonel stern makes the following
conpa rison between the figures OF 1884
0hc year the law was passed. and those
OF this year:
tsSi-White companies, Si number.
LILO. Colored, IS. number $3.50.
iSa3- White companies, A; number
700 Colored, .; number. $40.
Showing n gain of - white companies
tno ain Increase in strength (whte). 49,
and loss Of Q colored companies ana
~ In strength.
W. the inspection for 1891 was made
tlrfe were but eight companies IN the
State uniformed in accordance with regu-
Iatons In 1885 there were eighteen. In
1855 some changes were made in the uni
form. and at the inspection of 1887 all OF
the companies in the state, except two
we're u~operly uniformed, and those two
obtained them that year. Since that time
until about two years ago all OF the conf
Danies appeared annually in the dress reg
ulstion uniform, and many OF the COM
9anie. had also the undress uniform put
30. the last two years as the old dress
,2~.7 have become unserviceable they have
1aen abandoned by a number OF the COM
oaoies and this year large number or
the volunteers appeared in undress. IL
q estimated that there are at least l'Vo
dftSs-coats and helmets needed 10 COM
ple.e the outfit and that about the same
number are not supplied with the blouse
ard fl-fgc cap. Some companies nave
r,,t, - both uniforms. but not enough OF
ELL ~ 70 dress the company alike. and II
Is A question whether a thousand dress OF
undress uniforms shall be supplied. The
difference in cost of the two Is about
$1,000. and it is therefore again recon-
4nended that the undress or service uni
form be adopted as the only one required,
and that the dress uniform be opuonai
with the companies the kind and quaity
10 be controlled by the Commander IN
Chief.
SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THE MILITARY
FUND.
Colonel Stern states that some dlssatis-
flcton has arisen among the company OF
nccra because the allowance made by the
Military Board last year was paid - the
reaimental commanders. These company
officers think that the allowance shoulu
be made per capita, based upon the NUM-
ber urosent at inspection and paid directlr
.t,ta hlN
the clothing fund arising from the govern
mont apnropriation should be distributed
nor ranita I'm the same manner but that
the ordnance store should not be so as
tributed: on the contrary. that each coln-
many should be armed ana equipped WITH
ont regard to the cost OF the outtit In such
a manner as the Commander In Chlei may
see fit, and that any allowance 10 tnehi
~ aims should not be charged against
,ham IN the distribution of clothing. This,
Colonel Stems says, seems emlhenty
nroner. If a battery of artillery, Tor IN
stance. must be supplied with guns That
cost SO 600. IL certainly is not just that
the men In the battery should be deprived
of any allowance on account OF clothlhg ior
fifteen or twenty years, or unth the IN
fantry and cavalry have received so inucn !
nor II troop OF cavalry or ihlan'lY sno ''id
reouire new arms and equipments shGulu
thev he deprived of an equal share OF
clothInt, for that reason. A fair dlstrlou-
zion would he to arm and equip all coH-
NAMES according TO the needs OF lie SCI
vice and then to divide the money anu
uniforms per capita, based upon the num-
Der present at inspection, ana TINS aiiow-
ence should go directly 10 'he nh ~,
commanders, unless otherwise agreeu NY
them. x.,,r,,,,uc
INSTRUCTION OF RECRUITS.
"Oraers should be issued" says Colonel
Stern directing that all recruits shonid
hc tnueht the 'setting-up' exercises, anu
,usrd mounting should be performed oy
tach company at least once u iholien,
the several company officers aiterhatiis
IN performing the duties OF adjutant anu
old and new officer OF the day mes
orders should also direct that regular
target practice should be had IN accord
snce with tactics, and prohibiting the
reckless shooting matches now allowed
by some company commanders when re-
suit I'm no benefit to the men.
During the year four new companies
of infantry. 20i officers and men, ana TWO
troops of cavalry. 81 officers ana men.
have been mustered into service. the TWO
troops will be treated as Companies II
and X"
Colonel Stern recommends that the COM
pany at Radford be assigned to the Sc
cond Regiment in place of the company
at Winchester, which Is recommended TO
be dsbanded. He further recommends
that In order to make room In the Fourth
Infantry for the companies in Suffolk and
Franklin, Companies G. and l of that
regiment at Petersburg and blackstone
be detached and assigned 10 the Third.
and the companies at Suffolk and Frank
lin being assigned 20 the Fourth will
make each OF the three regiments COM
plete with ten companies.
THE FIRST REGIMENT.
Colonel Stern's report on the annual
inspection of the First Regiment Of In
fantry IS as follows:
Colonel. major and ordnance officer alb
sent The regiment was inspected by bat
talions. Its condition has not materially
changed since the last inspection. An i'm
provement may have been presented by
the fact that the regiment for some time
Just prior to inspection did not use and
occupy the drill-roon. because OF the