Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-31
THEY WANT REGULAR TROOPS,
states Are Anxious to Have Them Encamp
With the Militia.

Inc abandonment of the proposed encamp-
ment OF regular troops at Chicago this summer
because OF the failure of the authorities of that
city to provide suitable grounds has resulted in
numerous applications to the War Department
for officers and soldiers to participate in the
summer enampment of the National Guard in
the different states New Jersey and Wisconsin
are early in the field The former desires to
have at Sea Girt this year the cavalry garrison
of Fort Myer, Va, and the latter desires the
third infantry at Fort Smelling to assist in the
coming state encampment at Camp Douglas.
Gov. Russell of Massachusetts, has also asked for
the detail of Maj. NJ. P. Miller fifth artillery. as
inspector of the Massachusetts National Guard
encampment.
Another proposition made to the department
is that the artillery troops at Washington bar
racks and Fort McHenry, Maryland. partici-
pate in the reunion of the second army corps
at Gettysburg during the summer, but this,
like all the other propositions of similar
nature, has not been finally considered.
NOT ALWAYS PRACTICABLE.
Naturallyit is sometimes impracticabIeori nex-
pedient to have regulars in camp with the state
troops, but whenever such arrangements can
be made and are desired by the latter the War
Department stands ready to forward the work
OF cooperation. The advantage secured in
this respect is chiefly that Of having an object
lesson set before the citizen soldiers of the way
that professionals are accustomed to perform
held duty. In addition regular officers are
often invited on such occasions to instruct or
suggest or to supervise drills. When the
regulars and militia maneuver together the
army officers get their full share OF the benefit
by having larger commands than they have
been accustomed to. The advantages, indeed,
are mutual in these joint encampments.
Other states, instead Of asking for regular
troops, annually request the detail Of one or
more army officers to be present and inspect
their camps. This year Massachusetts led off
with such a request for her camp, which is to
be held at an unusually early date The officer
whose presence is asked is Maj. Miller of the
fifth artillery, and if he can be spared from his
duties at Fort Monroe he will be detailed.
New York has for years had army officers at
the Peekskili encampment, and last summer
it had there, including the President, the re-
cOrder and a third member of the tactical
board, SO that it derived great advantage in
the practice of the new drill regulations.
MANY PRECEDENTs.
There are lots of precedents for the granting
Of the requests of the states in this matter. One
sumner, for example. not only did the four
companies Of the nineteenth infantry encamp
with the Michigan troops at Gosnac Lake, but
the entire ten companies of the second infantry
from Fort Omaha were with the Iowa National
Guard throughout August at Cedar Rapids,
Spirit Lake or Des Moiues. At Mount Grctna.
Pennsylvania's encampment. a light battery of
the third artillery went from Washington bar
racks and another of the first from Fort Ham,
llton, with troops of the fourth cavalry and b
of the sixth from Fort Myor. and two compa-
mics of the eleventh infantry from Madison bar
racks, near Sackett's Harbor That same year
company OF the eleventh infantry went to tine
Vermont camp from Plattsburg barracks, the
Texas militia had regulars of all three arms en-
camping with them and the Fort Smelling gar
rison of the third infantry took part in the rifle
practice at Camp Douglas in Wisconsin.