The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-07-24
The NATIONAL MILITIA
Capt. Rodman, Of Fort As%sinniboine,
Explains the Minor Defects
Of the System.
Tho Experiences at Homestead
and Buffalo are Good OBJ
ject LessonA
some Valuable Advice Applicable t. the
Montana National Guard From ~
Experienced Army Ohiosr.

To Ths Independent;
! Wal a. one time asked 10 make some re-
marks on the minor defects / had observed
In the national guard. and TO suggsss rem.
edies for them. Every Eegulas army ofhssr
who comes In contact with the national
guard see defects which he knows should BE-
corrected. and which hs probably could
correct In The rsgslar army, bat whish
would have an entirely different aspecA we're
he dealing with the citizen soldier. ny reply
TO this l will now seciss: Care should BE-
taken that sach oSeanixation. whethes con.
pany. battalion, regiment. troop or battery.
should be prepared to take care OF itself
whom called upon for duty. The sxpss-
iencs Of the national guard Of Psnnsylvs-
mia which Was called into active service
At Homestead. that Of New York summoned
to Buffalo. should DO an object lesson
which should teach the national guardsnan
that he must take care Of himself The
public prints told ~ that the soldiers NOT
only suffered from lack OF proper shelter.
bnt (, ON absolute hunger. This should not
be. preparations should be made and ma
terial should DO At hand In each oraantza-
sion to put Is comfortably under canvas,
when the emergency presents itsslf. Simple
Damp cooking utensils should be at hand.
and trained cooks ready to prepare meals
for tho men from the soldisrs' ration. 90
whom q company or battalion 10 dropped
down al soma suburban stock yard. freight
depot or II hurtiedly called into aotive sol.
vice In the hsld. tho men may shelter them
selves and have something TO eat, instead
- aAandinn nv0unA ahivAstnn aud hn0OPv
No did the soldiers q Bu6alo and
Homestead. In both the regular
arm and the national guard. single
companies are more frequently called into
active service than larger bodies OF mon;
for this reason each COMPANY should b:
itself under all circumstances. The men
should be supplied with eantsens. havsr-
sacks, blanket bags. campaign hats. shoes.
leggings, knives. forks and spoons-in fact q
regular kit for active service. The men
should also be taught to pitch the various
that they will ''stay up and have . sym
netrioal appearance. Any one who has
seen 8 green squad attempt to pitch q tent
will app eoiats the necessity Of rule and
method in this seemingly simple affair.
Each unit should be taught 10 get under
cover quickly and properly.
somewhat associated with bstallions and
companies Of the militia Of several Of the
states. principally those Of New York, I'LL
nois. Missouri and Kansas.4 and to have
acted 90 judge in various competitive drills,
and l here bear willing testimony to the
soldierly qualities Of nearly all the orga.
contact. Whom the Of orGsnizs-
tion. competition of the . and nls. and
the method of selecting officers and non.
commissioned officers 10 considered. IL may
we'll be q matter alike of surprise and CON.
graduation that such good results
try now has 80 many. efficient citizen
soldiers. / consider that whatever the
militia of tho United States lacks In mill
ia y excellence arises from the very nature
of Its Inception, composition and the Pc
culiar circumstances andor which Il exists
OF its material and the nature Of the laws
and regulations which govern II.
An individual enters the militia of hia
own vo,ition; he 10 usually In easy enough
ciroumstance to permit him TO devote a
esrtain portion of each week to military
duties; being able to do this. he is per foroe
va,ious reasons. first and principally from
tho innate patriotic and military spirit
which exists in the majority of Amsri-
can citizens; next for soOinbility. and
lastly, for a very few. to escape certain civil
duties from which the militia are exempt.
When a company ID TO be formed one of
of the office 9 and missioned or
GERS; this, the law requires TO DO done By
election. which necessarily entails . oet-
tain amount OF cauCusinR and e~lectionser.
ing. for ] 10 not think the company exists
in which all tho offioers and non-commis-
mated md elected. Tho officers chosen
henceforth. consciously and unoonsciously,
nrs under a certain obligation to their ad-
herents and IL would not be human il this
obligation did not. in . greater OF less
deg 90. influence the military inter
it has no appreoiabls effect In many cases 10
shown BY the number of excellent oompan-
les in many parts Of tho country which have
demonstrated their military efficiency in
various ways. II Is. however, . factor
against which, l believe. almost every Off
Ger n non-conmissioned officer who holds
his position by election has to struggle
10 the soul Of discipline, and to my mind.
both the ono and the other are endangered
in the organization whose officers have been
placed in their positions by the will of the
men they arc expected to command and In
struot. A. tbs aervioe T. voluntary. The
to be unavoidable, IL il difficult TO
find n better, and obviously Il lies with
the rank md file In large measure to estsb-
lish the degree of excellence of their orQani-
cation. With few exceptions the officers
Of militia l havo met arc capable studious.
industrious Ant vol able to instruct; and
II each member of the rank and file would
forget for whom he voted and give to his
officers willing and prompt obedience while
under Instructions. there is no reason Why
the company or .egiment should not reach
the very highest order of military sdioisncy.
The fact that officers and mon are on the
same social level ia not to be lost sight of
in conside ing this subject. IL helps to
explain tho difficulty which officers some
times experience in enforcing discipline. II
10 natural for a man of intelligence to think
for himself and to he lonth to obey, whom The
orders are In conflict with his own opinions
and are given by ono whom he considers
merely his equal or perhaps his inferior.
The perfect military fabric 10 backed BY su
unqusstioned authority. This authority II
binding upon every individual who forms
one of its c~omponsnts. and who II taught tc
respect II in all bis military acts and &c
understand that he VIII inevitably have &c
answer for the violation of any Of its reRu-
lations. This element of authority does
mot obtain In the militia to a. extent nsces
say for perfect discipline and Ito lack vii
frequently manifest itself ON the drill
ground. ON the march and in the camp.
Aititismen who Wero mustered into thu
service OF the United States az volunteer
during the late war will remember the
change In the manner md bearing of thsil
officers and pou-cOmmiu0iOu0u oH1lora afkeI