The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-18


Companies A. Third Battalion, In
fantry. and A and b. OF Fourth Bat
TALON. Infantry; Troop 'B' and Battery
a., had 100 per cent. present at inspec-
ton.
The condition of the volunteers, as a
whole, continues TO improve, and they
are more nearly perfected for service
than they have ever been, still improve
mtnt must be made In several commands
I'm order that they may be as efficient
as necessary
AS a general rule the enlisted men are
able bodied and capable Of rendering SER
vice but not sufficient care is taken in
this particular by some officers in re-
cruiting and there are many men on the
rolls who are TOO old to perform such
duty as might be required Of them Oc-
CasiOnally men are found In ranks who
are either hollow-chested. round-shOulder-
ed, knock-kneed, bow-legged, affected in
the hip or knee. and who could not per-
form arduous duty. such men should not
be enlisted. and this can easily be avoided
Jy directing n physical examination to
be made by the surgeons, which is not
now required.
THE companies that were called into
service during the past year without
exception, show marked Improvement as
a result Of the instruction given them
while on duty. This leads irresistbly TO
| the conclusion that what is most needed
| by the troops Is a camp Of instruction
| under strict military discipline.
"a large number Of officers expressed
! commands at their respective posts Tor
the purpose Of giving them such instruc-
! ton as might be possible under the cir
cnfnstances fScqinH,SnP o oi'I( ha Sorn
| piled with
Among the recommendations made by
] Colonel Stern in his report are the FOL
| lowing:
F1FsT REGIMENT.
The First Regiment Infantry has about
I .rtV
! upscrviceable, because torn out in the
| eyelet holes or otherwise slightly dam
| aged, which the colonel commanding
| thinks could be repaired by the manutac-
turers at very slight cost and would De
| as good as new.
In the same regiment the leather straps
on blanket bags haVcrsacks ana cahteehS
| seem TO be Of an inferior quailty anu
| badly tanned The brasses, hooks, etc,
| are however in good order. and the col
| Onel suggested that this leather could be
| furnished by the penitentiary; me same
| brasses being used. and would be found
| 10 be much cheaper than buying new
| feathers, and IT Is recommended, n prac-
| ticabe that these two suggestions be
| carried out.
SHOULD BIZ p1sBANDED.
"The term Of service Of Troop d, Han
! over: T., Prince George. and +, Chester
| field having expired. and the men not
| having Te-enlisted, an order should be
made dsbsnding them. The men OF
! Troop 9. Richmond, have been trans
ferred to the Fourth Battalion, Infantry.
| This troop did not appear for inspection,
| and similar order should be made cover
ing it.
Troop II. Henrico, is far below the
standard apparently on account of not
| having been thoroughly instructed from
| the beginning. There is a lack Of interest
| In the troop, men are not at all informed
! ia their duties, and the troop IS thorough
ly inefficient at this time. IT is recon-
mended that they be inspected with refer
ence TO disbandment.
The important question in the case OF
each company is would II be efficient II
called into the service, and by this test
! each company must be tried
Tactical errors at inspection and
mistakes were very much less apparent
than heretofore, but when they occurred
were pointed out.
The interpretations Of drill regulations
| published by the Army and Navy jour
nal have not been supplied 10 the ON
GERS, and IT is recommended that this
The roster books and descriptive rolls
are not yet the subject of af much at
tention as they should be. In some com
mands they are well kept, but in others
they are very much neglected. There
seems 10 be no better way of having
these errors corrected than that hereto
fore accommodated having the books
Of each company sent TO reginental ana
battalion headquarters, as the case may
be- annually and there put in proper
shape after being thoroughly inspected
by Il competent staff officer.
After this is done once or twice 1t Is
probable the books can be kept IN order.
1t would require an inspecting otlcer Two
or three days at each post to make these
corrections himself
In some commands orders are not
| written up at ALL but are Kept loose IN
| the order-book, and Of course, are
easily lost. The new supply OF roster
books have no blank leaves In the back
FOR orders and there are too many pages
| for the roster. These books should be
called in, taken apart and rebound, so
as 10 save a large quantity OF this PRINT
ed matter, there being entirely too mucn
i'm each book, and at the same time put
in the blank leaves for the orders.
"A sufficient supply of various blank
forms should be prepared and sent to
each Tegimental and battalion headQuar-
tiers. complaint being made that these
cannot be btaned when called for.
In the matter Of enlistments, sufficient
evidence IS not kept by each company
commander Of the fact that the men
have enlisted and taken and subscribed
the oath required by law, nor in any case
has the certificate been furnished TO the
man provided for in section 3ll.'
The following is taken from Colonel
! Stern's notes as 20 his observations at the
annual inspection of the various military
organizations, referring TO the Richmond
commands;
FIRST REGIMENT.
HEADQUARTERS: Some confusion pro-
duced by colonel giving command. "Pre-
| pare for review" Absent QuartermaSter
! AMI Assistant Surgeon. COmmissary not
- CpGy uniformed; one name omitted
! from musteT-rOll. Band and Drum corps
not instructed In inspection; no command
given for muster Of nOn-cOmmiSSlOned
| s,aff and color guard.
COmTany "A'-SeveTal men with red
shoes, forage cap, badges missing; one
| order not in order-book.
Company 'B"-Collars not uniform; sew
eral loose belts; several men with red
! SHOES.
Company "C'-Lieutenants at order af-
! ter command for inspection; several loose
! belts; one man with red shoes; several
| men without forage cap badge
Company "D"-Several forage cap
| badges missing; several loose belts, large
| number Of men, apparently re fruits and
| not instructed in handling rifle at nspec-
| ton; several men with Soiled gloves;
muster-rou not neatly or properly pre-
pared.
Company "E'-One man without forage
cap badge; one man with red shoes; many
men with sOiled gloves; collars not uni
| form.
Company "F'-Several men not in uni
! form, not having enough TO supply the
company; two men Without forage cap
badges; muster-rOll not carefully pre-
pared.
FIRST BATTALION INFANTRY (COLoREDl
Headquarters-Mu badly pre-
pared; orders are not properly prepared
and not WOTded in military language,
! some of the companies in the Battalion
were properly presented for inspection.
Ccn.pany "a (EichmOnd)--SeVeral men
unsteady in ranks and not instructed in