Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-11
The NATIONAL GUARD
A Consolidation That Was Hoped for
Falls Through.
COMPANIES WILL KEEP THEIR IDENTITY
Review of the Results of the Mar
shall Hall Camp.
G Z n E r A L n o 4 E S

| Some time ago proposition was made
| to form the three leading soldier .organiza-
| lions of the District into a single battalion,
| composed of four companies of one hun
| drel men each. This suggestion was made
| at a meeting of the Washington Light In
| fantry Corps, and it was unanimously
| agreed to invite the National Rifles and the
| National Fenc;bles to join with the Light
| Infantry in forming such battalion. The
| proposal included among other things the
| sale by the National Rifles OF its armory
| property G. street. which is estimated to
| be worth s1DD,0U1. and the devotion of the
| sum thereby procured to the purpose of
| reducing the debt row resting upon the
| arnory and theater property OF the Wash
| ington Light Infantry, the estimated value
| of which Is 100000. The name Of the
| Washington Light Infantry company was
to be retained and the members of the Ma
tional Rifles and National Fencibles were to
| come in and become joint owners OF the
property. The infantry agreed to dlsband
| 80 of it's present companies and to bring
| IN the National Rifles and the National
Fencibes Without the loss of an officer in
either company, and to provide for the
| staff of each organization on the honorary
staff of the Washington Light Infantry.
| object of the PrOposcrs. -.-
The object of the proposers of this scheme,
1t as claimed, was to provide Washington
| with a military organization which should
be the finest in the United States and
which should be provided with an annual
income sufficient to support II IN the high
| est degree Of military excellence. II was
asserted that under such an arrangement
the income of the proposed Organization
| would he $&3,,sD year. and tha. $500 Of
this amount would suffice for all actual eX-
pSnSes OF the command that Is, armory
| rent, fuel lights and other necessities
The remaining $500 WAS to be devoted
| to the purchase of Urforms other than
| those of the National Guard and the oX-
| penses of sun mer trips and other eXcur-
| sions of n similar character. 1t was also
| intended II at the drill company of the Ma
tional Fencibles should be sent to all COM
petitive tests. wherever they might be held
| ami 1t was alleged that the object of the
entire command would be to give Washing
ton at first the finest battalion in the
United STAGES, and eventually the best
| regiment in America.
| The Infantry consequently formally sub
| ,nitte1 a proposition as described to the Ma
| tional Rifles and the National Fencibles.
The Rifles. at meeting held on August ,,
| considered the suggestion. but declined TO
| acCeie to ii in Il resolution which rIcited
| that owing to The many intricate questions
involved and of the impossibhity OF accom-
plishing the object sought, SO commendable
| In many respects, the company respectfully
| declined to further entertain the subject
| Cause of the Failure.
Conversation with members of the Ma
| tional Rifles since the meeting referred to
| has developed the fact that the same I'M
fortunate perplexity in which the members
| of the company are plunged regarding the
ownership of their property on Ct street land
which has prevented the organization from
Icing mustered into the National Guard.
| v as responsible for the failure TO consider
| tho prUpc sitioI. Of the Light Infantry.
| Besides this, however, there opposi-
ton on the part of .he men to merging the
| identity of the National Rifles into the
! Washington Light Int ntry. ami Wipius;
| the name that the members of the company
| SO dearly cherished. 1t WAS urged oI De-
half Of the infantry that the natural name
| Of an organization such as the one pro-
posed, would be the Washington Light In
| tantry, AMI it w,.S further explained that
| the latter company ,"as the Oldest military
organization in tie city, ha:inS been found
eoi in ISL. ana that it had Dce., IL existence
for nfty-eSnt years. These arS1!nents,
| however, proved unaVaii.ng.
Fcnc,i'iCs Also Declinc.
! The proposition was also duly and care
fully considered by the members Of the Ma
| tcnal Fea-iblrs at j meeting held on Tues
! day evening last. 1t was argued that the
National Fencibles OF Washington. ID. G..
have earned record to be proud of as the
National Fcncbics. and reports of their
| rrowCSS the drill field have spread
| throughout tn" Land. The organization is
| in most foUrishinG condition, ana the
| boys concluded that il would be OF no prac-
-uoabie advantage to drop the name Ma
| tional Fencibles,' and with It undoubtedly
| Huch OF their fame, to consolidate with the
| Infantry.
Review of the Marshall Hall Cumu.
| Hale. hearty and sunburned were the
! District national guardsnen when tbev
| came marching home from their ten days.
| encampment at Marshall Hail on Mon
| day. During their absence Center Market
Armory presented a lonely appearance, but
| row every evening the place is enliyeneJ
| by numerous groups OF militiamen, re-
| citing fragments Of history of what they
| all believe to be the most successful en-
| campment ever held by the District Guard.
| Many were the scenes ard incidents of
| Camp Blake that Will long be remembered
| by these who were there. Salient were the
| Instances of discipline, and valuable were
| the lessons of instruction in all the duties
| OF the soldier. Camp Blake was intended
| for a camp Of military instruction, and in
| all OF its details, from the time of the de-
arturo from the armory until the arrival
home, military instruction ever up
| held as the first and most important object |
IN an encafipment CT militia the dis |
ciplne and success of the whole thing de- |
pend upon the commanding officer and
unless he is capable. efficient and thor
| oughly alive to the objects Of such institu- |
TONS little will be accomplished. And not |
least of all with a lot of young recruits it |
requires an untrilg perseverance and a |
rever-faillng patience. But In this respect |
the provisional regiment of the District |
National Guard that was in camp at Mar
shall Hall from July IS to August G was |
s;ngularly fortunate, for at it's head was |
an officer who thoroughly understood his |
business; man who had the novelty of |
militia affairs, worn off by years of active |
service officer in the regular army; |
man who is kind and considerable to |
his men, and who had the hearty support |
of every officer and the love of every man |
in camp. Maj. Otto l.. SueSS, who was in |
command of the provisional regiment thor |
cughly appreciates the Importance of a |
well-drilled militia. The recent labor trou- |
bles Throughout the country have impressed |
Upon the public mind that Importance; and |
no one is doing more to train and develop /
the militia of the District than Maj Sues5. |
The commissary department was under |
tire charge OF Lieut.. Richard J. Donnelly |
of the third rur,uison; and never were more |
onerous and responsible duties better per-
formed. The lieutenant had a valua bic |
assistant in the person of Commissary |
SerGt. Leeman, who remained faithfully |
at his post both day and night. Mr. A. u. |
Geer was the assistant commissary.
The quartermaster's department was in |
charge of Capt. w. II. Myers, the veteran |
Quartermaster Of the D. c. N. G. Under his |