The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-12-27
JERSEY MARKSMEN
Inspector General Bird W.
Spencer Makes His
Annual Report.
EXCELLENT SHOWING ON The WHOLE
While Most of the Nilitiamen Have
Done Good Work at the Butts
There Is Still Room for
Improvement.
EXCELLENT SHOWING ON THE WHO'LL
spscia, to the Jersey City Neors.

2AI HIN i Z 49,
M cnannar the Inspector General of
piea Practice of the State, has nieo
his ranort for 1894 with the Ad]utant
conara,s II is the largest in the history
of rife practice in the State. He says
Tbe amendments to the code relating
70 rifle nractice. conforming the outy
more closely to Blunt's manual, We're
81 rictly ahered to, and notwithstanding
tho Doubt EXPRESSED by some as TO us
n~racticabilfty no difficulty was found IN
;ts enforcement. The percentage was oy
its terms raised, the number OF snots
necessary to qualify increased ana the
d,,tv nerformed more in accordance with
tho nossible calls for active duty. with
tbasa new features confronting them the
National Guard went manfully to work.
,nd Tho result of the season shows great
or interest. larger number of sharpshoot-
e,s and marksmen than ever before. Be
sides more men practiced during 1884, OF,
rather less men were absent or shlrKed
the duty, than in all the history Oh rlhe
practice in this State.
During 1894, 2,403 officers and men re-
norted for practice; during 1898, 2'oSl
rerorted for practice, showing a gain OF
| 40. Of those practicing in 1884, LOU
o,1,aliisd as marksmen and sharpshoters
| and in 1898 1,541 so qualified, showing a
| gain of 80.
AS in 1893 by far the largest number
qualified in the history of the State up TO
| hat date, the Improvement IL -SN Is
remarkably creditatle. In the skirmlsh
practice. from COG yards down to zW
yards and return, 2,11E officers and men
reported and went through this tour o.
duty.
yOLLEY FIRING.
In the volIey firing, 1,T9 officers ana
men reported and fired at the volley
target at the word of command. All
of these National Guardsmen will make
hetfer and more efficient soldiers for
this practice.
The First Troop leads the State IN
organization figure of merit, 56.4S. 1t is
! not surprising that this is SO, for sol
! 1ierly bearing, martial spirit, discipline
and desire to do their full duty are the
most conspicuous traits of this model
| ,avalry company. All but IL out OIL oil
! members reported for duty on the range.
The Second Regiment follows closely
with "a. 90. AS an instance of what can
be done by careful training by efficient
! officers, this excellent organization is a
bright and shining Nearly
| one-half of all the sharpshooters in the
| State are enlisted in this regiment. All
| Inf 16s men out of the total Of 800 re-
| ported for duty on the range and many
| of the bsentee have since been eX-
! PEELED. The regiment is specially raw
4 bred in its officers, all being earnest and
| intelligent. alive to the necessity Tor
! instruction in the handling of the rifle.
| without drawing any comparison they
| set an example other regiments might
| 10 well to follow.
I desire especially to commend the
| excellent discipline and earnest efforts
| Of the officers and men of the First
| Regiment. This organization, made up
of nearly all new material, showed
| the best of discipline while at the camp.
| Not one single instance of absence with
| out leave was reported by the range Off
GERS. -Four hundred and ninety-two Off
| GERS and men were present for duty,
| and increase of 1873 over 1893.
In the Third Regiment 1919 out of 555
| officers and men failed to report, and,
with a few exceptions, the officers make
no effort to encourage this most i'm
~portant part of the soldiers duty.
The Fourth Regiment would rank
higher in figure of merit were it not for
the enlistment llte in the season of an
entire new company, of which but 10
| could obtain any practice. The regi-
rnent is excelIently Differed and con-
tains good material. 1t is reasonably
certain that, with continued effort, they
will be nearer the front another season.
SIXTH REGIMENT HOLDS ITS OWN.
The Sixth regiment holds it's own, as
in former years, retaining fifth place in
figure Of merit. Much interest is dis
played in this organization and it con-
tains most excellent material.
notwithstanding the efforts of the
efficient Inspector of Rifle Practice of
the Seventh and some of it's officers, the
egiment dropped from second place to
| fourth. While in camp the regiment did
well as q whole, but for some reason
the men did not report; but 325 were
/ present, as against 421 In 1885,.
The result of the most careful consid-
Grafton of the subject leads me to the
| conclusion that the season should be re-
duced to four or five weeks; the facilities
for practice at Sea Girt increased, and
all officers and men required to give one
day at least to this duty, under pay from
the State.
IT our soldiers cannot shoot because
they are not taught to shoot, it will be
a more dangerous experiment to place
in their hands the new Krag-Jorgensen
rifle than it was trusting them with the
old Springfield. Our experience has
taught us that, what with being 'sgun
shy,n having defective sight, weak heart,
&C, the soldier who has no instruction
in target practice. volley firing with ball
cartridges, and skirmish runs also with
bail cartridges, is more dangerous to his
comrades than to an enemy.
In company figure of merit four COM
panies of the Second regiment secure the
sixth place. Company E, Sixth regiment,
long known for its efficiency with the
rifle, are fifth Company A, Seventh
regiment, has seventh place They are:
Company B, Second regiment, 1877;
Company c, Second regiment, 1852;
Company A, Second regiment. TAFT.
F%EstfstaG