Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-21
THE LAST DRILL
A Farewell to the Gallant Cavalry
at Fort Myer
BEFORE LEAVING FOR THE WEST
A Large Crowd Witness the Final
Exhibition Drill.
A b R1LEIANT SCENE

| The squadron of cavalry stationed at
Fort Myer gave its farewell exhibition drill
4 today. The squadron is to be relieved on
| october 2 by four troops of the sixth cav
airy now at Chicago. and Fort Myer viii
become the regimental headquarters of the
] sixth. The departing companies the COM
manders and their destinations are: Troop
A. first regiment. Capt. Bonus, Arizona;
| troop +. seventh regiment, Capt. Bell, Fort
| Stanton, New Mexico: troop II eighth
regin ent, Capt Fountain, Fort Meade.
South Dakota; troop X. ninth regiment,
Capt Hughes. Fort Robinson, Nebraska
The drill today was the final one. and the
| troopers and their officers WED in making
| II one of the finest Ii was the last charge
| OF this squadron over the familiar plain.
! Tho men are soon to bid farewell to their
horses, their barracks. their swezthearts
| and to Washington. There was a feeling Of
sadness among them they thought of
these things. but they promised TO hold
| Washington in as ioyai and as afectionate
remembrance as Washington will hold
! them. They have made many parade pic
| lures On our streets and the citizens viii
often think Of them in their new homes
| away out in the land of sunset. among the
prickly cacti Of the southwest and the
yellow-blossome5 sage and greasewood of
the northwest
| A large crowd Of Washington friends went
over to TIE post this forenoon to wave their
handkerchiefs In farewell and shout good
bye. All the stages from Georgetown car
ried their complement OF patrons and ran
extra trips. Many other public vehicles did
| a thriving trade, and private carriages roll
ed across the Aqueduct bridge and up the
| heights of Arlington in a long and steady
stream. Ii was hattering procession In
| compliment to the boys in blue Hacks,
coaches and traps of divers kinds We're lined
UP along the north edge Of the field, and
hundreds of men. maids and matrons rested
their arms on the barbed wire fence which
hens fl in. Several vehicles full of gay girls
and ribbons and soldiers and gold lace occu-
pied positions of vantage on the infield.
Bevies of bright girls. who have furnished
men with the inspiration of valor through
all ages, lent their presence to the scene. A
delegation of the Citizens Fire Company OF
Bennet, Pa. and number OF tine Virginia
militiamen from Grange Camp were on
| hand
The Drill Field.
Maj. whiteside of the seventh regiment
was the ranking ofic .r during the absence
Of Col Henry.
The drill field is hedged round on the east
by the walls Of Arlington cemetery. with
white tombs and green foliage a back
ground. Over to the west the view is
closed by a copse Of heavy wood. but the
vista to the scuth stretches far down over
rolling hills TILL the earth and the sky are
one. A glimpse Of the city can be had
here and there through riffs in the boughs
and leaves to the eastward. over the mid
die Of the plain. on a little rising ground,
the buglers. mounted on the familiar grays.
We're blowing a merry martial tune that
stirred the blood of the spectators. The
squadron. In response to the call. trotted up
from the stables I'm fours front and at .
lively pace. cloud Of yellow dust marked
its route of march, and out Of this flashed
and twinkled the brilliant colors Of the
guidons.
A sea OF white heimets bobbed and dane
ed en- the crests OF the waves of blue as
they ratified past. The hundreds Of hoofs
beat the ground with a sound Of thunder,
and the Jostifng sabers made a metallic and
elar ling clatter, full Of martial inspiration.
Many exclan ations. such as ''Oh.' "Ahr'
.HIrrah.' went up from the dry and dusty
throats of the lcckers-on as the columns OF
fcurs pranced PAST.
A Fine Spectacle.
At the order, the. squadron wheeled into
line and halted. The bugles continued to
sing. and Mai. whiteside. distinguished by
his white hair, white. stubby mustache and
thin. stiff. yarrior-like goatee and hand
somely mounted on a mettlesorle bay, took
UP his position well in the foreground and
facing the aligned troops. The officers re-
ported to him, sabers were drawn with a
rasping. chilling ring. and the nuttering red
and white guidons were waited rom ths
left TO the right of the companies.
Present sabers," was shouted forth, and
the glittering blades went up into the SUM-
light like an electric fash. Return sabers"
and the steels were thrust into their scab-
bards with a crash. ''Fours right center.'
"Fours, right turni" were what Mai White
side said next in his lusty tones; the cap
tains and the buglers passed the order
down the lines and the men were on the
move. 1t was restless sight. Lines OF
men sErged to and fro; horses beat the
ground, arched their necks, champed their
G n ne nyfud
toyed with their names; the flags waved,
tapped and Haunted and the brilliant morn
ing sun was met with answering flashes
from military steel and brass.
over the plain they rolled in a solid pha-
lanx. 'Fours, right about" and the troops
wheeled round and round with the right
horse as a pivot. ''Fours. left about" and
the movement was reversed. This spinning
song was kept up for some time and then
came the order Halt" Backward guide
CENTER FORWARD, right center" and "Fours
right. march," and the bugles blared and
the horses trotted and the men jolted In
their saddles In the easiest and most COM
Portable way.
A Stirring Charge.
Left front into line" yelled the major.
and IL was sooner said than done There
was a rapid and earnest issuing OF orders,
and the bugles were sounding their loudest.
There was a rustic of commotion among
the men and horses and a Fastening OF
happen. The troops were bearing down fuH
tilt and company front on the hurdle. The
men steaded themselves in the saddle as
they reached the obstruction. rose fin the
stirrups. cleared the boards and careered
onward. Those behind repeated the move
ment until all had passed, and then the
commander yelled yell which rose above
the dust and clatter. roar and harmonious
confusion, "Fours right" and the hurrying
columns pr2nced by.
Down at the south end OF the fieli the
squadron formed In line OF battle, and.
with flashing revolvers and spluttcrins
cartridges, came fol ward on the dead run,
broke into fours left and rode back.
The charge was repeated with sabers. and
the men gave an exhibition OF how they
could WELD their bright weapons without
cutting any one. They clinked their swords
against each other. and with hearty shouts
gave n small-scale imitation Of the storm OF
war The buglers again drew up In the
middle of the field, Major Whiteside faced
his con mand the columns broke into fours
left ard trotted OFF the field. The drill was
done and the people of Washington saw
their heroes in the saddle for perhaps the
last time.
The horses will remain here and will bs
ridden by the men OF the sixth cavalry. The
dana rffnQ men will take the horses M