St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-29
INDIAN MARK SMEN.
They Cant Shoot With Rifles. but
Their Revolver shooting Good.

They Cant Shoot With Rifles. but
Their Revolver shooting Good.
Washington Evening Star
Reports received at the war depart
Hient of recent small arms competitions
among the troops in the far West show
conclusively that the noble red man. as
represented in Uncle Sans military
service. does not compare very favorably
with his paleface brother in the matter
of SharpShOotiug. There is a popular
idea, gained from Cooper's Leather
Stocking Tales" and even more modern
literature, about the ''dusky denizens of
the forest" that all warriors are supe.
rior marksmen. Army statistics prove
that this is romantic delusion SO Tar as
the Indian soldier is concerned.
In recent competitions the Indians
who have been enlisted in the Army of
the Colorado have had chance to
show what they could do side by side
with white men. The best that can be
said OF them in the report is that they
have made progress since being en-
listed. out 1t also says that the sights on
the rifles are still incOlnprehensibie to
them, and that much patience has been
necessary On the part of the officers to
bring them TO any understanding at all
of the principles of craftsmanship.
Troop l.. of the Second cavalry. that
being an Indian company, showed an
individual average figure OF merit OF
1922. while the average figure OF me ri}
OF the company was 7S.SS.
In collective firing the Indian average
was 3l.57, while tie men of the other
troops made all average of 62.70. The
Indians in the Eleventh Infantry made
for their company W the average indi-
vldual figure OF merit Of 25.G5, while the
figure OF the other troops was CYST. In
the Sixteenth infantry there is one
company of Indians. Their figure of
merit by individual classification was
21.14, while the figure of the white
troops was the high average OF 93. Is.
In collective firing the Indian average
was 9.39. as compared with the white
average Of 70.47.
AT pistol firing the Indians do better.
There Is separate report OH this sort
or firing for the same troops, and Troop
l., Of the second cavalry, being CON-
posed exclusively of Indians. made a
record of which the men should be
proud, ii they ever learn about it. At
dismounted practice they made all aver
aye OF 1888. as compared with the gen
erai average for the command of GO. 20;
at mounted practice their average was
FAR ahead Of that Of the white troops,
and their average per cent for all iirinY
was 60. ~. as compared with 59.4S for
the whole command. The Indians
stood first in order of merit for revolver
firing for the department..
-sGiere, were some other interesting
tatistics obtained by this pra ctice. The
natives OF the United States stood
eleventh in order OF merit among na-
itionalities. Norway, Austria, Switzer-
fand, ireland, France, Denmark, Scot
iaud, Germany, Canada and Belgium
coming i'll order before the q nited
States. The men of six feet In height
and over were also highest in order of
merit as sharpshOOters. and the shortest
men were the lowest. The men of light
blue eyes were the best marksmen, with
those of dark blue next. Even the
light Diue-eyed men were the best
marksmen among the negroes. The
report Calls attention to the fact that
the percentage made by the Indians at
revolver practice was greater than the
percentage made by the winners of the
gold medals in the revolver matches at
the cavalry competitions of the depart
ment for the years 1892 and l S93. 1t
was also the highest record made under
existing regulations by any troop in the
department.