The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-18
INDIANS AS rIARKSMEN.
They Can't Shoot Well With Rifles,
but Their Revolver Work Is Good.
Washington Evening Star.


Reports received al the War Department OF
recent small arms competitions among the
troops OF the far West show cOnclusiYely that
the nobl- red man, as represented In Uncle
Sans military service, does not compare very
favOrably with bis paleface brother IN the
matter OF sharpshooting. There Is a popular
idea, gained from Cooper's Leather Stocking,
aud even more modern literature, about the
"deDZens of the forest" that all warriors are
superior marksmen. Army statistics prove
that this is a romantic delusiOn so far as the
Indian soldier Is concerned.
In recent competitors the Indians who have
been enlisted in the Army OF the Colorado have
had chance 10 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 enlisted, but II also
says that the sights on the rifles are still incom-
prehensible 10 Them and that much patience
has been necessary on the part OF the officers 10
bring them 10 an 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 merit OF the
company was GS.SS.
In collective firing the Indian average was
31.57, while the men OF the other troops made
an average of 62.7U. The Indians In the Flew
enth Infantry made for their company ID the
average individual figure of merit of 25.O5,
Willie the figure OF the other troops was 62.S7.
In The Sixteenth Infantry there Is one company
OF Indians. Their figure of merit by individual
classification WAS an average OF 27.14. while
the figure OF the Whit troops was The high
average of 93.1G. In collective firing the In
dian average was 29.39, as compared with the
white average OF 7O.47.
AT pistol-iring the Indians do better. There
Is separate report on this sort OF firing for the
same troops, aud Troop l. of the 5 cOud Cav
airy, being composed exclusively of Indians,
mad record of which the men should be
proud. If they ever learn about IL. AT dis
mounted practice they MADE an average of
1888. as compared with the general average
for the command of 66.72; at mounted prac-
tice their average was far ahead of that of the
white troops, and their average per cent for all
firing was 65.72, as compar with 59.4S for
the whole command. Tie Indians stood first
Ia order of merit for revolyeT-firng for tue de-
partment.
There were some other interesting statistics
obtained by this practice. The natives OF the
United States stood eleventh IN order of merit
among Municipalities. Norway Austria, swift
Germany, Canada and Belgium coming In
order before the United States. The men OF
SIX feet IN height aud over were also highest
IN order OF merit as SharpshoOterS, anu The
shortest men were the lowest. The men of
light blue eyes were the best marksmen, with
those OF dark blue next Even tn ligh-blue
eyed men were The best mark smen among The
negroes. The report calls attention 10 The fact
that the percentage made by the Indians at
revolver practice was greater than tile percent.
age made by the winners OF The gold medals in
tons OF the department for the years 1892 ana
1893. Ii was also The highest record maue
under existing regulations by any troop Ia the
department.