The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-07-11
THE ROSTER.
Soldier Boys at
Quonset Point.
A Souvenir of This Years
encampment.
Many Things to See at One Time
During the Day.
Rhode Islands Militiamen Having
Lots of Work and Fun.

"There are so many things TO see at one
| time. :" That's what a staff officers little
girl said yesterday afternoon when she
was taken out to see regimental parade
at the Rhode Island Militia Encampment,
and the statement of the infant is very
applicable TO the big parade ground every
afternoon. The militia of the State never
looked better than now, and here and
there Is nothing diminutive about the
line when everything is out from Colonel
Moran's regiment of infantry on the
Strauss on the left. The regimental pa
rade has been brought up wonderfully,
and the officers are not slow in pointing
out the errors For instance, yesterday at
the conclusion Colonel Moran was not
satisfied with the march past I'm command
of the non-commissioned officers, and
they were ordered through 1t a second
time
GOOD WORK by BATTERY A.
Captain Barker provided the most in
teresting entertainment Of the week early
last evening, when he ordered portion
of his battery to the south cliffs, over
looking the bay, for practice in firing
shells. There was only one platoon actu-
ally engaged IN the work of loading and
firing, but the two guns were surrounded,
at safe distance, by big crowd of men
representing all branches of the service,
and not excepting General Kendall, who,
accompanied by number of his staff,
rode over.
The target selected was the big rock out
in the bay, and 1900 yards from the loca-
tSon chosen by Captain Barker to station
his guns. There is less of that rock in
one piece than there was. The percus-
sion shells were used that explode with
contact, and, with three exceptions, the
II fired either struck the rock or exploded
Ni lri Kat
il, thanks to the directions of Captain
Barker and the trained ability of Cor
porals Stone, Fiske and Kelly in pointing
and aiming.
Nothing was used but the pendulum
house TO aid them in getting the correct
elevation and the windage and all other
factors that must be taken into account
in artillery practice were carefully and
accurately accounted for. After the bonn
bsrdment Of the rock, a case shot was
fired into the air and exploded at dis
tance of 600 yards by the time fuse. The
estimated velocity OF the shot is 800 yards
a second, and the time fuse may be cut
so as to determine exactly the distance
at which and the time in which the burst
ing charge may be exploded. The captain
of Battery A has made a regular school in
the mathematics, the theory and science
of gunnery for his officers and men and
they show the good results of their teach
ing in practical work. His command is
to be inspected by Lieutenant Woolley this
afternoon.
BATTALION AGAINST BATTALION.
This has been the big day OF camp with
the First Regiment OF Infantry, and the
officers and men of that command have
had new experience in military service
that had every appearance of the actual,
from distance, and offered the best OPP
portunities for strategtic move
ments on the part of those in
command. The scheme was to take
out the two battalions separately,
one forty minutes after the other, and have
them act as the advance guards of oppos-
ing forces supposed to be approaching
each other. The idea was suggested to
Colonel Phetteplace by Lieutenant Pardee,
u. 5. A., readily accepted, and enthusias-
regiment. II was not sham battle but a
preliminary brush between outposts-just
like game Of chess as Colonel Warfeld
remarked and a test OF shrewdness in
locating and advancing men.
The modus operandi was to divide each
battalion, considered in itself as an ad-
vance guard, into three sections, that Is,
the point, the reserve, and the advance
party, and in addition to these sub
divisions of the advance guards, there
were 1ankers thrown out on either side,
and beyond them line of scouts. The
ground selected Tor the engagement was
picked out by Lieutenant Pardee and
Adjutant Barrows and comprised very
diversified section OF the land OF North |
Kingstown on the road to Davisville,
taking I'm long open stretches, swampland, |
hills and woodland. None OF the men |
knew where they were going when they |
left camp just after guard mount this |
morning, and no one knew when or |
where the enemy would be met. Each |
man had 20 rounds OF ammunition blank
cartridges, but its use was only Incl |
dental and for the purpose OF adding a |
tinge OF reality to the encounter. The |
real object was to test the skill OF Messrs. |
Tanner and Easterbook in command OF |
the battalion, and OF their subordinates,
In taking advantage OF every shelter of |
fered by the ground in fanking the op- |
position and advancing safely their own |
guard. And as such n test il was emf |
nently successful, and the forenoon's |
work Is OF great importance in the militia |
records OF the State, particularly from the |
technical point OF view. There were siy |
umpires to go out with the battalion, and |
their duties were to watch the progress OF |
the ffght, and 10 rule out OF action any |
detachment OF men, who in actual con- |
fiict under the same conditions would be |
absolutely Obliged TO surrender. That is |
where Colonel Warfield's comparison TO /
the game OF chess comes in. The umpires |
were Lieutenant Woolley and Lieutenant |
Pardee OF the regular army, Captain /
Whitaker OF the Kansas Artillery. Cap |
tain WhiDDle. Colonel Warfeld and ieu-