Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-03
OUT OF THE GUARD
The Expected Blow Falls on the Fem
cibles
Gen. Ordway's Order Disbandfng the
COmpany-Poor Inspection Given
as the Cause.

OF Columbia. Iney helQ meeting last
night behind closed doors that being their
regular monthly assembly. and an order
was then read to them by Capt. Domer,
their commanding officer, from Gen. Ord
| way, commanding the guard of the Dis
trict. notifying the company that it was
disbanded because It has repeatedly failed
to come up to the standard OF efficiency at
inspection. This order. the effect of which
has been foreshadowed in The Star from
time to time for several weeks, read as
follows:
GENERAL ORDERS, No. ~.
Headquarters District of Columbia Militia.
Washington, July l. 1873.
1. Under the provisions of section Is OF
the act of Congress, approved March l,
1889, ito provide FOR the organization OF
the militia of the District of Columbia
company c.. second battalion, Is hereby
disbanded, having been found. on duly
ordered inspection" of MAJ g. ITO have
fallen below proper standard OF ELL
cheney"
AS a matter of fact. this company has
never attained proper standard of eifi-
cheney. During the eight years of its serv-
ice the inspecting officers have each year
reported it as among the poorest In the
brigade in general military efficiency, and
Notwithstanding repeated official censures
for its disregard of orders ana regulations,
its recent inspection demonstrated the fact
that the company cannot be depended on
to perform service that may be required OF
it in the National Guard, and therefore is
rot worth the expense necessary to be in
CURED by the United States and the District
of Columbia to maintain 1t.
Grounds Surprise.
1t will be seen that Gen. Ordway based
his action upon grounds that were some
what of surprise to guardsmen. 1t was
currently expected by the well-informed
that the Fencibles would be disciplined in
a1:,,, . fro,
the guard. for the poor attendance at the
recent camp Of instruction at Fort Wash
ington. Although the company had taken
large quota OF men to the interstate drill
at Memphis. they failed to report for luty
at the camp with more than twenty men.
Gen. Ordway had said that any command
taking less than - per cent of it's strength
to Fort Washington would be subject to
this action.
AT the May inspection, the annual round
of the general ste II to size up the different
battalionS of the guard, the FencibleS We're
granted the privilege of being inspected
separa tely, owing tc the fact that they had
made rrange ments for a trip to Memphis
in the near future. 1t was confidently eX-
rected, Notwithstanding the rather poor
showing of the command during the year
at inspections, that on account of the ap-
preaching competition the men would pass
an AL examira ton. But on that occasion,
Fit is said, a large percentage of the COM
mand appeared without uniforms and lined
up at the left of the line in civilians
clothes and ci.rI ying cafes and umbrellas
in lieu of arms. In addition to this, the
regular reports from the company have
been sadly in arrears, and il has been with
difficulty that the officers at headquarters
have been able to obtain official communi-
cations from the company.
The Wheel Turns.
These are a part of the reasons, 1t is
said. that induced Gen. Ordway to phrase
his disbanding order in the terms that he
selected. The order is far more severe than
it was thought 1t would be, and leaves
nothing to be said by the commanding gen.
eral The effect of the disarmament is that
the enlisted men will be left at liberty to
apply for and receive honorable discharges
or to remain members of the National
Guard and be assigned to other commands
1t is unders TODD that a number of the men
will. at their own request, be transferred
to the National Rifles. which recently join
ed the guard. The Fencibles were original
ly known IS the Rifles Cadets" and it is
natural now, in the time of disbapdment
as company of the guard, they should re-
turn to the old parent organization. 1t is
somewhat strange that the one company
should go out of official existence just
the otter. which held out so long, goes into
the militia system of the District.
The Eject.
The officers of the company will doubtless
resign their National Guard commissions
and revert to civilian status. They are,
of course. at liberty to form any privale
organization of a military character. but
they will be obliged to purchase arms of
| their own. as in Il very short time Capt.
Domer will be served with an order from
headquarters notifying him of a time and
place for turning. over the government
property in his possession to the quarter
master general of the guard. He will also
be rotified that the armory now used by the
Fenc.bles must be vacated, and all the
private effects of the now defunct crgar liza
ton removed. Other orders. or perhaps the
same ones, will furnish him with informa-
ton relative to the disposition Of the men,
who will all be told that they may apply
for honorable discharges If they so desire.
After the meeting last night every men,
Der of the company preserved strict ST.
few words of surprise al The severity and
terms of Gen, Ordway's order
The principal effect of this action upon
the Fencibles. If the members decide to
continue the organization under the old
name as civil body of soldiers, such as
the Rifles continued to be UP to a recent
date will be to bar them from participa-
ton in any more interstnts~ drills, which
are confined to commands that are a part
of the militia system of the COUNTRY.
Friends of the Fenciblcs Indignant.
The friends of the National Fencibles are
indignant ever what they consider the sum-
mary and unnecessarily severe action of
Gen. Ordway. One Of them talked quite
freely to a Star reporter today. because, as
he said. the Fepcibles themselves, as be-
came good soldiers, would not talk of or
criticise the action of their superior officers
There is not" he said, "a company in
the National Guard, excepting, perhaps
the National Rifles. that Is not really re-
joicing at a coIsummation for which they
have SO devoutly wished. 1t is simply the
result of strong jealousies on the part of
the other companies of the National Guard
-jealousies that have shown themselves in
thousand little ways, each insignificant
in itself. but strong as a whole when ex-
crted as an influence upon the command
ing officer. The papers have known and
stated for some time past that the Fem
cihles would have to go. This was deter
mined some months ago. But how could
they best be reached? Gen. Ordway knew
that the Fencibles we're composed of young
men in business whose time was not under
their own control, and that the leaves OBJ
tail ed to ena BILE them to go to the inter-
state drill at Memphis to defend the cham
piCnship of the United States which they
lad held for several years, would inter-
fere with their attendance at the recent
encs mpment at Fort Washington. An
order was accordingly issued to the effect
that any company having an attendance at
camp of less than 10 per cent of its mem
berShiD would be mustered out