Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-05

OdltduOu, WHICH IL " Uc k1lO"A CoAlSA
as the third separate company. According
to an officer Of the fifth, 1t has been evil
dent for long time that the members Of
company A cannot keep up with the active
work required in the battalion these days,
and consequently the attendance has very
naturally fallen of. The men have been,
and are, heart and soul, interested in the
National Guard, and hate to confess that
they are not as young as they used to be-
They have to a man served In the army
or navy. and in addition have been mem
bers of the guard for from four to six
special consideration. In view of the fore
going, says the officer, company A. Is
detached from the fifth battalion ana des-
ignated as the third separate company.
cruting is enlarged and the company
will be permitted to enlist men VINO nave
served in the army, navy or marine corps
since the war, as well as those VINO nave
been connected with the National Guard
for at least six years. In this way 1t Is
thought that the veterans will be placed
in position Of honor. in appreciation lot
their long service.
That the best Of feeling exists between
company A and battalion headquarters was
demonstrated by an official leave taking on
Sunday morning last. Speeches were maze
by Maj. Suess, Capt. Simmons and others,
and after wishing each other continued
prosperity under the new condition OF al
fairs and promising to maintain the present
agreeable social relations, the parting &C.
CURED.
The identity Of the battalion as the
Union Veteran Corps has long been lost
because of the enlistment of those VINO are
not veterans or sons of veterans, ana the
change about to occur concentrates the
Union Veteran Corps from a battalion to
the old well-known Union Veteran Corps,
First Company"
Mai. Suess has received several offers to
fill the vacancy which will be caused by
he of He Is proc eeQ-
ing cautiously, however, and will accept
nothing less than sixty-hve frst-class men,
who will, without question, be able 10 hoio
up their end with any company In the
guard. There is pleasing prospect OF en-
listing in the near future such a company,
composed of number of well-knoWn pro-
fessional and business men.
Capt. Columbus Has Resigned.
Another matter of interest in the fifth
battalion is the resignation of Capt. FABIAN
Columbus of company B. Capt. Columbus
has for a long time past 1t Is said. con-
templated retiring from the guard, and ne
was awaiting an opportunity when ne
could leave his command in firSt-claSS con-
dition. His company understands the mat
ter fully, and the best of feeling seems 10
prevail although conflicting statements
have been made in connection with the
matter. An election to fill the vacancy OF
captain of company 3 has been ordered
for January IL.
Matters Concerning the Fifth.
The next officers school will he held on
the evening OF January 4. when extended
order and the firings will be discussed.
Hereafter, until further orders. the In
structions for guards of the battalion will
be as prescribed for sentinels between taps
and reveille. Whenever practicable the
drill hall will be entirely darkened, with
Ii.rht of on
guard house, in order to make the duty as
realistic possible.
Lieut. Charles A. Knockey has been re-
lieved from further duty as member OF
the board of survey, and Capt. George w :.
England detailed as member of the board
in his stead.
Firs. Lieut.. Charles E. Swigart Of COM
pany c has been relieved from command
of company A, and directed to report to
the commanding officer of company for
duty.
The present battalion board of examina-
ton has been dissolved. and a new hoard,
composed of First Lieut. James L. MOCK
First Lieut.. Charles E. Swigart and Second
Lieut. j. d. Leeman, appointed. Lieut.
Mock will act as recorder.
Maj. Suess, in recent order, expressed
the hope that the coming of the new year
will bring with 1t a period Of renewed &C
tivity in matters pertaining to the discipline
drill and general efficiency of the hfth bat
TALON that shall be the first step toward
ions of the District of Columbia National
Guard.
Mai. Sucss Takes Exception.
Mai. Otto l.. Suess of the fifth battalion,
in q communication to The Star, takes ex-
ception to certain statements made by an
army officer who gave his views of the Dis
trict guard in an interview published in
this column on Saturday last. The criti-
cism especially referred to was as follows:
81 am afraid the same cannot be said of
the results gained at individual encamp-
ments. 1t was my misfortune to visit
Marshall Hall last summer when such a
camp was in progress. and the lack of
discipline was very apparent, more SO, per.
hap5, because of the presence Of several
,.ontpanies of regulars. / found Oil maxim &
inquiry that although the commanding
officer had been careful in publishing orders
as to discipline, &c, these orders were not
carried out, with the result that the men,
especially when OIL DUTY. dld not dress or
act like soldiers.
Men could be seen around the grounds,
on the wharf and OH the steamer wearing
campaign hats and uniform coats, the lat
ter as a rule, being unbuttoned, while enc
natty little fellow made himself conspicu
ously prominent by wearing yachting
cap, uniform coat, white duck trousers and
the cane of an oyercOat thrown over his
shoulders To civilian it may seem ri
diculous to mention such trivial matters,
but to q military man they at once init
mate a lack of discipline and disregard Of
orders.
This has given Maj. Suess cause to write
as given below:
LAS there were several encampments held
at Marshall Hall last summer Your inform
ant should have been Open honest, fair and
manly enough to designate the command to
which he referred, so as not to implicate in
his criticism every command in camp there
during the summer.
Il had the honor to command a provis-
ionaI regiment of the u. c. N. c., composed
of ten companies, the ambulance corps and
the corps of field MUSIC, and if there is one
thing l am proud of it Is the discipline that
was maintained in camp We were in camp
from July % to August 4, inclusive. Orders
were not simply issued, but were carried
out and the strictest discipline maintained.
II have the assurance of Capt. James NJ.
Bell and Lieut.. Robert Sewell. seventh
United States cavalry; Lieut.. James w.
Benton and Alexander w. Perry, ninth
United States cavalry, and Lieut.. Alfred Z.
Merrilat, eighth United States cavalry who
were in camp there at the same time, that
the discipline we maintained was the best
they had ever seen in any camp Of the
National Guard. The enlisted men declared
that we were much more severe than they
were in their own camp, which seems to
tol nv fn 0f ho r,in i,