The sun., 1895-05-27
Tho State Camp.

The programme Of the fourteenth annual
season of the encampment of the National
Guard of New York at Peekskill resembles
those that have gone before it, at least in
its preliminary announcements. The Sew
enth Regiment will open the camp with the
week beginning June 22, and four batteries
exempting the Third, which furnishes the
artillery detail through the season, will
close it with the week ending Aug. 10.
The disposition in late years has been to
shorten rather than lengthen the season at
Peekskill. When the camp was begun by
the Twenty third Regiment, in 1882, the
whole season was included between July
and Aug. D. But it soon became customary
to start the camp in June and to extend it
further into August Six years ago, when
the Seventh Regiment opened the camp on
June 22, as in the present year, it was
closed only on Aug. II, making eight weeks
for infantry alone. Now we find six weeks
assigned to the infantry and a seventh to
the batteries.
Yet this term may seem long to the per-
manent camp officers who are there through
out the season. The custom of many States
is to collect their troops in camp for period
Of one week or even less Some Western
States vary this plan by having several sue
cessive encampments at different points,
thus simplifying the matter of transporta-
tion and reducing it's cost. But New York
adopts the regimental camp proper. and
is the only State, certainly, that makes the
encampment season of it's militia con-
tinuous period of seven weeks.
Tbara orc1lmanf1 in favor oH bn bri.
gade or division camp, which undoubtedly
makes a greater effect as popular spccta-
Gle, and allows practice in brigade drill,
with habituation to mobilizing and to pro-
viding rations for larger number Of troops.
But the temptations are those of taking up
time with pageants. ceremonies, and per-
formances for popular amusement, which
could better be devoted to hard training in
company and battalion drill. The tcsti-
mony Is uniform to the Improvement
among the New York troops each season
at Peekskill, and so long as that continues
the system is not likely to be changed.
On the other hand, calling out all the
troops for drill every year has certain ad-
vantages in keeping them we'll habituated
to field duty, whereas n tour at the camp
of instruction only every other year, may
allow recruits to so a long time without
this useful experience 1t would be possible
of course by doubling the capacity of the
Peekskill camp to accommodate all the
troops there every year, still keeping the reg
iments separate, Sc as not to destroy the pres
ent character of the camp instruction, or else
brigading them. which would probably be
the plan. In that case, too, the season would
not be extended beyond its present period
of about seven weeks, during the time mos,
| suited for camping. But perhaps some
| thing of the charm of the institution would
| then be gone, especially for the large regi
| ments, which are now alone during the
| week, or have battalion performing the
| tour with them. Above all, the presen,
arrangement of alternate years has beer
| found in this State, rs in others, like New
Jersey. to work exceedingly well, by reason
of not making too great demands upon the
| time of the men.
1t may fairly be said that the biennial toul
of duty at Peekskill is welcomed with en-
thusasm by every organization that takes
part in it. The numbers that turn out
especially in view of the fact that this dut,
in some cases nbsorbs the whole or onc-hal
the summer vacation of the officers or men
or both, is quite remarkable. But if thi
demand were made annual, leaving no op
portunity, year after year, for other outing
during the summer, it can readily be under
stood that what is now pleasure nigh
become irksome, both by it's frequent repe
tition and by it's barring out other opportu
mites for holiday pleasures
We are inclined to think, therefore. tha
the present is the best arrangement in ever,
way for military training, especially will
the plan of brigade field days now adopted
for the two largest bodies Of the troops O
the State, the New York and Brooklyn
brigades. These field days make up il
part, for the main lack in the camp of In
struction, and the two systems of training
combined bear excellent fruit.