Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-25
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Arrangement Of the Camp Ground
Decided Upon.
GEN. ORDWAY VISITS Fl. WASHINGTON
An Important Reform in the Com
mssary Department.
THE REGULAR RATION


the guard has been without an encamp-
| ment because the necessary appropriation
was lacking-the encampment which Is to
| be held next month will in every respect
| be superior. The experiences acquired
| have not been forgotten, and although
| good deal of preparation will be necessary
before the tents can be pitched ana ra-
| lions can be Issued, it is as nearly certain
as anything can be that when the hrst
sentry is posted all things will be in readi-
| ness.
Last Thursday Gen. Ordway. accompa-
MED by nearly all the members of his stan,
visited the Fort Washington reservation
and mapped things out until everybody
| was satisfied. The work of the engineers
who are carrying out the plans OF the
coast defense authorities has changed con-
slider ably the superficial appearance OF a
| large section of the Fort Washington land
| scape. Where the first regiment had its
| camp are great heaps of all sorts OF forti-
| flying material, gun emplacements and
| other matters that the public may not be
permitted to gaze upon except from dis
| lance, for the works will be surrounded by
| a chain of sentries, whose business 1t will
be to prevent the excusably curious citizen
| from pryng into matter that the govern
ment desires to keep secrst
] Alongside of the engine house and on the
upper end of the old first regiment camp
ground the ambulance corps Will be sta
toned, and somewhere in that region
within a hundred yards or so-will be the
headquarters of the first regiment. Across
| is now a fine stretch of sward, upon which
| the first regiment canvas will be stretched
| Separated from the right of the first regi-
ment by wide triangular space and a
number of trees will be the first separate
| battalion (colored), just where they always
| have been camped, right where the road
| turns toward the parade ground.
Brigade headquarters will occupy the
same old place. and the building which In
| 1890 was occupied ty the adjutant general
| and the post quartermasterfw will be used
| this time by the adjutant general alone.
Off 10 the left Of brigade headquarters and
across the road from the first separate
| battalion the second regiment will string
| itself out with it's mess tents and kitchen
| tents on the rising ground which In times
| gone by was tenanted by the light battery.
| 49, Ample Room for All.
| Not far away, on the historic soil from
| whence the archaeologist of a thousand
years hence will dig the demijohns and
kegs and barrels and bottles and TASKS
| buried there by troop A, the engineer
| corps, the third separate company and the
field music will have their respective
homes. 1t will be necessary, however. to
| do some grubbing and moving and tree
| cutting before the ground will be ready Tor
| use Especially is this need apparent on
I the parade ground, through the surface OF
which fine assortment of Juvenile Christ
| mas trees have protruded themselves.
| TIE grubbing out process will also take
| place in the drill field across the road from
| the parade ground, so that there will be
ample accommodation for all of the various
| commands in the brigade. The troops will
| also have the use of territory without the
| bounds of the reservation; territory that
seems to have been constructed especially
| for the purpose of field maneuvers. Should
| the extended-order work improve as 1t Is
| ing battalion and regimental commanders
| an opportunity to show their tactical
ability during one or two of the latter days
| of camp.
| he
| missary general and the quartermaSter
geueral-wiIl establish their offices in the
old mansion, which in by-gone camps was
| Used by the general staff for mess pur-
poses. These officers, the main guard
| which is to be posted more than half way
| down the hill to the wharf and in full view
of that LANDING place-and the ambulance
| company will be connected with the adju-
| tant generals Office by telephone, an ar
1 rangement which will doubtless be re-
garded with great favor by the staff SER
| g1ants and other orderlies, who, in the alb
sence of telephones, would be pounding
| saddles all day long.
| OF all the reforms that will make their
| appearance in this camp none will be so
| conspicuous as the reform in the commits
| sary department. Hitherto it has been the
practice to feed the entire brigade in the
mess sheds in the fort, all the responsibility
| for the edibles resting entirely upon the
| shoulders of the general staff. This time
| as has been announced in The Star the
commissary general will issue the rations
|
will probably be the quartermasters-and
| they will turn the food material over to
| their respective commands Improper
cooking or anything else at which the men
| may growl can be speedily traced to its
| source and the remedies applied.
A Very Important Matter.
| The experience is likely to be trying
| cne, but 1t is, nevertheless, regarded as a
| frst-class thing to do, for it will develop
the efficiency or inefficiency of officers. In
mere than one instance commands of the
| National Guard have elected, otherwise
| secured, the commissioning of officers for
| TO other reason than that the chosen ones
in question were good fellows" The-com-
| parry commander who fails to look out for
| the stomachs of his men at Fort Washing
| ten next month will probably find out that
| his hold upon the affections of his men
| varies according to his treatment of them
| in the matter of food.
! Buzzacott field ovens will be furnished
| one for about each sixty men-and with
| each oven will go a cook and a scullion.
| These cooks and scullions will be hired by
| the battalion commissary officers. A fixed
| rate of wages will be paid each out of the
| camp appropriation, but if any company or
| battalion desires to engage a chef who
| would not be tempted by the official re-
| Enumeration, they will be at liberty to put
| their hands as deeply as they please into
| their own pockets and make up the prince
| ly remuneration, which first-clasS hotel
| chefs would insist upon receiving.
OF the quality and quantity and variety
of food to be furnished by the commits
| sary generals outfit there will hardly be
| any question. The regular rations will
| include fresh beef, corned beef and pork
| smoked hams, bacon, fresh lamb fresh
| bluefish and salt shad and mackerel. The
| list of extras is also attractive, for 1t in
| cludes butter, milk, canned tomatoes
| onions, cabbages, carrots, parsley, beets,
thyme and such other seasonabe vege-
| tables as may reasonably be purchased.
| Each battalion will be permitted to buy
| whatever else of food its members may
| deem necessary to their welfare or graft
! fication, and will make its own arrange
| ments as to meals governed, of course by
such general orders may be issued.
| Rations will be issued by the commissary
| general at regular hours, and the commits
| sary officer who is diatory will get left.
| Instead of eating their meals in the
| building the generals staff will conform
| to the practice of the camp and will be
| served with its meals in a mess tent, the
| food being prepared-as elsewhere through
| out the entire encampment-in a kitchen
| shed in rear of the mess tent. From start
| to finish the camp is going to be bust
| ness.
| During the next two weeks Quartermas-