The evening times., 1896-08-26
SUMMER ARMY TACTICS
Boys in Blue Have to Do
Queer Things.
CLING TO FELLED TREES
They. Also LUMP Over Logs-An
This Is Done to Perfect Them In
Soldierly Duties-Sham Baftles On
the PlHins-Regular Army soldiers
Camp With the Militia.
----IFt sTs,.stt -.

Before the war, the requirements in
the way of drill fer the soldiers OF the
national army We're few aud simple, but
since that great conflict the experience
of our own officers and these Of other
countries has led to VAST number OF
changes. The list of practices indulged
in by our boys in blue is nowadays
long one, and If the soldier of forty
wears ago, or even less, could look upon
some of the strange things done at present
by the men Of the army, he would promptly
put them down as crazy.
Early last spring the general in com
mand OF the army had planned Il num-
ber OF practice marches and summer eX-
cursions of various kinds for as many of the
companies OF each regiment as could lie
spared from the posts. Some of them have
joined the national guards Of different States
in their camps. There the niiltianien
learn the lessons Of army life from their
brethren of the regular service, and not i'll.
frequently they give the lessons, too.
Out on the Western prairies the troops
take long practice marches which Involve
all The movements and habits aud tactics
of the wartime. even To battle though, for
tunately, thai is sham. The artillery are
given II chance Ior ;in outing with the pom
derous. guns. As much of the artillery is
along the coast, the drills in this branch are
for the most part in the way OF defense II
the water line.
EXPERIMENTING WITH BALLOON.
In the mountains of 10th the East and
West the members nf the Signal Corps
are learning the inns and outs OF that diff
cult hut extremely useful business. Capt.
GlasSford. enc of the bes,-known officers
OF that corps, has succeeded in passing
messages from peak To peak of the Rockies
for hundreds OF mikes. The value Of Ihs
service IN case of war il taId to ovcresti-
mate.
At Fort Logan, Colo, a small company
OF soldiers is learning the amy use Of
balloon. One OF the best balloons ever
made in this country has been provided
for their use and fully equipped, and it is
doubtful whether outside of the German
lines thcreis a corps with a better know ledge
of the requirements and benefits of this
service than the one in Colorado.
There has been an effort for some years
to get the country born men into tile
army-nen with strong constitutions and
brave hearts, instead of the city out
cast who formerly turned To the serv-
ice. This effort has been largely sue
ccsSful. and IL is found that nothing
goes farther towam turning this good
though crude material into soldiers than
the practice march.
But the men are made to do some hard
things and some queer ones as well while
on them. There is an advance guard from
each post and o rear qua rd as well There
is reconnaissance duty and everything else
which br any possibility can makea recruit
into q soldier.
The enlisted men from every post or
garrison in the department are taught how
to cook Commissioned officers oversee the
cooking on the march and make it certain
that the men have food cooked in accord
ance with hygieDic principles
PLAY WITH TREES.
The men make ten miles the first day,
fifteen the second and twenty the third.
Then they usually pitch camp for a day or
two. When they march they carry sixty
five pounds. This includes a blanket bag,
a haversack, a canteen, a rifle, forty rounds
of ammunition and a change OF shoes and
underclothing, all OF which are given to
an enlisted man by the rules OF war of all
nations.
The officers in charge OF raw recruits
nowadays do anything to turn them into
soldiers. II it is noticed that some of the
men dislike to "leave the ground" as it
is called, the officers plant beams, placing
them only foot or two above ground. Over
these the men are sent in the course OF
a drill, and then the beam is raised. After
a time the officers are sure their men will
not .'flunk' If in case Of necessity they
want their corps to cross stream on a log.
The troops have been taught not only to
walk over felled tree safely and quickly,
but they are taught to grasp it leg and
arm and hang there while comrades pass
over them. This seems a strange position to