The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-06-09
STUDENT SOLDIERS
Fine Display of Military
Skill at Seton Hall
College.
BATTALloN's ANNUAL INSPECTION
Captain Torrance, Thirteenth .. S.
Infantry, Puts Them Through
Their PAGES.

Tuesday last was a day big with impor-
tance TO the students of Seton College.
says the Newark Sunday Call" In the
afternoon the long-talked of and care
fully-prepared-for annual inspection was
held, when books were laid aside and the
whole institution took a half holiday
Lieutenant Lehman, CT the Second u. S.
Infantry, who has for two years been
stationed at the college by the authori-
ties at Washington, gives the closest
attention to the instruction of the boys
in military drill and tactics, and it was
wonderful to see how apt his pupils nave
become. Boys take to marching and drill
ing and all things that SAVIOR of war as
the proverbial duck does to water. The
clash of arm is music of the sweetest sort
to their. ears. Put a gun in a boys
hands, stand him up in a row with some
other boys with guns and he is yours to
command as long almost as you wish
to command him.
These boys at Seton Hall are a bright
lot, and are, most of them, of the age
that learns anything quickly. They would
put most of the companies of the local
regiment of the National Guard to shame
and would go through man complicated
manoeuvers withal. which the ~guardsmen
know little of. Of course they have
big advantages, inasnuch as they drill
every day, and constantly under the eye
of a West Point graduate. who takes "a
pride in his work. The guardsmen them
selves, had they seen the boys last Tues
day. would most of them have admitted
their superiority readily enough. But
there was a far more critical observer,
and whose quick eye saw every weak
point, picked out every flaw, and who
was there for that purpose as well as to
commend any and all conlmendable fea-
lures. This was Captain Torrance, of
the Thirteenth Infantry, now stationed
at Governors Island, and who had been
sent there to inspect the student battal-
ion. Captain Torrance enjoys the honor
of having the best drilled company of
infantry in the United States Army, and
that the company has this reputation
is due to his own efforts. Naturally.
therefore, it is not to be expected tha
he found the drilling of the college boys
anything wonderful. Just what he
thought of it he did not make public.
FA-@ IN iPoi ~ IL II lie ICpOIl
to the Wal Department. This was only
one of over a score of inspections of
school and college battalions that he has
held this spring, To the civilian it was
a fine sight. 1t was a mimic picture of
war with the most charming background
and surroundings-the old college build
ing peeping from the mass of greenery,
with the priests strolling here and there
or sitting afar off on rustic seats. calmly
watching the brave spectacles, the
groves with their whispering tree tops
Hecked with the ever-shiftlng sunlight.
wnlcn poured IN a golden Hood across the
green parade ground, filing all the open
with a wealth of glorious light. To the
west We're the Orange Mountains as clear
cut as II etched on steel, for it was
one OF the cleareSt of the remarkable
succession of clear days that have blessed
us lately.
At about half-past two a young soldier
came down the long steps from the domi-
After a few premonitory taps he proceeded
10 the edge of the parade ground, where
ne seat the assembly, starting up a brisk
company, OF crashing echoes which seemed
TO bound and rebound from the row Of
trees along the driveway leading to South
orarlge avenue to the little wood on the
marched in solitary dignity into the wood
where many of the boys We're lounging.
and soon the grounds We're alive with
the trim boyish figures. They wear an
almost exact counterpart Of the West
Point dress uniform, about the only point
Of difference being that the Seton Hall
boys wear forage caps instead of shahos.
Presently the battalion drum corps
GENES stepping lightly across the la wn,
and the drumming is taken up in solid
earnest. Orders ring. out clear and sharp,
and one can. see the battalion forming
back among the. trees in front of the north
side of the school New the sergeant
1 ma 10r and the adi1fant tna rah o1fF o,+a
the parade ground, side by side. to the
note OF the drums. All alone they stalk
across the green and take up their posi-
Next comes the battalion and as it files
out in tours INTO the field the drum
corps takes up it's position in front. ard
tours with guns at the right shoulder
and a brave appearances they make. For
evoiufions without the slightest hesital
cnracy. Fours right about has no more
| terrors for them than the simplest move
to the tiniest file closer knows exactly
what to do and how to do it. When
ne dress ssss to the right Isl with Without i being fold,
cancy ahead n iafiffan like statues.
sSias .of the tSs' 'ns good me ap Tsspsasis
Ct the battalion rests on him, and it is
I Hit u SEt LIE SSFlUQSttESS Stamped on
every face. Their young eyes flash with
the stirring exercise, and their breath
comes a little quicker now and then, other
wise they are parts of a machine. The
parade ground Is on a side hill and Is fun
of small dips or pockets, but the young
soldiers kept the alignment remarkably
we'll on every formation in spite of this
drawback. There was no jumping and
bobbing about, but an evenness and
s~noothness, which was perhaps one of
the best evidences of the careful training
they have undergone.
After a while the two companies were
separated a little, placed in open ranks
and put through the boyonet drill. Here
| the Youths were 4 trife weak. They exc
cutsd every order with precision, but in
the thrusts and lunges lacked vim ana
sliar-a fault almost universal with all
but the best drilled companies. Soldiers
who haze never used the bayonet in grim
earnest find it hard to do this work as If
they really meant it; When they lunge
they seldom step out far enough and there
is not force enough in the thrust to
favorable side, to the civilian. at least. for
it shows that the youths are not savage
or vicious at heart. Doubtless If they
got in a melee they would put plenty Of
| life into the use of the bayonet. Next the
troops were drawn up in companies, close
order, and set to firing. first ir yolleys
| then at will. They fired nothing, simply
i cooking their pieces and Swapping the
Triggers but the sight was quite war
like, The rattle Of the rifles came in
4 Wtrring splashes of sound across the par
adj ground. The color bearers stood
nokionless. with their days dropping about