The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-15
NEW U. S. INFANTRY DRILL.
REFUSED REG ULATIONs NEARLY
READY AND A DEAD SECRET.

-
Changes Are Radical. It IL s~Aid-some Idea
OF One Feature OF Them May ne Gained
from tho Test OF the Extended Order
Movement Made Mt Oar state Camp.
The revised infantry drill regulations for the
United States army, which arc being prepared
at Governors Island under the supervision of
Con. Ruger. are almost completed, and 1t ia
understood that they will be presented to the
Secretary OF War for his approval about Dec. /.
The work has got to the stage where the last
printed proofs arc being revised and cuts are In
preparation, illustrating all the primary move
ments, the company and regimental move
ments. and the extended order or battle for,na-
ton and movements. The one fact alone. that
an entirely new set OF plates will BIO required
for tho new regulations, Indicates clearly that
the revision is radical and that the new tactics
will be different from those now in use In many
important particulars.
No one at Governors Island will tell q thing
about the character of the new tactics, but with
out doubt an idea of some of the matters In
which radical alterations have been made can
be formed by taking into account the criticisms
which tho officers OF our National Guard have
made upon them. The officers Of the National
Guard of this State have probably had a better
chance to form valuable opinions upon the new
regulations than any one else outside of the nc-
tual members of the United States Tactical
Board which formulated the reguletions and
The medium through which tho regulations
were put to their most important tests was our
own troops. Mt their annual gatherings for in
s%truction at the state ca,np at Peekskili., The
States in October, 1891. and by the State OF New
York Immediately a%fterwnrd; They were put
i 1884, use snd a. Lieut. .mS s.e;S S So%p O. n Bates sns t ,hs Pres 3.
dent of the United states, TACTICAL Board. and
. Lie po SGSn we're :; f dsnsli.d the BY RECORDER ,Re wS ar
the workings of the new drill. Our State camp
rather than any United States military post be-
cause we bring together more troops every week
post in the country. and besides during the long
season OF seven or eight weeks II great variety OF
men and officers are offered as eNpUnents OF
how any system works.
To give tho system q more perfect trial in
that same season, Adjt.,Gen. Josiah Porter
picked men. who remained. through, the last
week. of the encampment. This battalion con-
Seventh. the Twelfth, tho Twenty-second. and
Event third regiments. The commanding
TO select ll5 men or less and send them into
camp from July 80 to Aug. D. The companies
missioned officers in place OF privates. and
there were even some cGmmissionsd officers
who served in the ranks. The companies were
drilled and instructed through the week by
Lieut.-Col. Bates in person.
btlOTt lHaI btdAbn y WDTk wa oNt lsithN.
French had his note books well filled with sug-
Gestions for improvements, and IL became GER
tain that radical changes would have TO be
made. The most important part of the tactics
which Is likely TO be changed is the extended
order movement. As ut present provided. TINS
Is a very pretty fnn-like forward movement,
which keeps n thin, long line of men at. the
front. and maintains this line by q carefully
devised system OF gradual drafts upon the
many parts of the supporting body in the rear.
Demonstrated upon paper or with troops upon
a field without impediments. 1t Is a pretty move
ment which can be executed without confusion,
hut the officers of the National Guard have
found It In practice one that was impossible or
smooth or satisfactory execution. 1t depends
too much upon the efficiency and intelligence of
men in the ranks and OF non-commissioned
officers to be readily responsive to the will and
orders OF tho commanding officer. This ten
dency toward dependence upon the minor ofi-
GERS and upon the men was also shown in the
disposition of the men in rank and file In
close order formations. and much fault has
been found with il. Following the idea OF giving
each man more freedom for movement, clear
intervals were established between the men In
stead OF the old contact.
Without the touch of shoulders and elbows 1t
has proved impossible TO train men to march
with the precision Of the old style. The move
ment with celebrity of bodies composed Of many
men depends very largely upon the mechanical
direction which comes from proximity. and 1t
ia said that the revised regulations VIII recog-
nize this and restore something at least OF the
old formation of rank aud file.