Evening star., 1896-11-07

Cleaning the Pieces.
parties time to shift their uniforms for
drill with their respective batteries All of
the men have to be ready for drill call ax-
ccpt the room orderlies and the kitchen po-
lice. AS has been said, there are no heavy
guns mounted at the Washington arsenal
for the warShipS of enemy would have
to deal with the modern ordnance at Fort
Monroe before they could slip up the Po-
tomac and menace Washington, not to
speak of American men-ofwar cruising
between the two capes. and the mode-n
tcn-inch muZZle-loading rifles which are be-
ing placed in position at old Fort Wash
ington.
The Washington barracks artilerists who
make the annual summer excursion 10 Fort
Monroe to learn to drill on new heavy ord
nance. do not have to fall in in squads
and march to the rear ends of carriages
OF the old, useless fifteen-inch smooth
bcres in use still at nearly all United States
artillery posts, and they are spared the alb
surdity of the ''in bar. heave!" drill by
the numbers" on these antiQuated big guns.
Many Requirements.
But the mere fact that there is no heavy
ordnance by no means lets the Washing
| ton barracks soldiers out of the question
OF drill. The heavy artilleryman has TO
master more different kinds of drill than
the soldier of any other arm of the service
Besides the drill on the big guns he must
the 'douShboy.' He carries the same rifle
and Is required to learn the same evolutiors
as the infantryman. in order to prepare
himself for field and riot service at any
time. There IS any amount of battery and
battalion drill in infantry movements at the
barracks. Then there are certain DAYS
set aside for drilling in the hated ''mechani-
cal maneuvers," which consists in the
mounting and dismounting the heavy old
guns by means of hydraulic jacks, gins"
garrison sings and other appliances.
1t Is a laborious drill that calls for the
donning of the brown canvas fatigue uni
forms. There are also separate days for
Instrumentation" learning the uses of the
numerous instruments employed in range
nnding, charting," gauging the strength
OF the wind and the density of the atmos-
phere, etc. A soldier must possess we'll
developed scientific temperament, in order
to enter understandingly into instrument
drill. "Cordage drill is another bette noir
OF artillerymen. Here is where the soldier
who has been to sea either as a marine or
bluejacket gets in his strong work.
Cordage drill' IS for the purpose Of
teaching the men proficiency in the tieing
OF the fnnumerable knots used in the NOV
ing Of pieces Of heavy and siege ordnance
II looks simple enough to see another man
tnot tie timber 1.aS hitch" '.hgure-of-eight
but 1t is not easy by whole lot. The SOL
dier who has had experience as a deep
water man." however. regards it as child 5
play All of the soldiers of the heavy bat
terles are given an examination every year
as TO their mastery of these various drills
and. for respective degrees of proficiency
are given first, second and third gunners'
medals, not unlike these worn by the dis
tihguished marksmen" of the infantry
The light battery at the barracks, like
light batteries everywhere, with their Ma
poleon' brass pieces of ordnance. hauled by
horses, has distinct drill of its own not
unlike that of the cavalry, and nearly all
of the post calls for the light battery are
different from those to which the heavy
batteries respond 1t would require a
separate chapter to treat of the superbly
organized light artillery of the United
States army-indubitably the best in the
world.
Dinner Ness Call.
Recall from drill is blared out in time
to give the men chance to clean I'D for
dinner. Dinner mess call is sounded at
noon. After dinner the .'one soldier one
hunk idea predominates. Except the men
comprising the afternoon fatigue parties.
and the few detailed from each battery to
bind the red crosses upon their arms anG
take part in the hospital corps drill, under
the direction Of one Of the army surgeons
or a hospital steward. all hands are permit
ted to indulge after dinner in general loaf.
The banjoists, the violnists, the guitarists
and the mandolinists get out their instru-
ments. Many of them play well. Nearly
all Of the soldiers sing well.
Swectly, pathetically. humorousy and
martially the majority of them take part
in this midday musicale. In every outfit
there are always two or three jig dancers
of eminence. These are dragged to the
center of the quarters to contribute their
little act to the entertainment. The fun of
this kind is a good deal more hilarious than
ordinarily, a few days after pay day, when
the canteen becomes for a time veritable
mint. About week after pay day the
quarters begin to take on a gloomy at
mosphere, and there is a general complaint
Of heads
A good many of the soldiers devote a
large portion of their afternoons to letter
writing. American soldiers are inveterate
letter writer's. and they are exceedingly
fcnd Of receiving letters. In the after
Moons, Also the ''barrack lawyer gets in
his fine work. He knows more about the
regulations than the major general COM
manding the army, and, in his estimation,
the army is going headlong to the dogs
He gathers a knot of recruits around his
bunk and expiates vociferously upon the
rapid degeneration of the service.
The dolce far nfente period draws to a
close about 4 o'clock in the afternoon when
the men of the batteries begin to prepare
for dress parade Dress parade is q pretty
ceremonial at regimental headquarters,
and 1t is a wonder that more Washington
people do not attend the dress parades at
the arsenal on fine afternoons. The men
have 10 jump into their full dress clothes