Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-14


On the Range
drantS scattered throughout the camn
and there Is not the slightest reason 10
complain of inability to keep clean In all
ether respects the camp is splend;dly sitrI
ated. from sanitary point of view, and Is
tribute to the Intelligence and efficiency
OF the Georgia officers
Savannah's military possesses n drill,
ground in the heart of the city and there
the several contests are being held 1t is
an extensive piece Of ground, and is the
absolute property of the soldiery. It's his
tory might be interesting to District guards
men, who suffer from a woeful lack Of
drill facilities.
An Old Military Camp.
Prior to 1910. when the United States
barracks were completed on the lot where
the De Soto now stands, the United States
troops were stationed at the United States
cantonment. consisting of several wooden
structures. half mile out of town
me cantonment stood on the northern
emo OF the government property, contain
ing square Of twenty-five and one-ha If
acres. Between 1870 and 1850 this plat of
ground was common. and al the close of
1874, or the beginning of $50 an appIica-
non. signed by the captains and the Fen
tenants of the several volunteer comDanios
OF the city, was made to Congress for the
twenty-five and One-haIf acres for a parad.
ground, and the petition was reported on
favorahly by the committee to which II
was. referred and a bill passed Congress
giving the title of the land to the citv as
trustee for the use of the coniOanios no
ntloning, all of which are now under the
same org nization and in line. except the
Dekalb Rifemen. The cadets have been
added to the military since the dOna tion
Of the land to the military companies
>four cannon We're planted at the corners
ol me Iand donated and the land was used
as parade ground In 1857 or 1853 the
city made a proposition to exchange the
twenty acres south of Forsyth Park for
the twenty-five ana One-half acres of old
Cantonment property, which the military
companies accepted. The cannon We're re-
moved. streets were, run through it. lots
were sold ard dwellings erected on the old
government property. and the military com
panies entered into possession of the pres
ent parade ground.
Mock Battle.
The battle exercise, which inaugurated
the features Of the week Monday after
noon on the drill ground was thoroughly
impressive and very interesting A battery
from the Chatham artillery opened the
engagement with ronderous firing This
firing was not deiy cred from one point as
IS usual in sham battles but the battery
was naneuvered from point to point inst
as in actual warfare. Where an openfnc
was supposed to have been made by the
TOUR squads. There a line of support
while a Calling gun detachment was held
In reserve. When this formation took place
the infantry was supposed to be in the
zone OF the artillery fire. After the firing
line had advanced, supposedly into 900
yards, 1t was then deployed into a line Of
sections. and, when into 800 yards. sun
posedly, into line of squads. During
thiS advance Volleys were fired by squads
Realistic Mimicry.
AS the limits Of the grounds were not
sufiicient to permit Of all the movements
neing made in one advance, the troops
at this juncture retired to their original
position at the north end Of the grounds.
They then resumed the advance in the
same formation. assumedly, at the Same
Instance they were when they fell back
scouts We're sent forward to cover the
advance of the troops. The enemy was
outlined by detachments of men at the
southern end of the grounds and onened
hre on the scouts who returned the fire
me hrlnE line was then deployed with a
me or ski mlShers, the scouts Withdrawn
ana general engagement enSued between
the troops and the enemy
DuflnS TINS part of the enga cement the
nrins line and the supports were rallied, to
resist an imaginary attack of cavalry the
fatihg gun reinforcing one Of the supports
curing this rally. After the charge was re-
pulsed the line was again depioyed, and
an advance made against the enemy by
t'i'77. Inc llTlnS was tIen reinforced by
supports, and when the line of skirmishers
arrived at distance Of 200 yards it was
matted, bayonets fixed and the rapid fire
delivered
The Calling gun in the meanwhile was
maneuvered into a position on the loft of
the line OF skrmshers, end assisted in the
rapid fire. When he fire of the enemy was
siienced the skirmshers advanced in dou-
bic time until the bugle sounded Charge"
when the line advanced on the enemy in
rapid charge. The troops We're next as
sembled and volleys fired in the direction
OF the retreating enemy. This ended the
throughout.
The Rifle Contests.
The Avondale range, where the rifle con-
tests ere being held is just two miles east
of the city-a pleasant tide by electric car
Although not yet completely sodded, the
range Is quite up to if not above the stand
ard, being certainly first-Class in the mat
ter Of equipment The background of
green is considered perfect. Commodious
buildings have been erected, well as a
grand stand. and the Georgia folks claim
that IN few years Avondale will equal
ana perhS pS Surpass Sea Girt.
one of the chief reasons, perhaps, why
the soldiers from Washington so com
plctely charmed with Savannah is because
the latter is the rational capital in minia-
ture. The asphalt pavemerts. the shade
trees. the imposing public buildings, the
MAN. parks, for all the world like Franklin
ana Lafayette squares. to say nothing of
countless statues have had much to do
with nstiilng a perfectly at-home feeling
in the breasts of the visitors.
savannah has an excellent system of
street railways-all trolieys-and goes
ahead Of Washington in that three-cent
fare prevails. The round trip to the Avon
dale range may be made by the military
only for ten cents.
The Mortons. the engineers and the Mt
Pleasant Field Rand patroniZe the camp
mess. the two first named abandoning the
idea of conducting their own commssarv
ARRANGEMENTS, was at first intended
The meals furnished are all that could be