Evening star., 1896-10-24
CHANGE OF STATION
Next Week Will See Shifting of the Light
Artillery.
The Place Of Of the Sd to De Filled
by E of the 1st-A Rec
ord of the Service.


a change Of station of the light artillery at
Washington barracks, District of Column
bia. which will involve the departure and
arrival of historic organizations. Light Bat
terry C Of the Sd Regiment will leave for
the Presidio, San Francisco, while Light
Battery of the 1st Regiment will arrive
from Fort Sheridan to take it's place.
During their stay in this city the rank
and file Of Battery c have made them
selves very popular, and genuine regret
Will be felt at their departure. The battery
came to the barracks in 1885, under Capt.
E. R. Warner, and because there was no
place to accommodate 1t in the gulf states
remained behind when it's regiment, in
May. 1888, went south. Capt Warner was
relieved Of command in 1886 by Brevet
Maj. John G. Turnbull, who was but re-
Gently retired from active service. He was
succeeded in 1880 by Capt. ]. NJ Lancaster,
who on the 10Th OF this month will be pro-
NOTED to major, and does rot accompany
the battery to the coast
The record of the light batteries in the
United States army Is an interesting and
creditable one.
The record of our light batteries Ia 1,f
the most distinguished character, and none
surpe sses Battery c.
In 1898, when hostilities with England
appeared imminent. the original light artil-
"a.
was so expensive to maintain and our mill
tary methods at that time were so crude
that little in real light artillery way
came of this first essay, except the krowl-
edge derived that the experiment WAS
both difficult and expensive. Capt George
Peter. father of DR.. Peter. now a resident
of George town, D. c., was the first captain
to command light battery in our ornny
which was part Of this regiment. 1t was
equipped as such at Fort McHenry in 1sOs
and soon went to New Orleans, where the
rev regiments of 1908 were principally con-
centrated .and where, owing to the enor-
nous expense of foraging the horses IL
was soon dfsmounted.
AT this time it is seemingly impossible to
tell whether Peters battery was or Nas
not equipped as horse artillery, l. e.. every
man mounted on horseback. or whether
the cannoneers, as is the case with Light
battery Z, were mounted on carriages.
However, this may be, Peter unquestion-
ably was the pioneer light battery man of
our service.
In the War of 1912.
During the first months Of the war Of
1872 1t was hoped by the administration in
power that great results might flow from
the use of the light artillery, anticipations
that were cruelty disappointed. The light
artillery officers were intelligent we'll vers-
ed In their profession theoretically consid-
ering the times. but all combatant efforts
failed because of the faulty system of mil
itary administration, want of experience,
lack of appreciation of what was demand
cd. and the apathy. indeed antagonism 20
the war. Of large numbers of our citizens
AS result. the easy parts of an army to
handle the infantry. proved almost too
much for us until the last campaign while
the light artillery was way beyond the
capacity OF the military authorities to dead
WITH. hence in that war the light artillery
cut no figure.
Some OF the companies of the light arti,.
lery regiment were. indeed, equipped as
but they were utterly useless where tho
other troops were because Of inexperience
and want of capacity in the officers, incapa-
pie OF maneuvering. There is much
panles marched as horse artillery. The
men were armed with sabers, and in those
days there were no ammunition chests as
nowadays. upon which the cannoneers
ly spoken Of, while they were mounted. "a
"herse or flying artillery" both officially
and otherwise. A system of horse arHi.
iery maneuvers was adopted and enjoined
From all this and other facts of similar
import the inference seems conclusive that
these light companies, while mounted Wera
organized as horse artillery.
Light Battery C, Sd Artillery. was sd
organized and mounted by Breyet Major
and Captain Samuel Ringgold in 1888 II
remained horse artillery until after the
Mexican war, participating in all the bat.
ties on Taylors line of operations A.
Palo Alto Ringgold fell mortally wounded
at almost the first cannon shot,
There hung In the battery ofifce at the
barracks here' and was about the last
thing packed. portrait Of Rfnggold. nv
Gilbert OF this city. procured by the OH.
/ GERS and ex-omcers Of the battery. It is
an excellent likeness Of the gallant artil.
ieryman. who belonged to the Ringgold
family of MARYLAND was DersooalI,- y,aI
known In Washington, and was considered
one Of the best officers of the army.
Although E of the first, which relieves
Light Battery G, has not been q light bat.
| terry so many years as the latter, It has 4
proud record. 1t will be remembered how
| 1t acquitted itself at Wounded Knee, and
| its gallant captain at that sanguinary
| feld-Capron. himself q Washington boy
| stih commands 1t. He and his battery Will
| find here hosts Of friends.