The San Francisco call., 1896-08-03
FIRST INFANTRY
PRAC T|CE MARCH,
Preparing for a Seven
Days Tramp to Santa
Cruz.
FOURTH CAVALRY DUTY.
Good Work in Protecting Forests
of the Sierra Re-
gion.
THE BERKELEY BATTALION.
THE BERKELEY BATTALION.
Lieutenant Winn, U. S. A., Expects
a Large Enrolment of
Students.

The practice march Of the First United
States Infantry to Santa Cruz and return
is now the talk of the garrisons at Angel
Island and Benicia. Official orders for the
expedition may be issued in day or two.
The troops on reaching Santa Cruz will
90 into camp at Garfield Park, near the
ocean. The park is connected with Santa
Cruz by an electric railway line.
Seven companies of the regiment, four
from Angel Island and three from Benicis
barracks, will compose the marching col
umn. The infantrymen will not be pressed
to make quick time to Santa Cruz The
tramp will begin by easy stages and end
pretty much in the same style.
On the march the commissary depart
ment viii be well supplied with subsist-
ences for the troops, and the farmers on
the route OF the expedition will not be re-
quired to put extra guards on their poul-
try yards and orchards. The line of march
will be along the worn highway on this
side of the bay to San Jose, and thence
over the Santa Cruz mountains to the
ocean. The journey can be made in seven
days by marches that will not distress the
troops. On the return march the road
along the ocean shore, via Pescadero, will
be followed.
First Lieutenant +. L. Winn, Twelfth
United States Infantry, who is on duty as
military instructor at the University of
California, expects 8 large enrolment at
the next college term. The War Depart
ment allows a limited number of officers
to be detailed for college instruction, but
it Is not possible to comply With all tho
college requests for such details. Only the
leading institutions and those in which
military instruction is in a sense compul-
sorry are recognized.
Lieutenant Winn If anxious that this
line of study should become popular at
Berkeley, and holds that special advan-
tages are presented for studies in engineer
ing and artillery. The Governor and Ad-
iutant-General have manifested much in
terest in the military work at Berkeley,
and a proposition to give the battalion at
Berkeley an allowance equal to the regu-
lar battalions of the National Guard may
receive the attention of the Legislature.
The fundamental law of the university
requires military instruction but the State
authorities fancy that all the expense
should be sustained by the Government
and the students.
While the cost of procuring uniforms is
not large it is an item of some Importance
to many of the students. It is possible to
make the battalion at the university quite
as effective and as readily available as any
existing organization of the National
Guard. The opportunity for special in
struction In engineering is afforded at
Berkeley. 1t is an important study which
cannot be readily pursued at the armory.
At Stanford University military instruc-
ton was recognized for short time, but it
was neglected or abandoned because it was
not a requirement of that institution.
Lieutenant Oyster, q. S. A., served for q
term as instructor and then at his own re-
quest was relieved from the duty.
The light batteries OF the Fifth Artillery
have returned from the long practice
march and are now resting at the Presidio.
The expedition was highly successful.
The troops went into the Sierras as far as
the Yosemite Valley and then wired to
Monterey and Santa Cruz
At Santa Cruz Benjamin q. Barlow, Light
Battery D, was tried by a court-martial
for making threats of violence against a
non-commissioned officer, and was sem
fenced to be dishonorably discharged, to
forfeit all pay and allowances and to be
confined at hard labor for one year. The
court took into consideration that record
of six previous convictions stood against
the accused.
eonGeneral Sternberg has returned
to Washington, having made a summer
iaunt across the continent. He completed
thorough inspection of the hospitals,
and has decided to recommend additions
to the hospitals at the PresidIo of San
Francisco and Leavenworth.
The third athletic field day exercises, in
accordance with orders. recently took
place at Angel Island, and Company c,
First Infantry, carried away the honors
for the third time. In the chief running
events Sergeant o. Marie was the winner.
The contractor on the work of filing in
the Presidio marsh has forty teams en-
ployed. The eight-hour requirement is
observed. The task should be completed
early In December.
The contractor for building the new
brick barracks has men at work excavat-
ing for the foundation. Rock is coming
from the Angel Island quarry and lumber
from Puget Sound. Mr.. McGowan, the
is not sub-letting any of the
work. The building should be rooted
over by tine middle of Decemb Der.
Captain Lockett, Troop 1, Fourth Cav
airy, arrived from Grant Park in the Sierra
last Saturday and had conference with
General Forsyth concerning the depart
ment. The troopers are guarding the
forests over vast area of mountain
country.
General Forsyth takes a deep interest
in this line of duty. He has observed the
effects of forest destruction in Ohio, Mich
igan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and
knows that if the forests in the Sierra are
destroyed the supply of water for the
valleys cannot be held in reserve for grad
ual distribution throughout the summer.
The troopers of the Fourth Cavalry are
doing great work for the State.
The leave of absence granted to Captain
Henry ]. Reilly, Fifth Artillery, has been
extended fifteen days.
Lieutenant William r. Smedberg,
Fourth Cavalry. has been relieved from
duty with the squadron of his regiment,
near Wawona, to enable him to proceed to
West Point, in accordance with orders.
Colonel Guenther, q. S. A., who was re-