The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-22
THE STATE MILITARY.
ANIMAL REroRTOF THE sssIsTdNT
JNSPECTOR.
Condition Of the Troops According 70 inc
Keen Observation OF coi"nei
10. Lane stern.

snpcarancCs Ia public PRINT '"o '0f0'
RI Mr.. Josiah Ryland. the Second Audi-
tor. has Just been published, WINE o'ne'S
are undo, way. The general report oil
the Aaiutant-G General is partly in the
Lands OF the printer and will be completed
In a few days.
co,oncl 10. Lane Stern. the Assistant
Inspcctor-GcnoraI. Ia his report which
WIN lie included IN the report OF AoJu-
tant-Gcncfal Charles J. Anderson mas INC
following TO say.
.~rne notes OF inspection for the year
1896. with muster rolls OF oacn couliAa"u
are herewith respectfully submitted
.s,rho commands Inspected number II
infantry companies; troops OF caN''Is'
and 3 batteries OF artillery tno go 80
Las been reduced By losses OF - oiliceFS
IA men since the last inspection lcaY-
inc z1e, tho total now IN service, com
ncscd az l0S officers and zoos men lwhlte)'
sud y officers and 4ts mcn (coioicoJ.
.~rhe percentage present az hspeo.'oh
O. siirbtiv more than last year and IS
continued increase. .-,-.. .A.,
.sThis is the first year in thirteen that
No new company was mustered INTO SGT
vice. .,-.., ,t.,, tho
81 seems not TO be questioned that inc
dcuression IN business matters III o"o
ont the country has. to "a certain eN'en',
oflectcd the prosperity OF 'he Noluli' ~ .
,,capizations. principally because oHlCcia
- -. are necessarily subjected 10
'..',.,oir .xnense which some Of them nave
,..r un,yiuing or unable in these 'iincS
a. boar and also because some men nave
b.on obliged TO leave home 10 seek WI
a. other places and have been iuilou-iiou'
aischarpcd or dropped from the Ions.
- the.e cases and the not muslellhs
4, Of any new companies is attributed INC
loss i'm members. In some coii'ii''' IL
however. there arc uninla ah"Oio
denccs Of increased zeal on inc p"i
49, oe,cors and a continued interest Oh
the part OF the men. 49,. ,a,,o,,.,re-
a. an evidence Of this the ioio"lns
commands had one huhoIcu pc
uresent at Inspections: - 1,,ar-
Company Il. first Regiment OF imam
Wy ompany f, Third Regiment OF imam
Try. ,.,.,.s poc,men. Of Infan-
try. 81. ,.,,;,,o,t Of Infan-
try. mi, p.ttalion of Infan-
Try. .,.., p,t,olion Of Infan-
try. rotation of In
fantry (cOlorcu). ,.d only one
- ,,,on absent. This IS an III
'a,,ont Some Of the company IN
t'o' - seen are very anxious 10 NJ
nc oonnanv standard high anu ~ ~
ia do not enlist men whose o"s'''
calls them away from nome .,ob conn
-, A. easily apparent thaI 9N0" Ill,
- from having their men reg ul '. -
ar,,ls and always on manu- ia %
az -, s,ote of discipline ana oo"lu
80 certainly relied upon III an ~,
10 tban ..lc companies WIN -
,Sentss and i'm which the men 0"''''0
,arI,. attend to their driiIs. or,os and
no condition of clothhls' me mar
occrutrements Is iair' eN0ops ,,ce of in
t,culars mentioned III '"o
spection. 1900 md General appearance
ne nl-nteers are very much ma ~.
. l',o IA III Of the clothing III me-
% u" 10 uniforms having been -.
S"HN' fron one man 10 another "',' 's.',s
~, rcrard 10 the tit, the once'S e''
inuO' s,Ianation for not doing So '",'
% t,o',,ip,, how long the men may ie'",',D
no ~r,,,ce they do not find IL an'iS'o'o
AZ oador,ake to make the necessary
changes in this particular ,-.,o. d,
80 violation of the regulations III
,ha matter OF the state Ddll1iio"
,,,,es as stated in my last report ,o.,,od
.,rhe new forage cap has peeh iSS -','
.. hut few companies. A &c" nav
,asred them at their own expense, 80
sbould be furnished at once 10 an oo'i
NAMES not already supplied 1Ho,o
io,re nuantity OF old caps, and quite
srrfl u.
Sonoe disposition should be made of them.
The latter could be repaired and made
useful ,...,
"Ammunition belts have also been issued
during the year to several commands. All
should be supplied and the old belts
and boxes should be called in.
-Four companies Of infantry, white.
are still armed with the ffty-calibre rifle.
Many Of these are I'm bad order, worn
out by long use. firing pins broken or
otherwise useless.
"There are enough surplus forty-hve
calibre rifles i'm possession Of the com
NAMES 10 equip these four companies
IL is recommended that this be done
Surplus rifles are generally not Kept IN
order. Some Of them have broken parts
but all can be made useful AT small eN-
ncnse. The longer they are left. the worse
of the Oldest of the rifles should DE re-
mitted. and this recommendation Is, there
fore. respectfully repeated.
"Sincc the regulations prescribed by
the Commander-in-Chief have been FUR
nished to the volunteers. many OF the
officers have partially informed them
selves Of their general purport and court
martial. particularly the summary courts
provided for have begun TO show a bene-
fetal effect; but there IS still a very
widespread ignorance Of the regulations.
and In many commands there is no WISH
bic evidence Of care bestowed In studying
them.
"Ordcrs are not read TO the commands
generally. captains being apparently sat
,sned with a haSty perusal, and turning
them over to the first lieutenant. 10 be
pasted or copied in the order book. Many
orders are missing; officers claim that
they have not been received.
'1f commandants would require ON
GERS under them TO acknowledge receipt
OF orders. this excuse could not be made.
so often I'm the reports from this
Office has II been stated that books and
papers are not properly kept bv many
commands and remedies SUGGESTED. with
out any stems being taken I'm that dircc-
tion. II Is not considered necessary 20 do
more than state that. with exception OF
the books AT hcad0uarters Of the Third
ReGiment the evil has not been ahatcd
During tho tour OF inspection fourteen
officers were examined. twelve Of whom
passed. The system OF examination IS
satisfactory and officers who have passed
are generally found 20 be qualified. Those
few who constitute the execution. very
soon drop out and make way Tor others.