Evening star., 1897-03-27
THE NATIONAL GUARD
A New Adjutant General for the
Local Brigade.
CAPT, HEYLOF TIE 23DU.S. INFANTRY
Fort Myer Troops to Practice at
Ord~ay Range.
BIG EVENT NEXT SEPTEMBER

BIG EVENT NEXT SEPTEMBER
BY far the most interesting announce |
ment for some months to the District of
Columbia National Guard is one to the eff |
feet that a change is soon to occur in the |
office of adjutant general. District of CO. i
lumbia militia AS is well known, the de-
tail of officers of the United States army
for duty with the militia is, in accordance
with Gust tom, for term of four years.
Capt. Theodore Mosher of the 22d United
States Infantry has held commission as
lieutenant colonel and adjutant general or
the District of Columbia militia for nearly
five years, and that fact has been a most
noticeable exception to the established rule
and subject for comment AS an efflclent
and popular officer it is the general opinion
that Col. Mosher cannot be replaced, and
the understanding is that he was not dis
turbed at the expiration of his four years
of service because of the earnest personal
request of Gen. Ordway that no change be
made.
However, The Star is in position to an
nounce automatically that the detail of an
other officer of the army for duty with the
DISTRICT OF tOiuinDld illlltid ds ddJhtiit
general will be ordered Immediately after
the return of Gen. Ordway, who Is expected
home from Europe next month. The order.
though, will not become effective until
after the encampment of the brigade AT
Fort Washington in June. Col. Mosher
will be with the guard at camp, and Is not
to join hts regiment prior to the lst OF
July. His departure will be source OF
genuine regret to every officer and enlisted
man of the guard, he having won an un-
usually high place in the esteem and af-
fection of all by his signal ability and uni
form courtesy.
The assignment as the Districts adju-
tant general is one much sought after, and
1t Is understood First Lieut. j. A. Dapray
ef the 23d United States Infantry, sta
toned in Texas, secured leave of absence
and journeyed to this city a few days ago
In order to personally press his application
for the desired detail Lieut. Dapray is a
Washingtonian and well known in this
city. He is by no means the only officer in
quest of the plum, for they could, If neces-
sary, be named by the score. The activity
on the part Of these officers will not bear
fruit. for the matter is practically decided,
and the only reason that it is not promul-
gated from the War Department is due to
a desire to be courteous to Gen. OrdWay by
| awaiting his return to the city before max
ing the official announcement.
Capt. Charles H. HeyI.
Col. Moshers successor as adjutant gen.
| eral of the District of Columbia National
| Guard will undoubtedly be Capt. Charles
| H. Heyl Of Company /, 22d Regiment.
| U. S. Infantry. Although his command is
stationed In Texas, Capt. Heyl has been in
| Washington since last August on special
| duty in the Office ofthe major general com
manding the army at the War Department.
| He was born in Pennsylvania, but was ap-
| pointed second lieutenant In the army
| from New Jersey, October l, 1873. He arose
| to the grade of first lieutenant March 70,
| 1882, and the following year completed
| course at the infantry and cavalry school,
| Fort Leavenworth. He became a captain
| April IS, 1891.
Capt. Heyl has seen considerable hard
| service in the field, and has twice been
| brevetted, once for gallant service in action
| against Indians In the engagement at Verde
| river, Arizona. May "a. 1874. and again for
| gallant service in action against the In
dians In the engagement at Grace creek,
| Nebraska, April 2S. 1876.
| Although the departure of the present
| adjutant general will be regretted. hearty
! welcome will undoubtedly be accorded Capt.
| Heyl. should the present plan carry, for
| the guard would be In position to be con-
| graduated on securing such capable and
| gallant successor to Col. Mosher. The lat
| ter will take away with him the thanks of
| the brigade commander and Others for
| although the office is considered soft
snap, such an idea is erroneous. the as
signment being fraught with work Of the
| hardest kind, and at the same time of the
| continuous performance nature.
| Marked Importance.
The second annual meeting of the Nation
al Rifle Association at the Ordway range
will be an affair of marked Importance
judging from the preliminary preparations
that are now In progress. In addition to
the local rifle experts, 1t is confidently ex-
pected that the attendance of teams and
| individuals will be secured from New Jer-
| sey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania Mary
land and possibly Georgia, while a special
Loft nrf tS to hn do TO
| Virginia. The meeting will occur in Sep
| tember, month earlier than the initial
| meeting last fall, and every possible effort
will be expended to make 1t thoroughly in
| teresting.
feature of the occasion will be a team
match for a big and valuable trophy. In
| this competition the rifle used will be the
three-groove Springfield, with high grade
service ammunition, either that manufac-
tured by the Winchester company or by the
u. s. NJ. c. The ammunition will be issued
| to the competitors at the firing point.
| large number of individual matches
open to outsiders, will also be arranged.
The program for the meeting will be pub
lished and distributed early next month IL!
| order that all interested may be officially
| informed in due season.
Cavalry ut Ordway.
1t is practically certainty that the four
troops Of the 9th United States Cavalry
statiored at Fort Myer. Va, will make use
of the range Of the National Rife Associa-
ton at Ordway for small-arm practice
during the coming summer. Negotiations
with that end in view are now in order. II
the matter is arranged, the troops will
| march to Ordway and go into camp there
until the practice is concluded.
Return of Gen. Ordway.
From letters received from Gen. Ordway
who is at present in London, England. it is
learned that he will return to Washing.o ION
next month. 1t is not known definitely
what the state of Gen. Ordway's health
now is, for he has refrained absolutely ir
his correspondence from speaking of his
| physical condition.
Once more the rumor has been revived
that Gen. Ordway intends to sever his con.
nection with the District National Guard
In speaking this subject with Star re-
porter. Maj. George H. Harries, inspector
general of rifle practice, said yesterday:
Everybody deprecates this rumor, an6
everybody hopes that the general will moi