Evening star., 1897-05-08
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Members Of blight Battery A Talk of
Disbanding.
WINNER OF qHE BURKARr MEDAL
Officers Active|y'Aranging for the
General Efficiency Competition.
ACCEPTED THE CHALLENGE

Following the recent decidedly startling
| stlr-up, most pronounced hull has been
the order of things during the past week
| In the District of Columbia National Guard
Matters will not long remain quiet how
ever, for definite information in regard
| to the coming camp, which Is to be held
at Fort Washington from June 10 to June
- next, may be expected within the next
| few days. Thereafter everybody will have
| his hands full preparing for the visit down
| the river.
Perhaps the only incident that might be
| said to have caused fiutter was a rather
| interesting meeting of the members OF
Light Battery A a few evenings ago. The
| following day rumors were rife that the
battery had concluded to disband. 1t was
| further stated that the members were turn
ing in their property and that the rapidity
| with which The dissolution was expected
| to occur would break the record. The order
dismounting the battery and reorganizing
| 1t as foot battery, with modern rapid
firing guEs and gatling machine guns, was
stated as the cause of this reported action
on the part of the artillerymen, as 1t was
| said they did not care to drag cannon about
| the streets by hand.
Inquiry by Star reporter disclosed the
| fact that the battery is not quite ready to
go out of existence just yet. At the meet
| Ing referred to there was some talk of q
disbandment, and it is a certainty that
several of the members will apply Tor
honorable discharge as direct result OF
the reorganiZing order. Captain Forsberg
says that so far as he knows the battery
will continue to live and grow; at least
for the present. 1t was decided at the
meeting to indulge in one more mounted
practice march. leaving the armory next
Saturday and remaining away over Sun
day. The details of the march and the
route have not yet been decided on.
Lieut.. Sabin the Winner.
The annual rifle competition for the
Burkart medal was shot in the rifle gal
lery Thursday evening last. Sixteen men
competed, and in view of the fact that
forty rounds of ammunition were fired
without cleaning the rifle between stages
the scores recorded are considered above
the ordinary, only two of the competitors
falling below 80 per cent. First Lieut.. NJ.
E. Sabin Of the 4th Battalion staff was the
winner, scoring total of 1SS out of pos
sfble 200. Private W. E. Holiday was sec
ond, with 1856. Private w. A. Edwards of
the Engineer Corps. made 1856, Private
Buell. 1S1, and Sergeant Davenport $50. The
winner of the medal last year, Sergt. Barr
stow, who made the phenomenal score of
1856. did not compete! Thursday evening last,
preferring TO rest his laurels earned
year ago. Capt James E. Bell. inspector
of rife practice Of the I'd Regiment, was
range officer. The Burkart medal, together
with the sharpShooters' crosses and the
marksmen's buttons for the past season,
are to be presented to those entitled to
them at the coming camp at Fort Wash
ington.
General Efficiency Competition.
The general efficiency competition, as
stated in The Star last Saturday, will soon
be reality. AT meeting of the commit
tee of officers charged with the manage
ment of the competition, held Tuesday
evening last, Lieut.. Robinson and Lieut..
Zea were added to the committee Lieut.
Webb was relieved from duty secretary
and Brigade Sergeant Major Donnelly ap-
pointed secretary. The committee now con-
sists of Major Winthrop Alexander, Major
E. Il. Campbell, Capt w. E. Horton, Capt
E. c. Edwards. Capt. Edgar A. Shilling
Capt. Otto G. Simonson, Lieut.. Alfred p
Robbins, Lieut.. ]. Bruce Webb and Lieut..
E. w. Zea, with Brigade Sergeant Major
Richard j. Donnelly secretary.
In view of the recommendation made by
Gen. Ordway that the marking of the COM
petition be kept separate and distinct from
the official markings Of the inspector gen
eral, inspector general of rife practice and
other officers acting in their official ca
pacity, the committee decided to make sew
eral changes In the plan for the competi-
ton adopted last December. A new report
Is being formulated and will be presented
to the committee Tuesday evening next for
action thereon. Discipline in and about
the armory will be one of the things done
away with, as it was concluded that the
men could not be correctly marked in that
respect, they not knowing all the COM
missioned officers unless the latter should
be in uniform Therefore, proper saIuting
Of officers could not be expected. The por-
tton of the competition as relates to guard
mount and guard duty will cover the period
of camp only. If any company of the bri-
gade should not have tour of guard duty
at camp 1T Will be required to go through
the ceremony at the armory some time
after the close of the camp. In the matter
of drill each company will be required to
appear for drill without notice once before
annual inspection in May with one weeks
notice. The period of the competition ex-
tends from May last to April so, 1S9S
The competition is to be judged by a
board of four captains. No member, how
ever. will serve when his command is the
subject Of examination. The property and
property books will be inspected by
board of quartermasters in the same man
ner as regards the drills, once before Janu-
airy 1 without notice. and again prior to
the annual inspection with notice of one
week.
MortOns Accept the Challenee
With the passage of time the prospects
of the District National Guard being rep
resented in the interstate competitive drill
to be held at San Antonio, Tex, July II
to July 25 inclusive, grow brighter Cap
tain Shilling Of Company b, I'd Battalion
the Morton CadetS-yesterday received the
following telegram from Captain S. l..
McAdoo, commanding the Belknap Rifles
of San Antonio, the first winners of the
Galveston semi-centennial championship
cup:
This is to certify that we have this
day challenged your command to contest
for the Texas interstate cup at drill to be
held here"
The reply Of Captain Shilling was brief
ard to the point. 1t was as follows:
Telegram received. Your challenge is
accepted
The Mortons will drill once a week until
June /, and then every night until de-
parture for camp. rat the close of camp
drilling will be resumed and continued
every night until the departure for San
Antonio
At meetingtto be held Tuesday even
ing next the amateur Rifle Club will de-
termine whether or not 1t shall be rep
resented in the Big Scheutzen rifle matches.
to be shot at Joliet. ILL.,. June "a to June
27. 1t is very probable that the club will
at least send q team of six men to try
for glory and prizes at Joliet. There will
be a team match, open to teams of six
men. the first tprize being 500 in cash
and a tanner valued at $50. The program
includes a competition in which every com
petitor will receives a prize, the highest
award being $f0O. the second $50 and the