Evening star., 1897-04-10
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Prospects for an Interstate Drill Are
Not Bright.
GENERAL EFFICIENCY COMPETITION
More About Dress Uniforms in the
Inaugural Parade.
NOTES OF THE SOLDIERS

A rumor has been in circulation locally
for some time past to the effect that
preparations are rapidly beirg brought to
focus for an interstate competitive drill
to be held in Cleveland, Ohio, during The
present summer. In a communication to
The Star. Major Rees, commanding the
Cleveland Grays, a well-known military or
gan1Zation, states that he has no knowl-
edge of the rumored drill. The prospects
are that 1897 will pass into history without
such a contest
That General Efficiency Competition.
An officer, who claims to be in position
to know whereof he speaks, in a communi-
cation 10 The Star, states that the men,
tion last Saturday of the Lost, Strayed
or Stolen general efficiency competition
did First Lieut.. J. Bruce Webb, the orig
iEator of the proposed contest .an injus-
tice and gave the competition black eye
10 my certain knowledge" says this
officer, Lieut.. Webb has been unremitting
In the little part he has to play, nearly
ali of the officers of the brigade will tes
the subscriptions and will continue to col
lect until his share is done and done well.
Il am informed and believe that all pa
pers relating tC his plan were referred to
the proper authorities two months ago. and
the authorities probably have excellent
reasons for keeping them.
'As Lieut.. Wrebb's duties related solely
to the financial portion of the scheme, l
DO not see how he can possibly be held
accountable for the miscarriage of any
other portion of the PLAN
1t Is understood that Major Winthrop
Alexander, Capt. William Edward Horton
and Lieut.. Webb are now corresponding
in reference to the competition.
Engineer Corps Shooting Festival.
Major Gilbert Thompson, in a notice to
npytn
nouncement of the corps shooting festival,
+ to be held Friday, April 16, beginning at
6:3O pm. AS many teams as possible will
be made up. says Major Thompson, and
ammunition is to be free. Members of the
staff and distinguished marksmen will par
ticipate.
The monthly meeting of the Engineer
Corps will be held Saturday evening, April
"a, the subject of the evening to be Dress
Uniforms The corps will drill Wednes-
day evening. April p.
Ambulance Corps Not Tin Soldiers.
The Ambulance Corps has beautified it's
quarters of late to a noticeable degree,
handsome carpets and furniture having
been added to the other belongings of the
organization.
Amy one who is laboring under the i'm
preston that the Ambulance Corps is an
aggregation of tin soldiers said an ell
thusiasttc member to a Star reporter "is
invited TO visit the armory any drill night
and witness for himself the thoroughness
with which the drill is conducted"
The regular monthly reception of the
corps was held Tuesday last at the resi-
dence of Lieut.. Fales.
More About Dress Uniforms.
Interesting comment by Capt. S. H.
Vowel of the 4th Wisconsin infantry on
the article describing the appearance of the
District National Guard in the recent In
augural parade from the pen of Mr.. Henry
Loomis Nelson, quoted in The Star and
copied in the Military Gazette oi Chicago,
appears in the current issue of the Gazette.
In part Captain Vowel says:
Mr.. Nelson holds that the National
Guard should be compelled adopt the
regular army full dress uniform and draws
comparison between the appearance of
the regulars and the militia in the inaugu-
ra ton day parade, the former Icing httired
in full dress with glitterng brass. while the
militia appeared in the panoply of war,
with cartridge belts fastened threat teninyly
about the mems waists 1t requires the
expenditure of about 81, 900 to properly uni
form in full dress an infantry company Of
fifty men, figuring on the United States
pattern. And then how nice It is, after
months of work, to raise the money, and,
after the uniforms have been worn in Cne
or two parades, the United States pattern
1s changed in some detail, and there you
throw away. The writer has been through
1t once, and knows whereof ne speaks
othlng could be neater than the fatigue
UNIFORM as now worn. 1t is good for SER
vice or parade by simply changing the cam
paign hat for the cap. Leggins are prac-
tical and necessity in or out of a parade
The sun does not always shine. and fsr sp-
pearance sake give me, in rain, 4 military
company In fatigue uniform and leggings
as compared with the drowned and pants
bedraggled sight Of company in full
dress. l for one stand against the full
dress uniform for the National Guard, ard
II Mr.. Henry Loomis Nelson will take COM
mand of a National Guard company and
conduct it for a year or two, 1t is my opn-
ion that his views will change. We need
other things more than frock coats and
glitter1ng braSSeS. With all due Difference
to the ability of Mr.. Henry Loomis Nelson.
when he talks about the National Guard
being compelled to adopt full dress. so that
they will not offend his fastidious eye on
ko"
Appointments, Casualties and Changes
During the quarter ending March 81 the
promotion. appointments, casualties and
changes that occurred In the militia of the
District of Columbia were as follows:
Promotion-Second Lieut.. Robert Henry
Bowdler, to be first lieutenant, Company
c, 9Th Battalion.
Appointments - Corporal Robert David
Weaver, to be first lieutenant, I'd Separate
Company; Candidate Private Francis Car
roll Mattingly, to be first lieutenant, Com
pany d. 9Th Battalion; Sergt. Clay Mere
dith Mcclure to be second lieutenant, Com
pany B, 9th Battalion.
Transfers-Second Lieut.. Will Emery
Sorrells. I'd Separate Company to Com
pany c. 9Th Battalion; Capt. John S. Mil
Ter, Company A, TO Company D, 1st Bat
TALON
Announcements-Priva John s. Tomlin-
son. appointed acting captain. Company A,
Engineer Corps; Acting First Lieut. Will
lam f. Harvey. appointed acting captain,
Company c. Engineer Corps: Private Noble
r. Barnes, appointed surgeon. Battery A.
Light Artillery, with the rank of acting
first lieutenant; Private Milo H. Sutliff, ap-
pointed acting second lieutenant, Ambu-
lance Corps.
The designations of Acting Captain James
NJ. Pollard, Company A, Engineer Corps,
and Asting Second Lieut. ]. s. Johnson
Company c, Engineer Corps, were accept
ed, and the appointment of Sergt. George
N. Mclaughlin as acting second lieutenant,
Ambulance Corps. was annulled by dis
charge.
Casualties: Honorably d!scharged-Geo.
W. Evans. second lieutenant, Company b.
I'd Battalion.
Resigned-C. Fred. Cook, first lieutenant
and ouartermaster. Sd Battalion; Evans