The times., 1897-04-29
PLAYING MILITARY CHESS
Gen. 0rdway Moves officers and
Commands.
BATTERY A Is DISCOUNTED
The Famous Troop A Is Dishanded.
Mutterings of Discomfort and
the Reasons for it-Promotions
of Faithful Cfficers-seIaIa ate Coz /.
panies Are No More.

The practical reorganization OF the Dis
trict National Guard By Gen. ordway is
just Row the topic or general discussion
among tie military men Of the city. Some
OF the soldiers have been promoted, others
consolidated and some have mad their ser
vices dispensed with entirely. In the lat
ter category is that always picturesque
and admired organization, Troop A. the
Presidential guard.
There is already some talk that Troop
A, which has been one OF the three
separate companies, viii disband only 50
far as obedie noe to the order il concerned
and will maintain itself as not only a sep
arate, but as an Independent organiza ton.
There are thousands Of people in " Nashins-
ton who who would Ike 10 see that propo-
sition an accomplished fact, but it Is
rather early 10 say what will be done so
far as this command is concerned.
The lightning has struck Light Battery
\, also, and left its members in not the
most a greeable frame OF mind. They held ii
meeting last night, and like good sol
diers, went to work cheerfully to carry
oat the preliminary orders OF Gen. Oid~G1
They diSmantIed their guns and made
ready to send away to Bridgeport the
carriages. which are to he remodelled
for foot" battery. This company will
hold a meeting next Wednesday night to
determine it's future The order has not
been received with acclaim. On the coz
trary, it is said siy several of the men that
they did not enlist as members OF foot
battery, but as mounted battery.
They say that they do not know of any
as "
posed by Gen. Oriway, except In fortifica-
tions where batteries are worked by foot
soldiers They claim that there is no
better equipped battery anywhere than
this a battery, and that they can turn
out their sixty men and forty horses with
in two hours and half after notice. The
company desires to meet the cavalry in
encauipnent before long. and it is prob-
able that this will be one of the subjects
to he discussed at the meeting next Wednes-
day night. The change from the mounted
TO tle foot service viii, however, he the
main topic Of debate
Capt. Fosberry was asked last night
what would be the outcome of the change
He said that it was a matter of individual
opinion. and that the company would not
act until after full meeting. There
were only forty present last night. They
will probably be present to man at the
coming meeting. The temper OF some of
those who are kicking at the change may
be had from the statement of one of the
men made last night that he'd be, etc.
ff he would be caught playing horse On
the streets of the capital of the nation
at the rear end of national cannon. All
the orders, and duties OF the men as stated.
however, have been done as company n
q splen did spirit of obedience.
The horse on parade in the district or in
encamprnent appears to be the cause of
most Of the important changes. The ap
preparation for the militia is never big
enough to warrant the. keeping of stand
ing army ofhorses, andi is the experience
that the horses ought TO be trained nearly
as well as the man, TO be effective when
they are needed for emergencies. TIE
horse is considered to lie an expensive
luxury. The horses and dragons" are
about e-thirteeHtb "a very unIucky num-
her in this case) OF the brigade, and it
has been estimated that they cost about
one-fourth of the whole militia fund They
have also been regarded S more ornamental
than useful.
The foregoing are the matters of most
generalinterest. The change in A Battery,
it is said, wiz make the only foot battery
in the United States, the innovation being
after an English practice. The equipment
or the battery as to guns will be the same
as heretofore, but more lightly mounted
Other changes refer TO the consolidation
OF commands, the promotion OF officers
and the interchange OF positions, by which
many OF the best soldiers have received
reward for long and faithful service
Some of the more important changes in
the general staff are:
Cottniiissary General McIntire to he quar-
termaster general; Chief Of Ordnance Neu-
meyer to be commissary general; Quarter
master General Tierney TO be chief of
ordnance; Inspector General Alexander to
be colonel of the First Regiment, I'm place
Of Col. Moore, resigned; Capt. Ourand TO
be Inspector general; Major F. l.. Sn,ith-
meyer, chief OF engineers. and Capt. Thomas
Singleton resign, leaving vacancies to be
filled by promotion.
Company Teorgauizations and Dattaiicn
consultations are as follows: The Cyclist
Company will belong TO the Engineer Bat