Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-12

| merely personal staff without military
| duty. and now appointed TO RANK as
| colonies OF cavalry under the oio Ia"
| now In force.
SCHOOLS OF INSTRUCTION..
ut Is also again proper to report that
II has been the effort OF this once ~
| invite the attention OF commanding Oh
| ficers Of companies. particularly Wnen
| located In small towns. 10 estapiish
schools Of instruction for their compa-
MES more particularly during the WIN
ter nights. An officer reading over to
the men assembled the regulations Oh
| the army and those OF the state To-
gether with other matters pertinent
could make it not only very interesting
| for the men, but OF great service 10
| them. To this end this office has also
endeavored TO procure from the dinerent
departments at Washington such pup
| LEGATIONS as they may be willing 10
| send and these have been, as far as
possible. distributed.
''The system OF Post Lyceums, Sta
| lions of Troops Of the United states
Army, where the officers, under the d.
rection OF the commanding officer. regu-
larly detailed for the purpose, read es-
says and discuss militay matters. Is
productive of the greatest benenciai re-
suit, and could. in a limited way, Do
well initiated by captains instructlng
their companies as above noted. me
physical condition OF the volunteers
consists of one brigade of white troops;
four regiments Of thirty-eight compa-
MES; three battalons and two troops
or cavalry and two battalions OF coiored
infantry commanded by two majors
of three and five companies, respective
ly. reporting direct TO the Governor.
THE Military Board has distributed
the fund for expenses of headquarters
and companies as follows:
To the First Brigade headquarters,
$50.
To each regimental headquarters, s125.
To each battalion headquarters, $3.50.
And to each company $3.50 each for
men present at annual inspection dn-
fantry), and $3.50 cavalry and artillery,
and in addition, 81 per man for compa-
MES having 100 per cent. on their rolls
present at inspection. All company
amounts payable TO company command
ers The United States fund has been
apportioned by your EXcellency in such
manner as to distribute in your judg-
ment where most needed, about $ll,Vo
in blankets, regulation uniforms, over
| coats. and other equipments. as far as
the sum will admit and the quantities
requisitioned for.
TO GIVE THE MEN CARBINES.
Before this report is published, it Is
expected that the orders that have peen
| published will cause TO be placed in the
hands OF every enlisted man a A5-caliore
| rifle in good condition for any service that
| may be demanded. and ammunition Tor
| infantry and artillery for practice ana
reserve will have been requisitioned for.
| In addition a supply of overcoats is TO
| be kept In store at Richmond, and
blankets at Norfolk. Woodstock, Staun-
| ton. Culpeper. Charlottesville, and Lynch
| burg to supplement the needs Of any
| company not possessing them, and which
can be forwarded to any company when
| IL is needed for quick service. But there
| is no camp no. garrison equipage, no
| quartermaster, nor ordnance, nor medical
| stores, nor a sufficiency of uniforms and
other articles such as are generally Is
| sued.
"The volunteers have been ordered for
duty during the year in Shenandoah
| county, Portsmouth, Alexandria, Fairfax,
| and Culpeper the pay and transporta-
| ton amounting, as detailed elsewhere in
this report, to s1,c02.65, and have rem
| dered effective service in every single IN
! stance Our people are law-abiding. and
] il Is to the credit of your EXcelency,
aided by the officers and men OF your
| command, that only three known cases
| of lynching have occurred during the
past four years, while the troops have
| been used to check and have prevented
a large number of vicious criminals from
meeting a summary death, which the
courts have generally promptly awarded
them.
| ITO quote from the last report ana
bearing on this subject: In the admirable
| article. entitled Ten Years of Riot Duty,
| in the July No. of the Journal of the
| Military Service Institution, by Major
| Winthrop Alexander, /. g., ID. Z. N. IL,
| Il appears from his classification OF cases
| by States and years, where the state
| volunteers have been called on to assist
| the civil authorities, that in the Com
monwealth OF Virginia. from 1886 to 1888,
| there have been the unusual number OF
| thirty-seyen cases-numericaly larger
than any other State. 1t would appear
| from a hasty examination OF this account
1 that Virginia has been one or the most
| disorderly States. AS a matter of fact,
| however there have been Few cases
where even minor casualties have oc-
| Cured TO any of the troops or duty, and
| i'm only about one case where company
came into conflict with the people. With
the exception Of the strike at Newport
News. January II, 1881, and the antici-
| mated difficulty at Pocahontas, May 8,
| 1695. the expeditions of the militia nave
been small in numbers under orders, but
| extremely important in results, ana III
| the two cases cited, while the cost was
greater. yet there was no loss OF ilfe, put
| the property saved from most probaDie
destruction will probably amount 10 se'e-
raj million dollars.
COLONEL STERN'S REPORT.
"Referring to the usual comprehensive
| report of the Assistant Inspector-Gene-
raj. attention is respectfully called to
his suggestions as TO uniforms. Inc
uniforms and equipments distributed and
| issued during the past year go far TO-
wards uniforming the volunteers In q
| serviCeable way; but not enough can DC
issued TO allow for wear and tear wnich
in cases OF actual duty for few days
only makes a new uniform necessity
The question of a dress uniform is I'M
nortant. The law allows it when the
pattern is approved by the Commander
| in-Chief, and each regiment or battalion
| asking the privilege should nave IL, par
| ticulariy as the expense has to he main
ly borne by the organization wearing IL
| II would be OF much more assistance In
preserving the general dignity and uni
| formfty of appearance If the same full
dress uniform should be prescribed fol-
each of the separate branches of the
| service. Brass letters "V A." to be worn
on each side OF the blouse collar. have
been issued to all enlisted men. 1t eff
fectually distinguishes Virginia soldier
| s-o,o oil others wearing similar uniforms