The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-31
RIFLE RANGE FOR HOLSTERS.
Interesting Account of How the Boys
Are Learning to Shoot.

Correspondence of the Journal
CHICKAAIAUGA PARK, Ga, Camp Of
the e-hundred-and- fifty-eighth Indiana
Volunteers, July 2S.-The One-hundred-and-
fifty-eighth Indiana Volunteers are putting
in these days learning how to shoot. Every
day, when it is not raining, two companies
from Colonel Smiths regiment, with two
companies each from the Sixth Ohio and the
First West Virginia, go out to the range,
remaining there over night This makes
about six hundred men on the range every
day. w. B. Poland, of this regiment is
brigade officer of the range. Each regiment
also has a regimental officer of the range.
A medical officer is also assigned to duty at
the range making in all five officers who
are on duty there beside the company Of
ficers. An ambulance, in charge of two
hospital corps privates. is stationed there
also. The officers for the range have moved
their tents out and have arranged very
nice mess. They go to bed somewhat earlier
than they do in camp and get up earlier,
getting breakfast at $50 a. m. Shooting be-
gins Immediately after breakfast. The COM
panies when they go out take a days ra-
tons. Each man takes his shelter tent and
poncho, or rubber blanket. They also take
their canteens, meat plate, cup, knife, fork
and spoon. When they reach the range they
go into camp on the side of a Hill a few
hundred yards from the range officers quar-
tiers. They pitch their shelter tents and
make arrangements for their eating. This
range camp is pitched on the side of hill
Just over the bluff into which the men are
shooting Occasionally some man will shoot
too high and a bullet will go sailing over
the heads of the men in camp. Last Tues
day Il ballet which had struck the rocks and
hn fnraf of
Lieutenant Cole, the West Virginia range
officer. He picked up the bullet and Will
keep it as a souvenir of this campaign.
Lieutenant White, of Company nj, range
officer for the One hundred-and- ffty-eighlh
Indiana, remarked that that was about as
close TO being shot as he expected TO get in
this war.
The range is across the creek from the
camp. The men shoot into a high bluff on
the same side of the creek as the camp and
directly toward the camp. guard has
been posted on top of the hill at the danger
line. To get to the range one has TO go
down TO the creek bank and cross over on
large log. The banks on both sides slope
down to this log, and in rainy weather. such
as we have been having. these banks are
ty thickly covered with mud, il is all that
the boys can do sometimes to avoid slipping
into the water. A hand rail has now been
built along the log, and It is much easier to
get over. For two or three weeks an av-
eIage of five hundred men have gone
across this log three times a day, and thus
Company II, made a false start once and
slipped backward in the mud He lunged
forward to save himself and went over on
his face and made Hogriever slide for the
log. He landed head first in the mud against
the log. After crossing walk of
a quarter of a mile brings one to the
range proper. Here in a little bunch of
trees is the camp of the men who have i'm
mediate charge with. Corporal Enloe, of
Company H, in command Of the range and
markers There are six double targets
about fifteen or twenty feet apart. after
having been shot at five times the target is
turned. thus bringing up a new back. The
pits are entered from under the creek bank.
Here one finds a long pit about six feet deep
and two feet wide. In this pit are two
markers, men whose duties are To watch the
target, and while one tells the men who are