The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-02
MILITIA OF THE STATES
Immense Reserve Army at Hand
If Needed.
THAT ARE WELL DRILLED.

Facts Based on the Reports for 1897 Show
That the Equipment Is Good Except In
| the Artillery-Target Practice and Week
ly Drills Held in Many of the States
Signal and Hospital Corps-Guard Duty
| Unsatisfactory.
| Washington, April 2.-The military
Information division of the war depart
ment has in preparation a publication
giving a great mass of information con-
corning the militia of the different
states and territories, based upon re-
turns for 1897. 1t is of particular inter-
est at this time, in view of the possbil-
ity of this reserve army being called
upon for active military duty. For the
sake of ready reference there has been
prepared sufficient summary showing
the more important features of the op-
erations of the guard. Among the facts
| shown are the following:
The total authorized strength is 1884,,
| S4S more than the organized strength.
Oklahoma has the smallest force, 500,
and New York the largest. There are
| regularly organized hospitals or ambu-
nois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts,.
Minnesota, New Hampshire. New Jer-
sey. New York. Oregon, Rhode Island,
Utah, Vermont, and the District Of CO.
| lumbia
Hospital and Ambulance Corps.
Many of the states have very COM
plete and efficient regimental hospit-
| al and ambulance corps. Signal corps
| of states. Official state encampments of
instruction were held in thirty-one
| states during 1897
The duration Of the encampment var
| led from two days in Nebraska to ten
| days in the District of Columbia, six
days being the average. Regular troops
encamped with state troops i'm Alabama,
California, Kansas Michigan Minneso-
ta Tennessee, Texas and Vermont
Seventeen states, Connecticut Georgia,
Illinois Maine, Massachusetts, Minne-
sofa, Montana. New Hampshire, New
York, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode ISL
and Tennessee, Texas, Vermont. and
Wisconsin. are reported as owning their
camp grounds. AS to armament, the
conditions are:
Infantry-All OF the states except Del
l.
New York are completely armed with
the Springfield rifle, calibre As. In New
York the Remington rifles are now be-
ing exchanged for the Springfield rifle,
calibre 45.
Cavalry and Artillery.
Cavalry-The cavalry OF all the states
Is armed with the Springfield carbine,
calibre As, except Illinois, Louisiana. Or
The Illinois cavalry is reported same
as in regular service" The greater
part of the cavalry is also armed with
the sabre and revolver in addition to
the carbine.
Artillery-Thirty- out of the thir-
ty-nine states having artillery organi-
zations have one or more Gatling guns.
Many of the states have the 32 inch
B. l.. rifles; but a large proportion of
the artillery armament is old and out
of date.
The equipment in 1897, though in
slightly better shape than the year be-
FORE is still far from complete. Con-
siderable Improvement was shown in
the care of the equipment. In almost
all cases the artillery harness is old
and practically worthless Most Of the
field and staff officers in all the states
own their mounts. There was a slight
increase in 1897 in the number of shell
ter tents. The tentage is reported as
ample for the entire guard in Colorado,
Connecticut, Delaware. Kansas, Ne
braska, New York. North Carolina.
Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington.
Wisconsin and the District OF Columbia |
Weekly Drills Held.
Weekly drills by company and field
exercises were held in many states, and
twenty states report a regular course
of instruction at the home stations
during the winter months. Guard duty
was performed in a manner far from
satisfactory. There was a marked in
crease in the amount of outpost duty. |
Target practice was held in thirty-four |
states.
Although many states permit the ex- |
istence of Independent commands, the |
tendency Is more TO discourage their |
support or organization. particularly in |
the near vicinity Of the home stations ]
of the guard, for the reason that they |
absorb material that would otherwise |
find its way into the ranks Of the reg |
ular organization, and, besides, not be- I
ing subject to the uniform administra-
tion and discipline of the regular state |
forces. they can not be counted on in /
an emergency. In the following states /
and territories the guard was called on
to aid the civil authorities in maintain
ing the law: Alabama, California, Col |
orado. Illinois. Kentucky. Ohio. Penn
sylvania, Texas. Washington and New
Mexico.