The evening times., 1899-10-16
4 REPORT FROM SHAFTER
Condition of the Troops in the Pre-
side Camp.
Operations in the Departments of
California and CoIumbia-ExceI-
lent Discipline-The Desire of Re-
crufts to Perfect Themselves as
MarlSsmen-The Shipment of Stores

The annual report of Major Gen. William
r. Shafter as Commanding General OF the
Department of California and Department
of Columbia, has been received at the War
Department. Regarding the Department
of California, General Shafter reports:
THE discipline OF the troops is excellent
| and officers and men have been jealous in
perfecting themselves in their profession.
The small number of troops in the Depart
ment of California and Oregon require but
| very little attention. But the bulk OF oper-
ations in this department pertains entirely
| to the transmission of stores and the ship
ment of men to the Philippines. A very
large camp of recruits has been establish
ed at the Presidio, at one time numbering
over four thousand men,"
General Shafter recommends that so
long as any large bodies of troops remain
in the Philippines the recruiting camp be
continued at the Presidio and that as a re-
suit troops be congregated there and drill
ed for at least three months. He says
there is every facility there for properly
instructing and caring for them.
Capt. Robert II. Noble, inspector OF
small arms practice, says in his report
sent by General Shafter that the target
range at the Presidio is not well adapted
to the purpose for which 1t is intended,
except for firing at fixed ranges and at
short distances. No defective cartridges
were found among those manufactured by
the ordnance department Captain Noble
explains that the great Importance OF the
instruction of all recruits has been fully
appreciated and no recruit has been sent
away until he had had actual practice on
of ammunition have been fred. For the
lack OF time principally, and the fact
that the range is not suitable for skirm-
ishing. no practice in skirmishing is given.
He reports the result of practice unusually
good and says that it is not unusual for
twenty-five targets to be made out of
twenty-five shots. One man the second
day on the range made ninety-seven out
of 100.
General Shafter adds to this report by
saying:
THE men have shown a great desire
to perfect themselves as marksmen and
have shown great skill in the use Of their
weapons.
AS to the recruiting camp he remarks:
There can be no doubt OF the wisdom of
establishing this camp. 1t has enabled
the medical department to weed out men
unsuited for service. This course has been
found a great saving to the Government,
for IL they had been permitted to go to
Manila they would have broken down
there"
In his report on the Department of Co
lumbia, General Shafter calls attention to
the fact that there are as yet no guns
mounted on Puget Sound. He says: Three
10-inch and two 12-i inch barbette carriages
are mounted at Marrowstone Point and
the guns are on hand. Sixteen mortar car
riages mounted, and four 10-inch disap
pearing carriages not mounted, are at Ad
miralty Head. have recommended that
battery of the Third Artillery be sent
from the Department OF California to care
for the guns at Marrowstone Point and Ad-
miralty Head The work of the engineers
at Admiralty Head and Point Wilson is
also nearly completed, except the mounting
of guns"