Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-19
THE MILITIA PRAISED
General Corbin's Report on the Ma
tional Guard.
PERSONNEL GOOD, OFFICERS ACTIVE
Strength of the Citizen-SoIdiery
Organized by States.
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY

| The adjutant generals office has issued
Its annual statement of the organized mil
lila force of the United States together
with the number Of men available for mill
tary duty. but unorganized The grand
total Of organised militiamen in the va
| rious states and territories at last reports
was 106.3 Those unorganIzed but avail
able for military duty aggregated 1O.34S,-
152.
/ According to the adjutant generals fig
ures the militia Of the District of Columbia
Is organized as follows: One general Off
| Ger. Ii general STAFF officers, 10 regimentaI
field and STAFF officers. 81 company officers,
| making total of 105 commissioned off,
| GERS; POI non-commissioned officers 81 mu-
sicians. 919 privates. making a total Of l.
ia enlisted men and grand total Of l.
279 of1cers and enlisted men. The strength
OF this force is distributed as follows:
General and general staff, %; engineers,
10; light battery, 81: infantry, 114S: signal
corps, %: hospital and ambulance corps, A.
Condition of Local Militia.
In a special chapter IN regarl to the
militia of the District of Columbia, Gen.
| Corbin's report includes a full and COM
prehensive statement of the strength and
condition Of that organization based upon
reports made to the War Department by
the adjutant general Of the District Ma
tional Guard. On the subject of per
sonnet and discipline" the report says:
| The personnel. as rule, is excellent.
officers intelligent and Jealous, enlisted
| men young and active, a large majority
being members Of the guard at consider
! able expense of time and money on ac-
count Of a fondness for and interest In the
military profession"
| Other subjects are treated Of in the
port as follows:
Guard duty-Guard mounting is held in
the armories in many Of the companies and
| instruction given in guard and sentry duty.
During brigade encampment special efforts
are made to correct the universally COM
mon fault of the volunteer militia, viz,
| ignorance of guard duty and lack of OBJ
servance Of the forms Of military service"
Target practice-Target practice Is con-
sidered one of the most important features
of instruction in connection with the guard,
| and Is given attention during the entire
year, although the practice season is from
May to September 30 Qualification scores
may be made between December 1 and No
vember 80 Of the following year, and the
| two highest scores in gallery and range
| with skirmish run in case of second and
subsequent years qualification as sharp
shooter) are credited as record. Gallery and
range contests are frequent. A meeting is
held each fab. AS an evidence of the high
standing of the rifemen of the guard, 1t
may be stated that the brigade rife team
!
| tests having won 1t In 1890. 1893 and 1896.
At present it holds the interstate trophy, of
| which it was also the winner in 1888.
| The District Volunteers.
1.-Two companies of the National Guard,
practically complete. were mustered into
| the service of the United States volunteers.
| Company A, 4th Battalion, District of CO.
lumbia National Guard, was mustered in
| May II, 1898, as Company A, 1st District
of Nn1i NO NrS>1,, ~ Ga
| Battalion, District of Columbia National
| Guard. was mustered in May II, 1898, as
| Company c. LIST District of Columbia Ma
| tional Guard.
| Between 800 and 600 men were mustered
| into the volunteers who were then mem
bers Of the District of Columbia National
Guard. There is, however, no record from
which to obtain exact figures. the muster
| out roll being deficient in this respect.
Forty eight officers of the District of CO.
| lumbia National Guard received commits
sons In the volunteers from the District
| Of Columbia.
Three non-commissioned officers of the
District Of Columbia National Guard were
| made commissioned officers in the 1st Dis
| trict of Columbia Volunteers.
-Four members Of the District of Column
bia National Guard received commissions
| in volunteer regiments other than the 1st
| District Of Columbia Volunteers.
The order for concentrating the LIST Dis
| trict Of Columbia Volunteers was received
| on May 10. 1898. and the regiment left on
ders from the War Department rigid
| physical examination was conducted by As
| sistant Surgeon General Forwood. United
| States army. assisted by three surgeons of
the District of Columbia National Guard.
| Fully so per cent of the applicants for en-
| listment were rejected because of physical
| defects. Companies were separately mus
tered in just as soon as their full quota
| minimum strength was enrolled. the first
| company being mustered in May TO- 1898
On May ID the LIST Battalion, consisting of
| Companies A, B, and G, took train at
| Washington. D. c., and were transported
whence they marched to Camp Alger, Va,
| distance of about two miles, The re-
| naming companies proceeded to the same
| destination and in the same manner lust
| as soon practicable after muster In.
After muster in, and previous to leaving
the city, the troops were quartered at the
National Guard Armory, over the Center
! Market subsistence being obtained at a
| cafe. Railroad transportation was fur
| nished by the Southern railway, and faciIt-
ties at the time were fairly good. The
| were properly fed before leaving the city
and reached their destination in ample time
| for preparation Of next meal. The de-
parture In each instance was timed so as
| to take place shortly after the midday
meal
Washington. D. c.. is regarded as the
| most suitable place for mobilization and
concentration OF local volunteers
Militia of the United States.
The organized strength of the militia and
| the number of men liable for service bv
states are as follows: The first figures
given being the organized strength and the
second the unorganized:
.,.,. Organized. Unorg'zed
a. isnsa;s ............... 1882 10000
SAiiIornla .................. 1904 214.135
SSoIofaoo. :.................. LAP $1,000
Connecticut Con ut................... 2,294 los 49s