The Washington times., 1901-07-29
CAMP ORDWAY AFTERMATH
Many Lessons of the Service Out
ing and Field Maneuvres.

General Improvement Evident
| Eyerywhcre-The Extended Order
| DriIIs-Inauence of the Regular
Artillery on Discipline of Militia.
| The capabilities of the National Guard
| of the District of Columbia were put to
| the test during the ten days of rigorous
| routine at Camp Ordway, and. found not
| wanting 1t Is doubtful IL a canvass of
| all the veterans of this and other camps
| would reveal one who would not say the
| annual encampment of 1901 was the most
successful in the history of the Guard.
| The Improvement was so general in all
| departments of the Guard that there is
| no particular feature that stands out es-
pecially prominent.
| In the tactical instruction.. for which
purpose the annual encampmepts are held,
| the extended order exercises were given
| closer and more intelligent attention than
| ever before. In previous camps the rank
| and file had been given a smattering oil
| extended order exercise by their oiiicefs'
but the instruction was often injudiciously
| and never thoroughly applied. This year
Lieut. w s Overton, Artillery Corps.
! L. S A. acted as tactical instructor. His
work with the men gave them vast
amount of information regarding the
manner in which to protect themselves in
| time of battle and how to take advan-
tage of natural resources. This drill was
| taken up first by squads, then by plat
| oons followed by company and battalion
drill, all of which was preliminary to the
| field naneuvres of Friday. The latter
evolutions We're supposed t. afford
chance for beth officers and men to put
| to application the principles they had
learned in the drills.
First of all the fact was made emphatic
| that good squad leaders, from which
class are drawn commissioned officers,
| are as valuable as they are rare. Non
commissioned officers were placed in
| command of squads with orders to con-
| duct their commands in the same manner
| that they would in a battle. The same
| instructions were observed in the case of
companies and battalioas. Lieutenant
| overton, mounted. was en- the firld every
| day during these drills, and worked the
men energetically. The extended order
exercise was rather exhausting. fnasmuch
as it involved no end of running.
How to get through barb wire fence
rapidly, to advance quickly over hiily
country, to obtain shelter on smooth
! ground and to advance under cover of
! the fire of another command were but a
| few of the active service lessons given
| the men in the field.
For the officers there we're lectures on
! strategy and the application of the prob
| lens of actual warfare to conditions in
| camp. Lieutenant Overton lectured once
! on the broad strategic principles of the
! Boer war and on another occasion on the
Battle of Colenso. one of the decisive bat
| ties of that conflict and one especially
rich in certain military problems. All the
drill and lectures were intended as prepa-
| ration for the field maneuvres or the sham
battle which occurred on Friday. While
rather disappointing, the maneuvres were
conducted in more sodierfy fashion than
| any ever were in the history of the Guard.
The First Regiment occupied Fort
Evans. This naturally strong defence
was, in the parlance of mimic warfare, re-
duced by the superior tactics of the at
tacking column of far superior numbers
and which was supported by the platoon
OF regular artillery The artillery did the
heavy work of the engagement, directing
at the fort fire which would, had shrap-
mel instead of blanks been used, probably
have killed every man within the forti-
fications.
There was at the time the decision was
announced considerable dissatisfaction
evident. The ruling of the chief umpire
however, was final, and thereafter it was
disappointment more than anything else
that caused comment. The attacking
force had good chances to put the ex-
tended order tactics into operation. This
they did with success.
The platoon of regular artillery en-
camped with the Guardsmen furnished
a splendid example in more ways than
one. The strict discipline of the artil-
lery camp was not without its effect
With the regulars model many of the
militiamen avoided the foolish hiIarity
caused often by the idea that camp is
more place for skylarking than real
work.
When the guns under command of
Lieutenant Fox Conner went to the range
north OF camp for target practice the
Guardsmen received instructive object
lesson. The manner in which the shrap-
mel tore into shreds the targets a mile and
a half away and plowed up the ground
was a vivid example of the terrible de-
structive power of this branch of the ser
vice Under ordinary circumstances the
fire of one gun loaded with shrapnei and
served with the usual rapidity is equal to
the fire of two hundred infautrymen. In
the field maneuvres Lieutenant Conner
4 had his battery cffectually concealed in
the bushes and played a no small part in
the reduction of the fort, which was sup
posed to be the main defence of Leesburg
The trip to Camp Ordway fFem Washing
ton Barracks was made byfroad, and the
return march accomplished in single
day.
wb esome example In discipline was
set by major Arthur Brooks, commanding
the First Separate Battalion. One of the
colGred soldiers went into 'Leesburg soon
after the encampment opened and enter
ing a house made himself objectionable
to the inmates, members of a respectable
colored family. The matter came to the
ears of Major Brooks who probed 1t and
had the man court-martialed after which
he was drummed out of camp to the air
of the "Rogues March, The initiative
taken by Major Brooks was the subject
of widespread and favorable comment
Discipline in the First Separate Battalion
is perhaps better than in any other of the
Guard. The colored troops always made
a good showing, and in the battle of Fort
Evans aided largely in the victory.
The commissary, always an important
part of the annual encampment, was this
year set on a high standard. The food
prepared was OF the best and never of the
teristic of camp. Major r. II. Neumeyer,
the commissary general, gave his personal
attention TO the work, and a result
earned glowing encomiums from the men
The same thoroughnesS was evident in
the affairs under the direction of II. H.
Parmenter. quartermaster general. With
in an hour or two after camp was estab-
lished on July q every man was equipped
with the usual supplies. The transporta-
tion of the troops was successfully ac-
complished in quick time. When camp
was struck on Saturday nearly every ar
ticle issued ten days before had been ac-
counted for 1t IL doubtful If there was
ever an encampment held with less loss
to the quartermaster department.
y splendid record was made by Capt. !