Evening star., 1901-06-19
NATIONAL GUARD CAMP
ADDITIONAL ORDERS ISSUED TODAY
FROM HEADQUARTERS.
Omcers Enjoined to Meet Response
bilities Assumed-Prelimfna
Duty of Guardsmen.

Additional orders relating to the encamp-
ment of the troops Of the District of CO.
lumbia National Guard, beginning the 18th
of next month, at Leesburg, Va. were Is
sued this afternoon from headquarters Of
the District Of Columbia militia as follows:
Under the law making provision for the
organization of the militia of the District
of Columbia, the annual encampment OF
the District Of Columbia National Guard
Is fixed military duty which demands Of
all It's members faithful discharge The
oath of officers and enlisted men entail
positive obligations and unavoidable re-
sponsibilities. With this in view it should
be needless to state that the annual en-
campment Is occasion for such military
exercises and instruction as will tend to de-
velop and foster the most efficient military
organization possible in the District of Co.
Iumbia- To accomplish this. while 1t is
neither desired nor intended to prevent or
obStruct the proper individual enjoyment
and recreation Of the soldier when off i'm
mediate duty, mere personal pastime or en-
Joyment must nevertheless at all times be
regarded as secondary and subservient to
that military duty of which rigid discipline
and accomplishing loyalty are the distin-
gushing elements.
These points being well fixed In mind 1t
is expected that every member of the guard
during the coming encampment will strive
faithfully and untiringly to meet the re-
sponsibnittes which he has volunt arily as
sumed. In this the conscientious soldier
will find his task for the short period of
the encampmen easy to perform. The OBJ
ject to be kept constantly in view by all
concerned during this encampment is In
creased military efficiency. The equipment
OF the soldier has been restricted and the
camp baggage Of the officer has been Hm-
tied to actual requirements. The provisions
for tent pitching, cooking and messing,
field exercises drills and the various other
camp duties are all based upon conditions
OF actual service. and it is expected that
guardsmen will appreciate the fact that the
advantage of only ten days out of three
hundred and sixty-five devoted to military
outing must be measured by the cheerful
and willing loyalty of the individual soldier
in learning his lesson in field and camp to
the fullest extent possible.
Preliminary Duties.
The most important preliminary duty of
the guardSmen respecting an annual en-
campment is attendance. and it is expected
that officers will resort to every practi-
cable means to insure the fullest possible
attendance Of men. In case less than 75
percentum of the enlisted strength of any
company organization shall be reported for
the encampment, the commanding officer
of the organization will be required to
show cause why he should not be relieved
from command of his decimated company.
If men fail to attend, except for good and
sufficient reason, prompt punitory or dis
ciplinary measures will be adopted. Simple
excuse, or offer of excuse, will not suf-
fice The excuse must be previously Of
fered by the soldier and accepted by proper
authority, and the soldier who fails to at
tend except for acceptable sufficient mill
tary reason will be regarded as absent
without leave or in desertion, as circum-
stances indicate, and will be dealt with ac-
cordingIy.
In view of the fact that the limited camp
time is Of such great value in the training
of the soldier, a suitable penalty deduction
will be made from the pay Of absentees.
Matter of Respect and Courtesy.
Special attention is directed to the uni
versally common tendency Of national
guardsmen to disregard the forms Of mill
tary courtesy and respect SO essential to
true military discipline. The effort Of all
officers and nom commissioned officers viii
be directed to the instruction of members
Of their respective organizations in their
duty in this regard. bearing in mind at all
times that example on the part of superiors
is ever an easy and useful lesson to the
subordinate officers and soldiers alike
must be mindful that the prescribed salute
Is an act Of courtesy involving neither
servility nor degradation, and whatever be
the attitude maintained between the mill
tary superior and inferior in their civil re-
lations, in the military the sureSt mark Of
Intelligent appreciation OF the ODllBatlOnS
assumed by all alike in taking the prescrib
ed oaths is punctilious observance of all
the forms which experience and good order
have set in government Of the relations be-
tween necessary classes in the military
service. 1t is not deemed essential to re-
peat in this order the detailed instructions
respecting Salutes; the authorized manuals
being sufficiently explicit regarding the du
ties Of officers and soldiers in this regard,
it is only deemed necessary to announce
that strict compliance with their provisions
will be required.
Aside from the general routine Of exer
cises and instructions hereafter to be pre-
scribed, special attention of ell command
ing officers will be directed to instruction
in guard duty in all its phases and require
ments. Each soldier must not only be in
structed in the general duties of sentinel,
but will be taught to recite the general or
derS, and, soon as possible after their
PRONUNCIATION, the special orders for senti-
nels in camp Officers of the day and Of
ficers and non-commissioned officers of the
guard will be held to rigid responsibility
for the proper performance of guard duty
in camp, as well their knowledge Of all
requirements pertaining thereto
Major Charles H Ourand, inspector gen.
eral, will have charge Of all matters per-
tanning to guard duty, and will see that
the provisions of the foregoing paragraph
are carried out.