The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-25
|GREYS' GREAT VICTORY
ANOTHER sTREAMER IN
+. ARMoRY OF SUCCESSFUL
COMPANY.
Two Montgomery Companies Return
ing from Birmingham With
Prize Money Were Given
Splendid Reception
At Home.


gomery Greys the most striking decora-
ton is lot of satin streamers, bearing
In golden letters a single sentence. A
new streamer was added yesterday and
the golden lettering upon 1t was First
Prize, State Fair. Birmingham, Octo-
Der o."
Each streamer, or bannerette, comment
crates victory won by the Greys in a
competitive drill On the walls there
heng bannerettes which mark victories
won by the Greys and rhe last bannerette
commentaries the latest victory of per-
haps the greatest prize-winring military
company in the South.
The splendid showing made by the 9TH
er Montgomery company. the Blues. is
hardly less meritorious. In the Birming-
ham drill of Thursday the Blues were sec
ond only to the Greys. They were in
competition far above the other COM
panies which participated in the big COM
petitive drill. 1t was admitted that cir
cumstances. to some extent, initiated
against them. They were the last COM
p.Sny to go upon the field and the COM
pany's maneuvers were executed in the
gathering darkness. Through some mis-
take. the company commander, Captain
Baber, was not furnished with the drill
program until the time had nearly arriv-
ch iOt thc IoiuCS " 30 upon Tic hciu
The exhibition the company put up, needs
no apology. Their drill was accurate, full
Of snap and impressive. The officers and
men of the prize team have reason to be
proud of the showing they made.
The drill of the Greys was magnificent.
1t was perhaps the best ever seen in
Alabama since tine changes in the army
tactics. The alignment was perfect. The
company's movements were carried out
as though done by well-oiled pieces of
machinery. The prize team went through
the manual of arms as one man. The
slightest detail of a movement was exc
cuted with confident care and accuracy.
But, above all else that was impressive
In the work of the first prize winners,
was the swinging style in which they
went through the whole of the intricate
program. There was a dash of conf
dence in their every movement. "Magni-
ficent' was the comment of the military
men who watcher the sure, accurate and
graceful way in which the Greys went
through the program.
Captain Joseph of the Greys and Cap
tain Baber of the Blues were the recipi-
ents of deserved compliment from the
judges Of the drill. Two numbers on the
program were placed there with the in
tention of tripping the commanding Of
ficers of the different teams. They were
in q measure catch" commands The
judges were united in saying that the two
Montgomery captains were the only two
officers who correctly interpreted both
commands
The decision of the judges that the
Greys had won first prize; the Blues,
second and the Birmingham Rifles third,
was unanimous. Only a few points
separated the Blues and Greys, but the
w<~t-. LoA-.
prize winners was much wider
The Talladega Company which had been
considered a formidable entry did not
figure largely in the contest at any time.
1t was conceded that the Oxford COM
pany came next to the Birmingham Rifles.
From the End infantry there were only
two entries. the Greys and the Blues, the
winners of the first and second prizes.
The whole regiment feels a pride In this
fact.
From the Bird infantry there were two
Birmingham companies, the Woodlawn
company. the oxford and the Talladega
companies.
In the Individual prize drill there were
forty entries, the Blues carrying off the
second prize of SIS with Sergeant r. C.
Benjamin.
The Greys won in prizes $3.50 for the
best drilled company; $50 for the best
captain; SIS for the best lieutenant and
SIS for the best right guide, total of
$40. The Blues brought back $3.50 for the
second best drilled company and SIS for
the second best drilled man, a total of
s165. The prizes which the Montgomery
companies did not get were third prize
in the company drill, prize for the most
men in line in the parade and first prize
for the best drilled man.
The judges of the prize drill were Colo
mel E. II. Graves commanding the End in
fantry; Colonel Tom o. Smith, formerly
of the Bird infantry and Colonel Morgan,
commandant of cadets Of Howard College
To Colonel Graves of the End infantry
was paid the compliment of giving him
sole command of the immense military
parade, the largest held in Alabama in
many years. Colonel Graves is perhaps.
the youngest man who ever commanded
National Guard regiment in Alabama, but
he stands high in the esteem of all mill
tary men of the State and is regarded as
one of the very best officers in the Ala
bama guard.
The Greys were given a most hearty
welcome on their arrival in Montgomery
yesterday morning at o'clock. The active
members of the company who did not go
to Birmingham, the older members of the
Crews, men who had a part in the sue
cess of the Greys in other days, met
them at the depot with carriages and
tally-hos. full supply of brooms were
carried down and given the winning team,
the clean sweep that the
had made.
The winning team was driven through
the streets to the company's armory and
en- route they were given hearty cheers.