The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-02
General w. HI. Carter Has
Praise for Sunfiower Troops.
The Work of the Militia at Fort
Riley Highly Esteemed.
DRILL AT CAMP ROOT.
Lively Lecture on Tactics With
FOrcible Illustrations.
RumOr That Captain Butts Is
to Be Court Martialed.

Junction City, Kas., Oct. 2.-Gen. w.
H. Carter, acting adjutant general of
the United States army, is unstinted in
his praise of the Kansas militia troops.
In company with Gen. Bates and staff
and the assistant secretary of war, w.
Carey Sanger, Gen. Carter viewed the
brigade drill of the Kansas troops. he
said to a correspondent: 1T is remark
able that such drill could be put up by
troops that have been in camp such
short time. 1t is wonderful that the
troops should even attempt brigade
drill under such circumstances, and this
makes it almost past understanding
that the commands could execute the
movements in the highly acceptable
manner in which they have.''
Following regimental drill in the
morning the respective commands, in
Guiding the First and Second regiments
of the Kansas National Guard, the Kan
sas battery and the provisional battal-
ion from Kansas, assembled on Pawnee
flats for the brigade drill. There was
a large crowd in attendance and the
drill was carried through faultlessly.
Brig. Gen. ]. w. F. Hughes was IN
command, with Capt. Alvord of the reg
ular army acting as adjutant. Col.
Wilder S. Metcalf commanded the First
regiment: Col Perry NJ Hoisington the
Second and Major w. w. Minnick the
battery. Gen. Bates and staff and Sec
rotary Sanger and Gen. Carter viewed
the movements from an advantageous
position close to the troops. Heretofore
the militia troops have had no part In
the maneuver problems, but from to-
morrow the militia will have an active
part in each days problem. The prob
lem today includes combination of
regular troops and national troops. 1t
involves the formation of outposts by
the Blue army and the attack upon the
outposts by the Brown army.
The Sixth United States infantry and
the First national guard will form an
outpost on the Republican river bottom.
The Eighteenth United States infanry
and Second Kansas will establish an
outpost on the Smokey Hill bottom. The
TWenty-second United States infantry
ard the Colorado troops will establish
their outpost on Morris hill. The reg
ular troops will establish their outpOSts
and will be relieved by the militia troops
who will resist the attack of the Browns,
who will attack in sufficient force to
repel the outpoSts, thus giving the
militia troops a valuable lesson in the
proper method of defending outposts.
The regulars win remain in reserve af-
ter the militia regiments relieve them on
the outpost positions.
In the afternoon an officer of the en-
gineer corps will give an illustrated lee
ture on entertainment digging and Col.
Arthur L. Wagner will also lecture to
the troops officers of the various COM
fnands. Tt is a matter of widespread dis
cussion that at least one captain of
regulars will be courtmartialed for con-
duct unbecoming an officer The officer
is none other than Captain Edmund l..
Butts famous in army circles as the
author of Butts manual on athletic ex-
ercises. Captain Butts is now stationed
at Fort D. A. Russell, in Wyoming, in
command of a company of the
Eighteenth infantry. The ground for the
courtmartial which it is said that Col
onel Sanno will ask for is based upon
the refusal or neglect of Captain Butts
to report for duty at one of the maneu-
vers.' he sending his company out in
command of a subordinate officer. When
| takne to task, Captain Butts is said to
have retaliated with impertinent lang
uage not permitted in the articles of
war The inquiry will probably orig
J mate in formal charges preferred by