The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-01
CAPT. JOHNSTON REPORTS
 ON THE ALABAMA GUARD
Inspecting Officer of Regular Army Makes Interest ing Statements to War Department About
 Soldiers of This State.

By authority of the War Department the report of Captain w. H. Johnston, a regular army officer who inspected the Alabama National Guard during the sum- mer was yesterday made pubic by Ad- jutant General W. w. Brandon The report of Captain Johnston is an
 interesting document. In full 1t is as fol- lows. Fort McPherson, Georgia, June 15, 1903. The Adjutant General,
 Department of the East,
 Governors Island, New York City. Sir: have the honor to submit the, fol- | lowing report of my inspection of Nthe | Alabama National Guard. made in com pliance with G. O. No. i9, c. S. Head quarters of the Army, and S No 102, | c S. Headquarters Department Of the East
 Pursuant to the above orders left this
 station on May 4th, and reached Mont gomery, Ala, the same date, where the inspection was commenced that evening.
 With the advice and assistance of the
 Adjutsnt General of Alabama, an itin- reary had been arranged, in. accordance with the provisions of a letter from your headquarters of April 9th. and so ap- pointed as to provide for an inspection
 each evening of the week in different
 city, the order of precedence of the cities
 being determined so as to insure connec- ton with trains on the aiious railroads of the State, and hasten as much as pos sible the inspection. In the spirit of the
 instructions received from you, the in- spections were held in the evenings. most
 of the members of the National Guard
 being engaged during the day, excepting
 at Selma and Camden, where the organi-
 zatiors requested inspection Tn the after
 noon. An order was issued by the Ad-
 jutant General, announcing the date of each inspection throughout the State. While in this order. '7:30 D. m is men, tioned as the hour appointed. the inspec- ton was never commenced until each or ganization announced that 1t was ready,
 usually as late as nine o'clock, and some times lasted until midnight.
 Program of Inspection.
 At each city the following program was followed:
 The organization being ready, it was in- spected as prescribed for a single organi- zation of its arm of the service, except that no organization being equipped fin
 heavy marching order, knapsacks were not unslung, the few organizations pro-
 vided with blanket bag being inspected
 with the bag on the person, and that one troop of cavalry was inspected mounted dS WCtt dS
 During the inspection of arms. several men of each organization were questioned concerning their knowledge of the arm carried, small arms practice, guard duty and their duties in camp.
 In this manner the inspector was en- abled to make intelligent answers to the questions on such subjects in the memor-
 anda of the various organizations. After each inspection, the company commander was required to muster his company from a muster roll prepared to date. The company commander was required to submit list of all absentees. account ing for their absence and certifying that each man absent had been regularly en- listed.
 The inspector then asked if all men
 present had been duly enlisted. and where lany were found not thus enlisted, they were sworn in at the inspection or ex- cluded from the organizations enlisted strength, note being made of such action on the memoranda of the organization s
 inspection.
 The Militia Act approved January 2l, 1903, was then explained to all present by the inspector, and those present were asked If they could be relied upon to re- spond to the call of the President, in the event OI n Cdlis dS plONluNu ny hhO io"' Favorable response was received throughout the State, with the exception
 of the following men:
 Band 1st Infantry. Mobile...... ......
 Co. B." 1st Infantry, Mobile. ..
 Co., "H," 2d Infantry, Opelika .. ....l2 Co. "K," 2d Infantry, Tuskegee.. ..
 Total. .. ''''''.''...''Zz 'Zz
 In Mobile labor organizations had en-
 deavored to persuade all men to declne
 to serve, but in other cities no logical
 reasons were given for such decision. In
 all other cases there was manifested an
 enthusiastic desire to serve, and an ap-
 preciatioE of the action of the national
 government in directing the equipment
 and insp ection as proposed.
 The Adjutant General.
 Throughout the tour of the State I was
 accompanied by the Adjutant General of
 Alabama. Colonel William w. Brandon.
 who has served in the Alabama National
 Guard since 1885. who was Major End Alabama Volunteer Infantry, in the Span
 ish American War. and who re-orGanized 1he Alabama National Guard in lS19 and
 has since that time served as Adjutant
 General of the State.
 In addition to his military experience. gained as above indicated, Colonel Bran don served TOT many years as meHDef of the leg ,slat ture, and enjoys an oxten-
 sive acquaintance in Alabama, which was quite useful to him in the reorganization of the National Guard. and in procuring from the legislature the necessary filian- cial assistance for the support of the guard. The same acquaintance and his knowledge of the history of each organ ization were of benefit to me Tn the in spection and preparation of the required memoranda. Moreover, by his presence with me at each city, he was able to explain to company commanders what was required of their organizations, and to remove somewhat the embarrassment incident to the first inspection under the Militia Act. At the same time he pre- pared estimates of the wants of each or ganization in clothing. Q. M, supplies and such articles of Ordnance Prope ty
 as are not included in the estimates sub
 mitted by me under G o. No. 49. c. s.
 Hdqrs. of the Army.
 It may be here stated that the lack of
 equipment of many organize tions of the
 State is due somewhat to his anticipa- ton that some such law as the Militia
 Act would be passed. and his unwilling
 ness to use the States allotment in the
 supply of arms or equipments likely to
 be rendered obsolete. g nee the parsage
 of such Act, acquisitions have not until
 the past few days, been forwarded. as l there seemed to be some doubt whetf CT
 or not the excess of rifles requ! ed
 over those on hand to be returred |