The Washington times., 1903-08-30
Departure of Rifle Teams
for Sea Grit and Return Of
Naval Battalion From An
nual Cruise the Chief
Events.
Major Ourand Detailed to
Act as Adjutant General
During Captain Robbins
Absence at Sea Grit With
MarkSmen.

tIlct MlllIla- II was, uOWeNeTs HldI hcu
by the departure of the District marks
men for Sea Girt. y. j., the scene Of
the annual meet of the National Rife
Association, and the return of the Naval
Battalion from its annual twelve days
cruise down the lower Potomac and the
Chesapeake Bay.
The brigade rife team Will try for the
national trophy, and the regimentaI and
company teams will also strive hard to
capture a few of the many prizes put up
for competition by the officials OF the
national association. The shooting Will
not begin until next Tuesday and end
on September u, but the local riaenea
are woefully In need of practice at the
longer distances. and for that reason
they were granted one week additional
in order to sharpen up at the long
ranges.
There were about forty men in The
party which left Washington to go TO
Sea Grit Wednesday. All of them were
in their new khaki uniforms, but for
fear Of encountering wet or damp
weather on the New Jersey coast they
also took their blue uniforms with them.
The men were at the Sixth Street rail-
way station long before the starting
hour. General Harries. Colonel Brett
and several high army officials will 90
TO Sea Girt on September in order 20
be present at the match for the national
trophy, in which the National Guards
men OF the District Of Columbia viii
participate on September and o.
Good Reports About Men.
Major Bell reports that his men are
making the best of their time on the
range at Sea Girt and are fast rounding
into trim for the hard matches which
they have entered.
The practice OF the District rifle team
on Friday was confined to the 200. 500.
500 and 900-yard ranges. and at the con-
clusion of the same Major Bell expressed
himself as well satisfied with the results
This is the first time this year that the
team has had any practice at 900 yards.
Owing to the nature OF the ground at
the Ordway range. the 900-yard firing
point, If constructed at the proper place,
would be in the center of a creek To
overcome this difficulty the firing point
was placed twenty yards toward the tar
get, making the range actually $50 yards,
in place Of 900. Fridays practice has
enabled the members of the team 10 OBJ
tain their elevations at the range.
Major G. B. Young. Third Battalion,
and Private E. J. Fink, Company I, First
Regiment. have reported and Joined in
practice.
According to notice received by the as
ISOLATION there Will be, in addition to the
teams from the navy, Marine Corps and
District now at Sea Girt, teams from the
following States: New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania, Connecticut. Rhode Island
Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio, Vermont
Georgia, and probably Michigan and
Maine. TO compete for the national match
trophy provided for by Congress, the big
event of the meet.
No Report Yet of Cruise.
AS yet General Harries has not re-
eeiyed the report of Lieutenant Com
mander Brummett, of the Naval Bat
TALON, which arrived shortly after Z
O'Clock Thursday evening on the Fern
IL is understood that Lieutenant Com
naander Brummett has an enviable re-
port TO make in regard to the work
accomplished by his men and the great
amount OF practice put in by them. The
report will virtually be a copy of the
log OF the Fern. which was kept through
out the twelve days. AS soon as the
Fern was anchored at her wharf Cap
tain Parker. the paymaster of the Dis
trict militia, went on board and paid
the officers and men (not in the Govern
men service) for their past six months
duty In the battalion. The boys worked
hard and faithfully at all hours OF the
day and night, and were glad TO get
back home.
The following order was issued last
week:
''Aide-de-Camp Alfred P. Robbins is
hereby relieved from duty as acting ad-
3utant general Of the Guard. Major Our
and is detailed TO headquarters as act
ing adjutant general. and will be re-
spected and obeyed as such"
Captain Robbins. who has so success
fully engineered the affairs of the Guard
during the past four or FIVE months. dur
ing Adiutant General Mosher's illness
and pending his resignation. is a mem
Der OF the brigade rife team and con-
sidered not only one OF the most relIa-
bic members Of the team. but one of the
crack shots of America, and has an en-
yiable record as a marksman and will
be a distinguished" marksman when he
returns from Sea Grit, having served
three years On the team. He was com
PEELED 10 leave Washington with the
team and thereby created a vacancy at
headquarters. and Major Ourand, an
other aide-de-eamp. was appointed 10
serve al headquarters until Col. Lloyd
Il. Brett. OF the Second Cavalry. reports
fos duty.
The War Department instructed Colo
nj Brett, who Is captain in the reg
uiar army and a colonel in the volun-
teeys and National Guard, to report on
sels amber Z. It is doubtful If he will
be assigned as adjutant general before