Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-26
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Brigade to Be Instructed in
New Drill Reg ulations
BY A REGULAR OFFICER
MANY APPLICATIONS RECEIVED
FOR SERVICE MEDALS.
Hope Expressed That Reorganization
Bill Will Be Passed by Con-
gress Next Month.
BY A REGULAR OFFICER

The National Guard of the District of Co
lumbia is to receive expert instruction III
the new infantry drill regulations Already
attention has been called to large NUMBER
of doubtful points In the revised reguia-
tons, and the majority of company COM
manders are at loss how to proceed. In
this emergency Capt Charles H. Muir, gen.
eral staff captain, I'd U. s. lnfantfy)' was
approached, and he promptly expressed his
entire willingness to render any desired as
sistance to the local brigade. Capt. Muir
was a member of the special section War
Department general staff that revised the
infantry drill regulations and is an author
ity on the subject.
The plan of District militia headquarters
ia to form the commissioned officers OF the
brigade into company or companies. such
to be given instruction direct by Capt. Muir.
The latter will have the assistance Of Lieut..
Col. Brett and Maj. Ourand, each of whom
has made a special study of the new book.
The officers thus practically taught by an
expert, and one who Is quaiinea 10 ,,eits
will be much better qualified 10 lnstruG1
their respective companies than they Wouiu
be after months of mere reading OF the oriii
book.
The instruction, it is hoped, is to be start
ed next week 1t will begin with the school
Of the squad and be continued, II posslDle,
through the evolutions of the regiment. Ohe
evening each week Will De oeVoeeu " ehe
school.
Applying for Service Medals.
Applications for service medals are being
received daily at headquarters, and it Is be-
lieved that within the next few days every
officer and enlisted man of the command
or more will have formally applied for the
decoration to which he is entitled. The med
ais will be distributed among those to whom
they are due at the earliest possible mo-
ment.
The new uniform order not yet having
been received at militia headquarters, moth
ing has yet been done in the dlrectlOn OF
officially informing the officers OF the brl-
gade regarding just what they must pro
cure in the way of clothing and equipments.
Rifle Practice Qualifications.
The annual report of Maj. James E. Bell
inspector general of rifle practice, an
nounces that because of lack Of range facili-
ties the following are the only members of
the command who qualified during the past
season:
Experts-Maj. James E. Bell and Capt.
Alfred P. Robbins, general staff; Maj: Glen
die B. Young, Sd Battalion; Maj. William
E. Harvey Lieut. William W. Cookson and
Lieut. F. w. Holt, 9th Battalion; Lieut..
Ralph Alderman LIST Battalion; Capt Geo.
L. TAFT, Lieut.. F. L. Heidenreich, Corp.
jackson Morris and Privates E. ]. Fink, s.
B. Wetherald, E. A. Byrnes and F. E. Hea-
ley, Company I, LIST Regiment; Capt. Alex
ander Summers, Sergt. Charles e. Groome,
and Privates Maurice Appleby and R. L.
Pile, Company 1, I'd Regiment; Capt. Frank
E. Skinner, Company K, I'd Regiment.
harpshooters-Maj. L. H. Reichelderfer,
I'd Battalion. and Lieut.. w. B. Sullivan,
Company /, list Regiment.
Marksmen-Sergt s. Peacock and Private
L. Day, Company 1, LIST Regiment.
First class-Private E. G.. Wilson, Com
pany l, LIST Regiment.
Reorganization of Brigade.
1t is stated at District militia headquar-
tiers that every effort will be made to Sc
cure the enactment, as soon as possible af-
ter the beginning of the next session of
Congress- of the bill introduced in the
House by Representative Morrell to reor-
ganize the National Guard of the District
of Columbia. The bill was referred to the
committee on militia, which reported it ia
vorably and unanimously recommended its
passage In view of the fact that the COM
mittee in it's report remarked that speedy
action is extremely desirable, the indca-
tons are that the measure will become law
without delay. 1t is of exceptional inter-
est not only to the officers and men of the
local brigade, but to citizens generally. The
bill provides that the National Guard of
the District shall be reorganized as fol-
lows:
The staff of the brigade commander (who
shall be the brigadier general commanding
the militia) shall consist of one assistant
adjutant general, with the rank of lieuten-
ant colonel; one inspector, one judge advo-
cate, one quartermaster, one commits
sary, one ordnance officer and one engineer,
each with the rank of major; one surgeon
with the rank of lieutenant colonel, two
aoI1 +I,n
tain: Provided, That the officer of the army
assigned by the President of the United
States to act as adjutant general of the
militia of the District of Columbia shall re-
ceiye pay and allowances two grades above
that of the rank held by him on the active
list of the army: Provided, That such in
crease of pay and allowances shall not ex-
coed the pay and allowances of a lieuten-
ant colonel on the active list of the army.
That in time of peace the National Guard
shall consist of not more than thirty-two
companies of infantry, four companies Of
coast artillery, one troop or cavalry, one
battery of field artillery, one signal corps
company, one hospital corps and three
bands.
Regiments of Infantry.
That regiments of infantry shall consist
of three battalions; and to each regiment
there shall be one colonel, one lieutenant
colonel, one adjutant (captain), one quarter
master (captain), one commissary (captain),
one surgeon (major), two assistant surgeons
Captains, one assistant surgeon (irst
lieutenanD, one chaplain (captain), one SER
geant major, one quartermaster sergeant,
one commissary serbeans, two color ser
geants; also 81 band, to consist of one chief
musician. one principal musician, one drum
major four sergeants, eight corporals, one
cook and twelve privates; one sergeant
(irst class of the hospital corps, three SER
geants of the hospital corps. six privates
first class Of the hopsital corps, three pri-
Yates of the hospital corps.
That the battalionS of infantry shall
whenever practicable) consist of four COM
panies; and to each battalion there shall be
one major, one battalion adjutant (first
leutenanO, one battalion quartermaster
and commissary Second lieutenanD, and
one battalion sergeant major.
That to each company of infantry there
shall be one captain, one first lieutenant,
one second lieutenant, one first sergeant,
one quartermaster sergeant, four sergeants,
eight corporalS, two cooks, two musicians
one artificer and eighty-seven privates
That a company of coast artillery shall
consist of one captain, one first lieutenant,
one second lieutenant, one first sergeant,
one quartermaster sergeant, eight sergeants
twelve corporals, two cooks, two mechan-
les, two musicians and eighty-one privates:
Provided, That when two or more compa-
MES of coast artillery have been mustered
jn the following officers and non-commis-
stoned officers of coast artillery, in addition
major, one first lieutenant, one assistant
cttro Grcf Hart oyxtA