The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-10
MILITARY MATTERS;
 GUARD OF ALABAMA
BY D. w. McIvER.

Alabama District. introduced a bill in the last Congress providing for the establishment of rifle ranges in each Congressional district. to be maintain ed at government expense. this is the practical side of the question and In q few years Colonel Wiley's idea will be adopted as the feasible and speedy way to beget interest i the subject and to learn tho citizen how to shoot the new army gun.
 By the way, rifle practice Is growing in favor and the organizations in the National Guard in Alabama are pay ing a great deal of attention to 1t and in some instances have established ranges and in others are discussing 1t. There should be a range in every com pany and it could be done with very little expense, the main thing being to get a solid background upon which the bullets will be fired.
 A local range here would be profi- table to the street car company that would erect 1t and l have been sur prised that it has not been done before now.
 The proper equipment of the Ala bama National Guard is receiving the attention of the commanding officers and the discussion seems to favor the blue shirt and khaki trousers for sum- mer wear, most of the organizations being already fully supplied with the blue or regulation uniform for winter and active service.
 The blue shirt and khaki trousers form the most economical summer suit that can be adopted and 1t is not inn probable that the commanding officers will make requisition for that suit be- fore camp this summer.
 It seems to be settled among the inc Themselves that they will have separate camps this summer; all being desirous of controll- ing and being in command of their own camps They cannot be blamed from a personal standpoint, but it will be admitted on every hand that the re- suits from the brigade encampment last summer were the best obtained in the way of instructions and practi- cal experience. in some years.
 From many standpoints brigade en- campments are the most desirable. but it Is possible that the Commander-in- Chief will let the commanding of- ficers decide for themselves. The fund it Is supposed. will be apportioned among the different commands accord ing to strength and then each command can do as it pleases without regard to any other command.
 The camps will all be earlier thls year than usual, probably from the first to the last of June as the boys can get off better then than at any other time of. the year
 The National Guardsman, magazine of Nashville, Tenn, for March, con tains a picture of the sponsors and maids of honor of the Montgomery Greys of this city, which contains the bright and beautiful faces of seven of Montgomery's charming and popular young ladies. viz, Miss Annie Lowe, Sponsor; Miss Roberta Roberts, Miss Helen Scott. Miss Ethel Pelzer Miss Lucille Washburn, Miss Fanny Berry, Miss Fife Wagner. maids of honor, with an account of the annual ball of the Greys, of which it says, very truly, that few organizations in the South have a more brilliant history than the Montgomery Greys, the crack infantry organization of the Capital City of Alabama, the Greys having an un- broken record of distinguished valor in war and equally distinguished mili- tary expertness in peace"
 The history of the old organization is given Albert Fillmore was the first Captain in 1860; S. G. Hardawdy the second Captain; third Captain. J. B. McCarty; the Greys participated in the battles of Manassas, Williamsburg, Seven Pines, Chickahominy. Cold Har- bor, Malvern Hill, Second Manassas, Boonesboro. Sharpsburg. Fredericks-