The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-01
OF TACTICS
WHO SHOULD HAVE WON PRIZE IN
 INDIVIDUAL DRILLs
Eufaula Man Kept His Gun at Shoulder When C0mmanded to Charge
 Bayonets Without Bay. 0Aets Fixed.

The officers. and men of Company c. End Alabama Infantry of Eufaula which passed through Montgomery yes terday. were very proud of the showing their company made in the various manoeuvers and drills at the Selma encampment. which has just closed They expressed themselves as veBy much pleased with the amount of knowledge they were able to acquire during the encampment.
 One of their men. Sergeant Nichol- son. came very near to being awarded the prize for individual drill, and the omcers of the company, as well as many others in the regiment. declare he should have received 1t. He was one of the last four men in the drilling contest. and was ruled out by the fudge when. in the opinion of many officers. the other three should have been bar red, leaving him to secure the prize.
 In the drin for the Individual medal. four men were selected from each of the companies. making forty eight in all They were put through a hard drill. and whenever one of the soldiers made . mistake in following orders, he was dropped from the ranAs. By the process of elimination. the best drilled man of the regiment was ar- rived at.
 HI IuI8 uTIlls III put IOuT HIGH HAu been dropped. Two of these were from Company c of Selma, one from Company D of Montgomery. and the fourth was from Company G of Flu faula. The men were carrying their guns at right shoulder arms, without bayonets being fixed, when tho com mand came to charge bayonets."
 The Company G man stood at shoul- der arms. while the other three came to a position of charge bayonets. re- gardless of the fact that they had no dropped from the ranks and the other three continued the drill, the prize finally being awarded one of the men from Company c of Selma.
 The officers. however. assert that the three men were in error in attempting g to carry out the impossible order. and that in remaining at shoulder arms, the Eufaula man was in reality the only one of the four. to follow the manual.
 In support of this contention. a cer- tificate was obtained from various com pany officers. which was signed by no less than twenty. of the company off, ncers. This certificate is as follows:
 We, the undersigned company com manders of the End regiment. Alabama National Guard. are of the opinion that according to our interpretations or drill regulations, bayonets must be fixed before you can execute the com mand charge bayonets in a prize drill
 The signatures attached were of the following:
 James F. Walker. Company F: c. A. wyman, Company F; Walter Griftith, Company M: w. s. Childs. Company p; G. M. Edwards, Company E; W. F. Weiss, Company D; M. D. Smith. Com pany B; J. c. Anthony, Company M; L. Wilson, Company M; Allen Cren- shaw, Company H; H. c. Shreve, Com pany H; A. H. Feagin, Company D; w. L. Perdue. Company I; George w.. Griffin. Jr., Company K; M. l.. Ballon, Company L; G. L. Ballou. Company L; s. s. Howze. Company M; K. B. Nc Kenzie, Company G; A. M. Mcdowell. Company G; P. A. Sapp. Company G. Upon this showing it was contendod that The Army and Navy Journal. rec ornized as an authority in all matters concerning army discipline and drill. should be consulted, as last resort. A telegraph to that publication brought the following reply:
 "K. B. Mckenzie, Selma, Ala:
 Improper to execute charge oayo- nets in prize drill without bayonets fixed. Army and Navy Journal"
 The officers and men of Company U were in the city for several hours, leaving for their homes at Eufaula at 4 o.cIock yesterday afternoon.