The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-27


lnlf-grown boys who would be reject
ed for physical reasons.
Manner OF performing All Military
Duties.
Willie the Intention OF NIL officers and
men no doubt .yns 10 carry out nil or
dcrs nntl instructions they received,
they were fur from complying with them
with that lfc,,rty good will AMI strict
intention to the requirements OF Vic
drill regulation and E,inrd SinRntial
n the two volumes mentioned nhovc
had been carefully studied by officers
lnnd non-comnissionett niliccrs, and
frcIuentl. practiccd before going into
camp, many KlarinE infrnctions would
lnvG been avoided. scntincls were not
properly instructed, ami frequently
corrected them. Tho latter walked
their posts in a very indifferent man
ncr, many know practically nothing
about anluting. The great fault or
their guard duty was the fact TINT
the non-comnisAloncd officer. on guard
were men who were no better Informs
ell than the rriva tes. The officers Of
the guard did not visit the sentinels
AK often MS they should, mud when
| they were not SO nstructinE them, they
should hnyc been in,pnrting their
knowledge to, the ser.ennts and COR
Itpornls Of the guard, md then having
IstIcm TO instruct and quiz the scntl-
ncls on post.
1 Discipline.
Many officers when not snluted by
I'M enlisted man passing them failed
to stop him and require him to sn-
| lutte before permitting lim to go on
Ills way. rhc strlct attention to this
net of courtesy, together with insist-
| Ing that enlisted men when lying
down stand UP and remntn ut nttcn-
ton, ,vlien an officer spcnl1s to him or
comes into his tprcscnce. would do much
to inculcate' discipline In the CONF
ninnd. When uSked officers why they
permitted such infracttons they would
smile aud say they did not like to
require It, hut II the men did salute
they would return II. This spirit Is
nll wrong, aud NIL officers should In
xist upon this respect from NIL enlisted
men, but X all Will not require 1T, dis
ciplinc will remain NIX II ism poor
negative quantity.
Policing Camp.
Before leaving camp went through
| 1t after tho troops left and found
some clean, one In fair condition, and
some Very dirty.
Orders lnd been given to thoroughly
police the streets of each organization,
and regimentnl and battalion cons
mnnders were held responsible for the
cleanliness of their camp. The ground
occupied by the Sevcnty-first Rcgi-
/ r.cnt wa. In excellent condition; that
/ Of the scventieth in fair condition.
but that OF the Seventy-nccond was
| very dirtyj the worst part bclng the
I ground occupied by the Richmond
Light Infantry Hluea Battalion. 1t did
not appear us II the spnce between
1 the backs OF the tents had been touch-
cd. This neglect caused comment, not
only from General Vaughan and my
self, but from the nr,s,y officer who
insnccted 1t before we did, Buttcry
A, or Richmond, left theiY camp also
In avery dirty condition.
Rccomnlc nj utlons.
+. sIfrespectfully- suggest and recon-
| mend an annual meeting OF the offi-
GERS. or q certain portion of them. not
/ combining 1t to field officers. when
/ Papers may be read and all matters or
\ efficiency. discipline and like subJects
may be discussed and o. uniform sys-
tenn OF instruction and reading may be
! followed In all organizations. This
plan has been followed Ia other
States and the results have been bene-
fetal in a marked degree.
Colonel stern's lteport.
From Colonel stcrns report, which
Els iiiiof4alilp ctethil, are given certain
[strikin g. tpa ssages: .S Is
/ The companies were cntrained very
i promptly the coaches We're IN a fair
i " clean condition and supplied with
ice WATER The horses We're not load
ed according to regulations, alternate
horses not being turned head and
4 tail.
There, was unnecessary delay In
Petersburg In loading other horses.
and camp was reached about two
hours late.
i rrolnptlr. the train, however. being
Il Handed on the track farthest from the
Y camp, without apparent reason. There
\ was no provision for unloading the
horses.
part Of the brigade had already
arrived, and 1t was found that the
, camp was by no means comnlste
Tents had beer pitched with board
4 floors, but there We're no lights IN
1.-THE camp. and there never were dur
!. Ling the time the brigade was there
4 although costs for electric wires were
en- the grounds, and it WAS intended tc
furnilh electric lights.
{ Unsanitnry Conditions
Il S. The water plpeas Idu HO1 Epeelt eo't-
ntcted with the lntrines and lheir nee
essary use was attended with grea1
i ilconvenieEce. and the 'insanirafy
, conditions threatened the camp the
: whole time, although these latrines
& were nearly all connected and waite,
, supplied before the enccmpaeLt wa'
ever.
The shower baths wer, not in oper
! alton and there were no floors II
, the lighthouses. but, on the contrary
during the several days That the nrl-
rade was In camp 1t rained very
hard a majority Of the Time. and the
(. inconyenie1.ce from the mud and Watel