Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-12
Militia Eager to Learn.

the nights of August q and had TO be
| abandoned.
Militia Eager to Learn.
| Prom the start says Col. Coffin, the
militia reserves were very attentive and
cage" to learn. and the results accom-
plished were most satisfactory. From the
battle command station down to the guns,
| the greatest interest manifested.
| Toward the close all stations and bat
tcries were manned by the militia, and
in a most gratifying manner The de-
| tails in the postion-findinS stations, from
officer to man. worked most intelligently
and have fair knowledge of the fre-con-
troll system. In this connection l wish to
state that many of these details worked
| voluntarily when no duty was prescribed.
Every facility offered to accomplish
this. but nothing prescribed: it was purely
/ voluntary. All regular officers duty
with the reserves report most favorably
of the interest manifested at "a, times
by the militia; their eagerness to learn:
their proficiency and the satisfactory re-
suits obtained with officers and men, in
position finding stations and at the gums.
can bear evidence to that myself, and
was surprised well gratified at the
rapid and efficient progress made.
| Al, the militia officers assigned to this
duty report in the same strain. They are
almost unanimous in their recommended
tons to the formation of battalion,
or some organization. in the militia. as
Coast Artillery, To perform this work
alone To that end they recommend that
suitable means be provided for instruction
! work during the winter. including the
sending of these men, at various times
prior to maneuvers. to the forts. con-
cur in these recommendations, do so
the majority Of regular officers assigned
- duty with the reserves. Officers both
regular and militia, including Majs. Davis
and Straub. Coast Artillery Corps. strong
ly recommend the discontnuance of firing
blank charges from the coast guns. for the
reason that at best. 1t is only spectacular:
1t adds nothing to their training; is at
tended with more or less danger, and
requires a large amount of fatigue work
after each firing to clean up the guns,
which, after the first cleaning, contributes
nothing to their instruction. and is prac-
tically time thrown away l concur fully
in these recommendations and cannot
urge too strongly the discontinuance of
this practice. In addition, l am of the
opinion that 1t is injurious to the guns
Work of the Militia Supports.
1.-The militia supports were. equally with
the reserves. enthusiastic in their work
and accomplished much. While not rem
dered proficient in close order drills,
parade. etc, they learned valuable les
sons in patrols. reconnaissance and out
post duty, which they themselves ac-
knowledge and appreciate The 1st
Separate Battalion seems to he unanimous
in the opinion that the work was in
structive, interesting and very profitable,
and many recommend an increase in the
length OF time. 1t seems to be the
consensus of opinion of all officers doing
duty with the supports, well of
both post commanders. that most of the
companies were deficient in the ordinary
drills in close order. This caused con-
siderable delay i'm the work mapped out
for the supports and the progress was
not as satisfactory as it otherwise would
have been In this connection il may be
remarked that very large proportion
OF these men appeared to he recruits
very recently enlisted y notable eN-
ception to this was the 1st Separate
Battalion. which Capt. S. q. Chiles. 18th
L. S. Infantry, under whose supervision
it was. reports that in discipline and in
struction il is as efficient any militia
battalion that has ever come under my
immediate observation.
Several officers. both regulars and
militia. have recommended more extended
instruction in infantry. especially bat
!, talon drills. dress parades aud reviews:
4 also instruction in courtmartial duty. |
do not concur in any Of these recon-
mendations If endeavor TO cover
| everything in the military service. it will
all be superficial and nothing will he
! fully accomplished. L am or the opinion
that too much is contemplated as il is
and that II would be better to coufne
| ourselves to one line of work and let
| others take care of the rest. As Mai
! Davis remarked. The more these eX-
ercises approach pure drill season and re-
cede from maneuvers the better will be
the results in which / fully concur
| = The officers, regulars and
militia. devoted themselves Conscientious
ly to their work. and the men were in
spred accordingly. The best OF feeling
existed between the men and the discipline
was excellent.
Favors District Artillery.
Col. Coffin makes a number of recon-
mendations. including the following: tina;
infantry regiments be not sent for in
struction in coast artillery: that a bat
TALON, preferably a regiment, be organ
lied in the militia of the District of Co.
lumbia coast artillery and that II alone
be sent to the forts in this artillery dis
trict for instructions; that detachments
or companies of such organzati ons be
sent To the forts at different periods
throughout she Year for instructions; that
all ceremonies other than guard mounting
be dispensed with during the exercises.
that the time of these exercises be in
June or October. on account of climatic
conditions. that companies be required
to have enlisted cooks and not hired ones
that in the theoretical instruction of mi
iitia officers more attention be paid 10