The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-09
THE DANDY SEVENTH DRILLS
MARCHES PROUDLY BEFORE AP-
PROVING EYES

And Lets Lieut.-COl. Howe and Other
Regular" Omcers See That the Militia
IL Some Punkins -GOld cross Of Honor
to Capt. MaLet-Other Service Medals.
The Seventh Regiment-the dandy Sew
enth-gave its really big drill Of the year
last night. There are three or four other
parades scattered through the year, but
last night was the time when the regimental
cross Of honor was presented 10 officers
and members for continued service, and
Lieut.. Col. Robert Lee Howe, commandant
Of cadets at West Point, came down to re-
view the regiment, In fact, there was
quite a crowd Of regular army officers in the
reviewing stand.
Lieut.. Col. Howe was accompanied by
Capts. Marshall, Smith, Diner, Mayback
and Whitlock from the Military Academy,
and Governors Island sent over a Oon-
tingent Of ten or a dozen officers. Then
there was Brig. Gen. William H. Kipp, Col.
Richard II. Halsted, Col, Thomas Dimond
and Col. Church, all former officers Of the
Seventh.
1t is hard 10 describe these big nights in
the armory at SiIty-siIth street and Park
venue without borrowing some Of the
words dear to the country weekly. Bril-
liant function" is the first combination that
strikes ones mind as he enters the big drill
hall, with the regimental band playing and
the s%entries, in full uniform, trying to find
seats for many guests. Perhaps women
predominant among these visitors, for. as
appears later in the evening, pretty nearly
every officer and member has at east one
woman waiting for him when II IL all over
waiting to admire, praise and fuss over him.
But there are many men in the seats around
the hall too.
When most everybody has either found a
seat or has found a convenient nook to
stand in, at the sound OF the bugle the
end Of the hall where the gun cases are il
suddenly filed with gray coated. white
trousered men,, who secure their muskets
in remarkably quick order and are soon
companies on the floor. Then the band
strikes up again, and just as the clock bell
sounds &, the hour set for the review,
order is brought out OF disorder and there
they ell stand, each company represented
by two lines Of men, it's officers in their
proper places.
just then the Regular army officers in
their rather plain, dark blue uniforms Ale
in from the hallway and up into the review
ing stand, escorted by the stan officers OF
the regiment. The spectators, with the
Of the regimental band 10 their ears
and the spirit Of the thing taking hold Of
them, applaud.
Pretty soon there is a loud, incompre-
henslble order which is echoed over the
floor until IL sounds quite a bedlam. and
than ayaFvhnAy ia matching Inv fpttFa llnR
trained in military matters could tell just
how It was done, but 10 the lay spectator
II remains a oOnundrum. Then there is
more shouting, the band stops and there
four double lines across I 2 hall length
wise and facing the reviewing stand, More
shouts aud one hears a swish short and
sharp. In that swish every musket has
been brought in front Of the body. Still
more shouts. and this time there is a crash,
and those same muskets are on the floor.
One sort Of expects TO hear some more
muskets grounded somewhere else in the
hall, but when he has looked around he
sees there aren't any left-one crash did
for all.
The order ease is followed by a shift
Ing Of position which but intensihes for
the civilian the perfect order which the
crack regiment maintains when at atten-
ton. The officers do a mighty lot Of Skin
around, doubtless with som sort OF
purpose, while the band plays the waltzes
from The Waltz Dream and more than
girl In the seats at the sides and in the
is heard to whisper, -Oh, | do wish
have a dancel'
Then that mysterious shouting starts
all over again, the whole regiment marches
around the hall, and at another out
burst Of shouting they are drawn up, two
deep, around the sides Of the armory. Here
they do some more presenting arms n
but by this time you have stopped
for after sounds you know II
all be done at once. While the men are
IN this formation the real business Of the
Is gone through.
First, Capt. Robert Mazet Of Company ID
was escorted before the stand. Capt.
received a gold cross Of honor with
The - set In brilliants. which is the reward
Tor twenty-five years service. !
Major Christopher j. COLES, Second
Lieut.. Arthur Drake, Capt. John A. David
and Priyates Benjamin A. Kellogg and
p. Lassll were the next to he
summoned. They each received a gold bar
Tor the cross, having served twenty years.
twenty men responded to the call for those
who had served fifteen years, and seven
cen for the ten year men. The last men
Toned included three field musicians.
As each group marched forward the
IpeCtators cheered some more. Then the
regiment marched around in fours again,
drawn up again while the colors were
out and the band. now stationed
played The Star Spangled Ban
Ter" and the reviewing officers touched
heir caps and followed the colors out.
Then the men returned TO their earlier COM
oany formation, their muskets were
emptied" and laid on the floor and all
marched out while the band played 'Har-
The precision Of each step in the drill
demanded only praise from all sides. One
Who has seen the Seventh on the street
,nows It can march, but one needs to call
Il the armory to see what II really can do.
There was a dinner in the officers mess
asst night in honor Of the Regular army
men tand after that there were speeches, in
which everybody complimented everybody
And downstairs, on the same floor
Is the drill hall. the guests we're finding
heir way or we're being led through the
library and the rooms where the trophies
md souvenirs Of the regiment are collected.
With the band still playing there seemed
10 hurry to go away OH the par, 81 the
Tisitors.