The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-09-08
VERMONTERS
BESTEQU|PPED
At WESTF|ELD
Commanders Say Personnel,
Too, Is Excellent
M ORE TRANSFERRED
250 More Used to Fill Gaps in 103d
Infantry Caused by Physical
Reflections.

Camp Bartlett, Hampton Plains,
Sept. 7.-One of the best reviews ever
staged on Hampton Plains took place
this afternoon at 4.30 o'clock. when
by order Of Brig Gen Charles II.
Cole, commander Of the sgd brigade
of the Goth division, and commander
Of Camp Bartlett, regimental parades
and reviews by the two regiments of
his brigade, the 103d Infantry under
command OF Col. Frank NJ. Hume OF
Houlton, Mt, and the 104th Infantry
under command of Col. William C.
Hayes of Springfield took place.
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont
and Massachusetts, are represented in
the 10Sd Infantry, the Vermont men,
250 strong, being transferred this
| morning to fill the gaps in that regi-
ment caused by physical reflections
The Massachusetts men were former
| ~ in the Eighth Infantry
In the 104th Infantry are men from
/ the Second, Eighth and Sixth Massa-
chusetts and the First Vermont. They
| were soldiers all and they proved
their worth this afternoon 1t was
hard enough in the old days of the
small companies to keep a perfect
| line when passing the reviewing
points. II is even harder to do this
thing with front rank containing
! l25 men and company OF 250 men.
Add to this rough stretch of ground
| broken here and there by stumps and
| the task seems impossible, but there
was no such word as impossible in
the guardsmens vocabulary. To prove
II they went through the review and
their lines held firm until the orders
to break the company fronts was
| given by their commanders.
| Transfer of the rifles in the hands
of the cayalrymen and infantrymen
forming the 1881 Machine Gun Bat
| talon of the SD Brigade was ordered
this afternoon and Capt. Loynachan
of the Depot Brigade was named to
receive them and check up the prop
4 WI n was dANO nt6uAl AAlo al
ternoon of inspecting rifles through
out the SD Brigade and its attached
units. Old rifles, those showing wear
| and those which would be unseryice-
able in a short time are to be scrap
| ped and new ones issued in their
place.
Instruction was begun today in
both regiments and in the machine
| gun battalion IN specialized use of ma
! chine guns by officers who recently
| returned after a two months course
at the mucketry and machine gun
! school for officers which was conduct
cd at Fort Sill. -Four officers at Camp
Bartlett are experts in this line. They
are Maj. Alfred f. Foote Of Holyoke
OF the 104th Infantry, Maj Walter o.
Cooley of Brattleboro, VT, Of the 1st
! Vermont Infantry, Maj. Oryille f.
Cain of Keene, n. H., of the First
I New Hampshire Infantry and Maj.
Gushing of the Eighth Massachusetts,
already attached to the machine gun
battalion as an instructor
I Regiments which have received
drafts of men from the First Vermont
Infantry are much pleased with the
men and their equipment Regimental
commanders say the personnel is of
! the best, and that the Vermont sol
diers had the best equipment of any
outfit arriving at Camp Bartlett with
| the possible exception of the Second
Massachusetts. They were among the
! first infantry organizations called out
for guard duty this spring, and when
they were modified later, they went
into camp at Fort Ethan Allen where
they had access to the stores at the
depot at that place. This resulted in
the best and latest issues Of modern
war appliances
Another Sunday in camp finds the
men on their best behavior so that
they may have the advantage of the
liberal leaves which have been the
rule at each weekend. A goodly per.
centage will be given liberty from to-
! morrow noon until Sunday night, the
men going this week being those who
did not have the opportunity of leay.
/ ing camp last Sunday and Monday
Passes will be issued at noon. the
r men to report back to camp at 1O
o'clock Sunday night
+ Beginning Monday drill periods will
: hbe heightened a half hour in the morn
r ing and the same In the afternoon
, Orders to this effect were issued by
) Gen Cole this afternoon To make
p up for the extra drill hours, the mer
: will be allowed to sleep 80 minutes
later In the morning Reyeille has
. been advanced half hour, tho pro
! gram TO begin Sunday. All other rou
l tine calls stand as before.