Sacramento Daily Record Union

Captain Hall's Rejoinder to Captain Klein's Communication.

A few days ago the Record-Union published a long letter from Captain Klein, of Company C, First Infantry Regiment, to Captain Hall, of Company G, First Artillery, on the subject of the latter's challenge for a company contest of efficiency in rifle shooting. Captain Hall now responds as follows:

ARMORY CO. G. FIRST ARTILLERY REG'T, FOURTH BRIGADE, N. G. C., SACRAMENTO, MAY 23, 1889.

Captain John E. Klein, Commanding Company C, First Infantry, San Francisco--Captain: Your favor of the 25th instant to hand and contents noted. Since you have seen fit to criticise us so severely, I feel it my duty to define our position and if possible put my company before the public in better light than you have undertaken to place us.

Referring to your challenge of October 5, 1887, we beg to submit the following:

Mr. C. Meyers, Secretary of the Range Committee of Company C, First Infantry Regiment, N. G. C., writes:

"The Nationals denominate the scores of Company G, recently made at the official target practice, as phenomenal, and as Company C claims to be the champions in shooting, cannot permit Company G to outdo it without a match contest, and, on behalf of Company C, challenges Company G to a target contest."

COPY OF CHALLENGE.

"We do hereby challenge your company to shoot a match with a team of from six to twenty men for the sum of $250 a side, the conditions of the match to be as follows:

First--That the participants in the match must have been bona fide active members on the 31st day of August, 1887.

Second--Number of shots to be ten per man at 200 yards, under Creedmoor rules, each company to shoot on their respective range, two sighting shots to be allowed each man, and each company to be allowed two representatives, or more, at the other's range. The match to be with regulation Springfield muskets, six-pound pull of trigger, off hand.

Third--Match to be shot before the 1st of November, 1887. The money to be deposited one week before the match takes place in the hands of a stake-holder hereafter to be agreed upon."

COMPANY G'S ACCEPTANCE

Armory Co. G., First Artillery Regt., Fourth Brigade, N. G. C., Sacramento, October 7, 1887.

C. Meyer, Esq., Secretary Range Committee, San Francisco, Cal.--Dear Sir: I am in receipt of your favor of the 5th inst., challenging Company G, First Artillery Regiment, to shoot a match with Company C, First Infantry Regiment, N. G. C., for $250 a side.

In reply I beg to say that my company will accept the challenge upon the following conditions, viz:

First--To shoot twenty-five men who were bona fide active members of the company August 31st, 1887, and who are at the time of the shooting members of the company; commanding officer of each company to make oath to these facts.

Second--Number of shots per man to be ten at 200 yards range, each company shooting on its own range, two sighting shots to be allowed each man, each company to be allowed two or more representatives at the other's range, Creedmoor rules to govern.

Third--Each participant to be allowed to shoot either with the Springfield muskets or Sharp's rifles, as he may select: open sights, six-pound pull at trigger, off hand.

Fourth--Match to be shot on Sunday, October 16, 1887, between the hours of 9 A. M. and 4 P. M. Stake money to be deposited by October 12, 1887, with some party to be mutually agreed upon by the commanding officers of the companies.

Allow me to say that my only reason for naming the option of shooting either with the Springfield or Sharp's rifle is owing to the fact that the Springfield muskets in use in my command are very old, imperfect and unreliable.

Trusting that you will accept the conditions and favor me with an early reply, I remain yours respectfully,

THOS. B. HALL,

Captain Commanding Company G.

It seems self-evident that the champions in 1887 did not occupy tenable grounds, else the slight modifications made by us would not have been sufficient cause for its non-acceptance by your company.

The challenge issued by my company last March was made in good faith and in a spirit of perfect fairness, and that "undue advantage" might not be claimed, the date of enlistment of members who were to participate in the shoot was made December 31, 1888.

It seems rather curious that you should now quibble because our challenge was not addressed to your company, thereby intimating that had it been, notice would have been taken of it, when the circumstances point conclusively that the challenge would have been accepted by your company too quick had you been confident of success in a contest.

Company G in its efforts to bring about a contest has, I believe, exercised only ordinary precaution as to the conditions which should govern any match in which it was to participate, and, acting upon this principle, feel fully justified under the circumstances in taking the position we do with reference to your challenge by insisting upon the date of enlistment of contestants to be prior to January 1, 1889.

In conclusion, let me say that it is evident to my mind that you do not intend to accept my challenge, and as brag and bluster will not decide a contest of this kind, I propose now to drop the matter unless you shall yet see fit to accept the challenge, which remains open to you until July 1, 1889.

Should you not accept, and your company still desires to claim the empty honor of being the champion shooting company, you are quite welcome to do so. Very respectfully,

THOS. B. HALL.

Captain Commanding Company G.

FIRST-CLASS CHEEK.