The Madison Daily Leader

HOME GUARD
DRILL AND ARE DETAILED FOR
PATROL DUTY-STATE
GETS RIFLES.

The local volunteer home guard met again last night at the high school auditorium in numbers almost equal to those of the initial meeting. After the dismissal there were several new names added to the roll, making the total enrollments something approaching 175 men.

Capt. Robertson called the men's attention to the gravity of the war situation. He says that within the next two years there will be an insistent call for any man who has had military experience and has accumulated more than 30 years of this world's experience. He laid special emphasis in this connection on the desirability of men who had seen service in the war of 1898. He will himself set his house in order, so arranging his affairs this winter as to be ready for a call to go at the country's call.

Information was also communicated that the press dispatches of yesterday contained a note that the war department had apportioned to this state for home guard use 500 Springfield rifles, and a limited amount of ammunition and equipment. Capt. Robertson urged the enlarging of membership to this organization, for it will undoubtedly be upon the earnestness and numerical strength of the various home guard bodies that the apportionment of arms to the different towns will be based. And if there is to be a home guard. it is desirable that they have the arms, both for the drill in their use as a military body, and for use in case of extreme necessity

It was again necessary to divide the men into two platoons on account of lack of room. Elementary drills in assembling, counting off and column formation were practiced. Many of the khaki men of the real outfit at the Normal were present and watched the proceedings with interest. It must have carried their memories back a couple of months. when they, too, were learning to "left face."

Squad movements have undergone changes since the instructors of the home guard were in the ranks. Lieut. Wethe illustrated several movements of swinging from company front into column formation. and incidentally. had the squad counting off in voices higher than

the present price of pork. Old guardsmen, who in their time of training could handle men in the duties of detail and guard were told to assemble details of men to guard a certain burning building. Capt. Robertson drew a picture of the imaginary state of affairs that would make any but well trained guard shudder with apprehension. The corporals assembled the men and stationed them about an imaginary burning block according to their conception of its needs. Some were rusty as to the exact detail of the work, and proceeded according to original ideas. Capt. Robertson explained that in many cases the disposition of men in such cases could not be followed from rule, but must be left to personal judgment. He then assembled two squads and stationed them about the imagined thief infested property as guards, to illustrate his point.