W. B. MCCLELLAN, SEC. MASS. Y. C. Mr. Soley was elected Lieutenant-Commander, chief officer of the battalion, and each division elected former navy officers as chief officers. A second battalion for Massachusetts was authorized by the legislature in February, 1892, the two to form a brigade. The provisions of the act have recently been carried into execution. Lieutenant-Commander Soley was elected captain of the brigade. The brigade is composed of the original four Boston companies a yachting-cap. The working suit is of plain white duck, with white canvas hat and black neckerchief. Each man has also a white helmet for summer, white jersey, brown canvas leggings, and a pea jacket, all supplied by the State. The officers' full dress is of blue trimmed with black braid for cool weather, and a natty uniform of white serge trimmed with white braid for summer wear. Officers also have blue caps decorated with gilt braid, white helmets, blue cape overcoats of mackintosh cloth, and leggings. Officers supply their uniforms and side arms. One of these Massachusetts divisions furnished a good example of the enthusiasm manifested throughout the naval militia. Although not mustered into the State service until September 30, on October 31 every man of the Fall River division had qualified at the rifle range as a marksman. This remarkable performance was LIEUT. JOHN C. SOLEY. and four new divisions located outside that city. At the present time the Naval Militia force regularly organized is divided as follows: done under great disadvantages. For one thing, the division was without arms. Several rifles had to be borrowed from the Boston battalion, and the practice done with these. One of the more important branches. of naval militia work is seacoast defense. Therefore, the battalion soon felt the need of better facilities for drill afloat than it had. The navy department also recognized the necessity for some additional provision in this line, tho' it was unable to IST BATTALION N. Y. The furnish the desired and needed modern war ship. Lieut. Com. Soley succeeded in obtaining the monitor Passaic, which was assigned to Boston harbor for the use of the local militiamen. Passaic is one of the battle-scarred, old-style monitors, which did good service during the civil war. The battalion first went on board of the vessel during the last week in June, two guns' crews at a time. At first the men were shown about the monitor, and had explained to them the machinery, the uses of the various engines and parts of the vessel, as well as the principles of manoeuvering her at sea. The turret and great 15-inch guns inside; the method of elevating and revolving the turret for action; the mysteries of the steering gear, and of steering the monitor in time of action, with the pilot hidden from view and danger behind a foot of steel-all were carefully explained and illustrated. When the men made their second visit, they were ready to go ahead with drill work. This they did on one or two afternoons a week during September and October. The monitor would steam away to the outer harbor where there was usually some target practice with big guns and small ones, thus giving the men practical instruction. The movement may now be said to be fairly under way. In every State bordering on the oceans or the great lakes, the matter is either being considered or organization has already begun. In five years, which will be ten years from the passage of the originating act by the legislature of Massachusets, there should be at least one naval battalion attached to the militia of each of the seashore and lakeshore States. And it is not too much to predict that this will be accomplished. The Naval Militia serves other purposes besides bringing up a trained force of gunners. It has aroused an interest in the new navy in process of construction, among the young men of the country. It forms a connecting link between the people and the navy which has to mutual disadvantage been heretofore entirely lacking. It has caused the people to notice the navy. They have gone to witness the drill and exercises of the militiamen on board the warships at Boston, at New York and elsewhere; they have been shown over the of it as of a naval battalion. In none is the discipline more strict. But the interest the men take in the work and the attractiveness of it, offset any feeling there might be against the work or the discipline. The secret of this lies, undoubtedly, in the fact that drills all lead to a practical result. To be sure, the men do not always know what that result is to be, but they have that intelligence and confidence in their officers to know that there is a tangible result and that they will be led to it by those who do know. Any man who has command of other men, whether they are laborers or military, knows how handicapped he is when his men have not the intelligence and confidence in their leader to co-operate with him. Here lies the key to the success and rapid advancement of the naval militia of Massachusetts and other States. The enlisted men are intelligent-the flower of the youth of the State, in fact-and the officers are men who are in it for a purpose and have the capacity and ability to command understandingly. The naval militia stands on a higher plane and has a higher purpose than the land militia. A man who is rated as a good infantry officer might not be accepted on any condition as a naval militia officer. Great care is also taken to enlist only a desirable class of young men in the ranks, and most of them have a high social position. The object, or one of the objects, is to train men for officers. The seaman in the ranks to-day may be a lieutenant or chief of a division next year. Therefore intelligence and natural ability are very necessary qualifications. Captain Soley has worked out his plans with a sole aim for practical results. He wants his command to be a working organization capable of efficient service. It is unnecessary at this point to more than say that that object has long since been attained. The Massachusetts and all the other bodies are practical and efficient, almost without exception. They are capable of doing any duty, in time of peace or time of trouble, that would be required of the infantry or artillery arms of the militia on shore, besides being capable of equally efficient service afloat. There have been several illustrations recently that the naval militia is something more than a picturesque body of "gentlemen's sons "or" dry land sailors" as they have been called by those who knew no better. It will be remembered that the New York battalion was called out for duty at the time of the cholera scare troubles at Fire Island last fall. the shore, but this could not be done. Out all night in a cold, driving storm, with a heavy sea running, huddled together in a boat that could not properly accommodate half their number, they had an experience that old salts on board set down as an event in their lives. Another example of the conscientious faithfulness and readiness for duty of these new organizations was given at the time of the extensive conflagration in Boston, March 10, 1893. It was thought at one time that the militia would be needed to help to preserve order and protect property. The commander of the Boston battalion issued orders and within two hours 100 men, or half the strength of the command, were at the armory, armed and equipped ready for duty at the fire. The companies of the two infantry regiments in the city also reported for duty in their respective armories. The mines, and had ready for use on this occasion a torpedo wagon equipped with all things necessary for the blowing up of buildings in order to stay the spread of the flames. On An instance of its usefulness was furnished by the New York force at the time of the Columbian naval review in New York harbor last summer. board a fleet of tugs it acted as a patrol, and in many ways the men made themselves useful while at the same time acquiring valuable knowledge. Again, at the time of the great international naval review in New York harbor last April, the New York and a portion of the Massachusetts brigade did valuable and almost indispensable duty as patrol on a fleet of tugs, at the same time gathering knowledge of naval ways and ceremonies. In the parade on shore, the like of which was never seen before, it was the naval militiamen of Massachusetts and |