VOLUNTEER ADJUTANCIES. 
learn more of their duties as soldiers in a week^s encampment, than in 
all the time spent in the armoury and drill ground. The Adjutant, at 
a corps first encampment, must keep an eye on everything, and satisfy 
himself that all is going on in good order. He must teach those duties 
that are not understood, he must occasionally accompany the officer on 
duty by day and night, visit the guard, canteen, see that the cook^s- 
mates understand their work, also the men on Quarter-Masters fatigues, 
he must insist upon cleanliness, both in the tents and outside, and he 
must arrange to have the canteen closed at the proper hours, and insist 
upon the orders being carried out. 1 
The drill and instruction, and gun practice in camp must be carried 
out by the officers and N.-C.O/s of the corps, the Adjutant and per¬ 
manent staff rarely giving any executive words of command : but when 
necessary the Adjutant must himself interfere to correct mistakes, or 
for the sake of safety when firing. He must make up the practice 
reports himself each evening, or see that they are most carefully com¬ 
piled under his supervision; he must have diagrams made so that each 
layer can see for himself where his shots have fallen. These diagrams 
must be posted up where all can see them, with the list of the layers for 
the day, and the numbers of their shots. He must inform all ranks of 
any errors made during the day, so as to prevent their recurrence dur¬ 
ing the remainder of the practice. 
In winter there is not much drill or military exercise going on, and 
this season is therefore chosen by the Volunteers to meet together in the 
evening at the head-quarters of different corps, for the purpose of 
hearing lectures on military subjects, or playing the war game and 
studying tactics. From small beginnings greater things have grown, 
and the Volunteer institutions that are springing up all over the country 
bear witness to the earnestness and industry of many of the Volunteer 
officers. War games played in the winter are of the greatest interest, 
they bring together many officers of different corps who would not 
otherwise meet, and cause a friendly comradeship to grow up in the 
service. The Manchester and Glasgow Tactical Societies, by their 
valuable publications and discussions, have become of great use to the 
authorities, and most important adjuncts of the Volunteer system. 
The development of such institutions throughout the country has a 
wide and healthy influence which is difficult to fully appreciate, and it 
is impossible to foretell the extent of their usefulness in the future. 
In the neighbourhood in which I lived some half dozen Volunteer 
corps, comprising Artillery, Engineers and Infantry, were so situated 
that it was possible for officers to attend a war game at any one head- 
1 Every officer and N.-C.O. was given a copy of the small official book on “ Duties in Camp,” so 
that each could see for himself, when on duty, of what his daily work consisted. Camp standing 
orders were printed on large pieces of paper beforehand and posted on notice boards about the 
camp ; likewise orders for the guard in the guard-room; for the canteen orderly in the canteen. 
Each battery was given a battery order book containing some usefel information for the battery 
orderlies, and in this book was kept a nominal roll of the battery present in camp, a duty roster, list 
for sick, prisoners, etc .; all orders were copied into it. Very few offences were committed, and for 
these confinement to camp, or stoppage of beer money or prize money were sufficient punishments. 
All flagrant misbehaviour entailed dismissal from camp or even from the corps, which were very 
heavy punishments for men always living in the locality, and therefore were very rarely resorted 
to. 
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