Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-08-24

tured. The great difficulty in the way of
making the engag, ement highly effective
was the woful scetntiness of ammunition.
The hostiliUes were to have commenced
at o'clock, but it was ten minutes past 2
o'clock before the first blank cartridge was
fired by picket on top of Triple Hill an
nouncing that the enemy, who had lust
marched round the side of the hill in full
view of ten thousand spectators, bad been
discovered.
THE CLAMoR OF WAR.
| A couple of fainter reports told of the
! determination of Colonel Tobins COM
mand to force the fighting and the engage
ment Immediately began to wax warm.
I Suddenly cannon doomed out ominouslv
| from the orchard on the right, where the
First Regiment was stationed, and the
shouts of drivers to their restless coach
horses and the running of nervous ladies
was added to the clamor of war. The
Third Regiment cianbered to the top of
Tripe Hill with great alaerity For len
seconds after the first blank cartridge was
fired, Captain Jonas Smith appeared with
his sklrmishers on top of the eminence.
firing volley after volley at the pickets of
the provincial regiment The pickets
fought stubbornly, but the whole regiment
soon covered the brow of the hill and
marched down boldly. in the face of
CALLING fire, which was kept up with una
bated vigor till the troops We're barely ten
yards apart. This close exchange of hot
rifle fire appeared to give the hardy guards
men no uneasiness whatever and they
continued TO blaze away till their ammuni-
ton began to give out. While this terrible
combat was progressing behind the camp,
another hot battle was raging in the low
| ground, where the First and Fifth Infantry
were stationed The First showed out
their battery according to the programme,
and blaZed away at the camp, where Gen
eral Carey was hastily gathering together
his brigade to repulse the advance The
| fleld-guns were served rapidly and between
their reyerberations and the rattle of mus
kerry
THE ECHOES OF THE HILLS
Were Kept busy. Colonel Ranlett added
TO the loud alarms of war by deploying in
| force f1om behind wooded knoll near the
railroad track and directing an effective fire
on the Sacramento artillerymen. Then
! Colonel Sheehan got quickly into line, and,
before the delighted spectators knew what
was happening, the First Regiment lost its
battery, and Colonel Sheehan and the cav
airy were hauling it up the slope in tri-
umph. This encouraged the Provisional
| Regiment to expend few more of their
remaining cartridges on the Third Regi-
ment, and there was another desultory fire
| at five yards distance at the back of the
camp. Then all the soldiers took rest
while the Major-Generals staff, the Brga-
dier-General's staff, the Adjutant- Generals
staff and ali the other mounted officers in
white Hedford cords and gold lace galloped
| in every direction over the field of battle.
| The result of all this commotion of the,
| titled warriors was the First and Fifth Reg
| iments reformed in line of battle, and while
| tho latter r,nT1ra1 in fro IF bloDly
cartridges ON General Carey's army, the for
mer charged up the field, and, recapturing
the battery at the point of the bayonet,
| filled the air with their hurrahs. A faint
| attempt to retake the cannon was made,
| but while this feeble effort was being made
the Third Regiment massed itself in force,
and, rushing down through the wooded ra-
vine beside General Carey's camp, fanked
| the Provisional Regiment and captured two
whole companies.
THE CAPTURE OF Triple HILL.
AT the same instant the First Regiment
reopened fire with its battery, and, with an
| increased flourish of rafting rifles covering
the cannoniers and shooting guardsmen,
| the music of war ended with the capture of
Tripe Hill. AT the same time the Fifth
Regiment was surrounded by Colonel
Sheehan's command, which was equivalent
to capture. Johnny Desmond, of Company
A, City Guard, one of Colonel Sheehan's
companies made dash for the colors of
the Dandy Fifth, and got away with
| them. His act was so bold and daring that
it was greeted on one side with the widest
! huzzahs, which were too much for the
. Dandies," and had not young Desmond
been forced by General Turnbull to restore
| them there would have been lively row,
and the battle would have turned out to be
a genuine instead of playwright. Company
AS boys desired to keep and did hold on to
the staff and fringe This was returned to
Colonel Ranlett yesterday morning with
the compliments of young Desmond and
the commander of the company, Captain
Stevens. Ten minutes later the whole
division was none the worse for its fratrici-
dial strife, but, looking little dusty and
tired passed in review before Governor
Stoneman, and the celebrated encampment
at Santa Cruz has been brought to a close
as far as its military display is concerned.