Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-03-09
LIFE Al WEST POIN1.
The Excitement of the Battery Drill at the
Military Academy.

Military Academy.
Of all the drills and exercises in
which the cadet excels, he is at his best
in those of the mounted service. OAR
ing horsemen are the youngsters after
two years practice in the riding hall,
and light battery drill is famous place
for exhibition. Watch the boys MS they
go to their stations. The seniors, in
their riding dress, gauntlets and cav
airy sabers, swing easily into the sad
dies Of the somewhat vicious-looking
steeds that are held in readiness for
them, adjust their stirrups, take pre-
liminary and surreptitious dig with
their spurred heels to test the mettle of
their nags, then clatter off to their posts
to look over the horses and drivers of
their detachments. The yearlings in
their natty shell jackets stand ready at
the guns; the bugle blares the signal
"cannoneers mount" and, like so
many agile monkeys, they spring to
their seats on the ammunition chests,
and with another bugle blast and rum
BILE of hoof and wheel and clink of
trunnion, away goes the battery down
the gravelly plain. There are few
preliminary moves to warm them up to
their work; the battery commander. a
young artillery officer who knows his
trade, swings them to and fro, faster and
faster, from one formation to another
column, line and battery-and then,
as though ordered to check the advance
of an enemy swarming up the heights
and give HIM canister at short range,
with cracking whips and plunging
steeds and rattle and roar of hoof and
wheel, and -throated commands
and stirring bugle peals, up the plain
they come at tearing gallop until oppo-
site the crowd of spectators at the
guard tents, when there is a short,
sudden blast, simultaneous shout
from the "chiefs," a vision of rearing
horses as the Leutenants and
sergeants halt short on line
with the brilliant guidon-generally
the most picturesque horseman of
the warlke throng, and always posted
on the flank nearest the ladies-a flash
OF sabers in the air, sudden ''rein
in" of the line of caissons, and u
gradual settle down to a stand, long
before which. nimble as cats, the can
noneers have sprung from their seats,
and are streaking it across the gap to
where the chiefs are seated on their ex-
cited chargers. Around sweeps the
gun with sudden swirl that well nigh
capsizes them-the three youngsters on
each timber seemingly hanging on as
though seated on sticking plasters-
there is a rattle and bang of pintle-
hooks, hoarse shouts of Drive on to
the gun teams; gray and white forms
leap and sway in and out among the
wheels; sponges and FARMERS whirl in
the air; there is belch of flame, smoke
and thunder-cloud. believing roar,
another, another-half dozen in quick
succession, a thick, sulphurous haze
settle down on the plain and envelops
guns and gunneis, and suddenly comes
another blare of bugle. Cease firing"
is the shout, and the mimic scene of
Buena Vista is over. Even before the
smoke has cleared away another
order is given, with prompt, exciting
response, plunging horses, cracking
whips, a rush of teams, lim6ers and
caissons between the black muzzles
of the guns; sudden whirl about of
wheels and handspikes. and the next
instant smoke and flame are belching
in thunder-claps over the very ground
where stood the waiting teams only a
moment before. Then comes still an
other signal, a slowing away of hand
spikes and hammers, rapid rein
about of the Understands, another
blare, and away they go, the white
legs of the cannoneers flashing in "a
race beside their bounding guns; a
rush across the road to the edge of a
grassy level beyond, another sudden
whirl into battery, laundering salute
to the rocky heights to the west, an
echoing roar from the great column
biads and PARROTS at the "sea-coast"
down by the Hudson, and the Point
fairly trembles with the shock and con-
cussion. There is no hour of the day
to match the excitement and elan of
that of battery drill. Captain Charles
Ring, in Hdrper's Magazine.