New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-21
DrAI. WARFARE INITIATED.
,, NAVAL, RESERVE IN A SHAM BATTLE.
,,vnED on BATH BEACH, WHICH AFTER
TEMPORARY SUCCESS, IS DRIVEN
RACK TO ITS SHIP.

BACK TO ITS SHIP.
To ,be eastward of Fort Hamilton the land
In, tho shore slopes gently down to salt marsh,
"n1 then a level stretch of country reaches TO
potb Teach One or two ancient Dutch houses, and
TO and there high picket fence which some
mo has recently erected, apparently without any
O1Sni,o object are the only things which break
,be monotony Of the shore. Here yesterday was
snnobt the great sham battle of the Naval Re
no cruise Lieutenant Commander George Ed
nj Kent landing with 500 men under cover
- force fire from the secondary batteries of the
Chicago and Atlanta, and being repulsed and
driven T. his ships by Commander Miller, who de-
Tended the beach,
The 900 or 900 people who came out to see
.be sham battle were Affected with that strange
and unhalowed impulse which causes some peo
nile 10 get as close to the bassdrum as possible
when tie band is playing, and the way In which
they crowded upon the long white suited lines of
battle rather interfered with the effectiveness
of the warke demonstration. Baby carriages and
corpuent women with babies in their arms can
not be ruhessly charged over even by the fierce
sailors Of the Naval Reserve, the real effective
ness Of the manQeuvres was slightly impaired from
q military point Of view. However, il was a
pleasing spectacle, and near like real war
care as the somewhat untoward circumstances
would permit
The beautiful weather which has smiled the
Naval Reserve since the battalion first boarded
the New-IIampshire last Saturday present
Yesterday. All the skies were blue. and all the
fields were green. The ocean sent its waves and
It's flowing and ebbng tides up into Gravesend Bay
with a gentleness that left the fleet at anchor
there without motion, only two objects of white
beauty and towering mass Of yellow hull resting
on a floor of sparkling water. Over the low west
"a l.
sea over which came long procession Of white
sailed vessels, shining bright in the light of the
unclouded sun. and dark-hulled steamers, whose
pennons Of black smoke are the ensigns of the
commerce Of the world
Years ago in the old Tower Of London, wait
ing for that eloquent, just and mighty death
which lie suffered, Sir Walter Raleigh, in closing
his History Of the World wrote The Nation
which commands the seas commands the commerce
OF the sea- The Nation which controls the com
MERGE Of the sea the World" And it made, or
should have made, the hearts OF Americans glad
Yesterday 70 see the sailors of the Naval Re
serve land in battle array while the long line
of foreign tramps' swept in through the Mar
rows The bearing OF the Reserves and of the
sailors and marines Of the fleet was a guar
antee that the maritime spirit which for over a
hundred years has made the American flag re-
spected far as the breeze can bear the pillows
FOAM" was still alive
The Naval Reserve men were awake early ana
made recognizance in force to the shore to see
exactly how the land lay. This took up most OF
the morning and in the afternoon came the oa'-
tie Fort Hamilton was obliterated as completely
by military fiction that ancient piece OF
coast defence architecture would be by the pat
teries of modern man-of-war and the only slruS
gle was in the capture of the beach which stretched
peaceful and smiling between Fort Hamilton ana
the outskirts of the village of Bath The defence
of the shore was intrusted TO three companies
of sailor infantry from the Atlanta and the hISt
third and fifth divisions Of the Naval Reserves
The Atlanta's marines and the first division oil INC
Reserves formed slIirmish line which opposed
the landing of the attacking forces.
CAPTAIN Miller and the defensive forces lahueu
and took their positions an hour or so oelore Inv
attacking bodies left the warships. Finally ABOUT
o'clock the heavily-laden boats thirteen Ii num-
Der. nut ofY from the New-llampshre and the shApS
OF the Squadron Of Evolution for the Deach' ~
tho same time. the secondary batteries OF the war
ships began to shell the shore from their Houc"-
hiss revolving cannon and rapid-fre guns. Not
a shot was fired from the beach until inc Inc Vi
boats had come within 900 yards Of the shore
Then Lieutenant St Clair Murphy, commanding
tbe marine guard Of the Atlanta, gave the ordei
70 fire. and fusilade followed, which, haH the
battle been real one and not an arrangement LOT
pectacular effect only, would have made the hSnt
bloody one.
The boats opened with howitzers and rapid
fre-cuns as they approached the beach FINALLY
the long line of men lying upon the earth above
he shore was driven back, and the attacking
forces lalsled The Chcago's battalion, the At
lanta's artillery and the second and fourth diVs-
ions of the Reserves, jumped from their boats and
oil thQ
heretofore been held by Captain Millers outpostS'
The guns in the bows Of the boats of the attacking
forces were Immediately transferred from their
tripods and placed on field carriages. linen inc
real fighting of the day began.
Hehind the slight eminence toward which the
men who had held the shore were retreatlng therc
WAS n reserve force Of 500 men, including hght
batteries of two three-inch rifles, which Ooiopl
Iangdon had sent 10 assist the defensive forces
The reserve forces Immediately came lhUo a'O'ol'
and the light battery opened IRE on the h''acA-
ing forces. The retreat of the detachmcht VINO"
had held the shore was ably covered by the
marines who in extended order and according To
the new tactics, kept the landing party al Day
untu all the forces of the defence had been as
sembed together for final descent upon the
enemy Then from beyond the rim OF the green
hill there swept line OF white and blue when
forced the attacking party back into the low
lands Of the salt marsh. Here they were COW
cred. TO a certain extent, by the batteries OF the
ships, which again opened on the defensive force
Tie first artillery battery made its appearance
| on the hall and poured in lire down the slope
Of land. which was like the glacs OIL loitlnc a.
ton until the reserves who had held 80 galantly
that murdcrous piece of ground in the swamp
were obliged TO retire upon the main body, when
was eml arking discounted ana defeated upon 'hi
boats which had brought 1t of IN the hope OF
triumph But il was the old story. When q
leujenant-commanGer fights against commander
he is bound 10 be licked And Mr.. Kent was
urnro Ia bad II was