The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-22
THEY PLAYED AT WAR.
Victory Predestined and De,
feat Without Hope.
A BATTLE OF SMOKE AND WA0S,
$500 Militiamel Tramp Up and
Down Van Cortlandt Park.

Extended Order, but the Thousands who
Looked On from the IIiiitops Called It n
AI,nio Battle and Enjoyed without Fear
or Death and blood the sight OF March,
ing Troops, the Ronr Of Cannon md Crack
OF Rincs. the wiGw nesinG OF the Signai-
lers and tho Dash OF the Mounted Men
IrIt Had Only Been for Fair. Some or tho
hoy. Thought. the Fun wou'd Have
necn All the Greater-Rcvicw of All the
Regiments ofthe Brirn dc by @ ov. Flower.
whether you are hunting foxes or hunting
mon "a southerly wind and cloudy sky "
Gro two desirable conditions. aud those and
every other possible condition favored yester-
days sham battle out at Van Cortlandt Park,
Every one called it sham battle. but the
official notice sent out calling the First Brigade
Of the National Guard OF tho State OF New
York to proceed to Van Cortlandt Park and
divide itself into two forces designated the
movements which were arranged Tor as prac-
tlce In extended order
But the crowds went there expecting to SEGA
sham battle. and that. at least from layman's
point OF view. is what was seen. And it was
very pretty sham battle. and at times very
exciting one. always spirited. and doubtless
will go into the records OF the State militia as
n success. The elements OF success which the
militia officers could not command were oil
there In charming variety. There was. as has
been said. cloudy day. that the men
would not have too warm work. and
yet 1t was that kind Of an autumn
day that entices to the country.
There we're Thousands OF spectators and hap
ply tho fair sex was in the majority. Broad
way for mile was lined with coaches and
drags and carts and all the various kinds OF
turnouts that are useful for transportation
and style. There was amiable Gov. Flower and
his handsome staff. properly fed before the
movements and we'll en- tertancd and instruct
Cd during them. and congratulated ut all
times upon subjects varying from politics and
their health to the out and ut OF the uniforms
OF the staff.
The people who went by car began arriving
ON the ground at IL o'clock. and those who
started as early as that were fortunate. be-
cause by IL O'Clock the insufficient accommo-
dations OF the New York and Northern. which
carried passengers from the end OF the Sixth
avenue elevated road to the park. were un-
comfortably overcrowded. and by l o'clock an
absolute failure OF Transportation occurred.
leaving probably not less than 5000 people ia
the vicinity Of 155th street. Those who drove |
out had the advantage Of being able to regu- |
late their own time table. and they began ar
irving in great numbers about 80. After |
taking up as much OF the space on broadway |
as Inspector Conin would permit to DO occu- |
pied. there was an overflow into the grounds \
OF the park south Of the old Van Cortlapit !
mansion which made the scene at that point |
as smart and animated as 1t ever cou,d have |
been in the times whom legend says George |
Washington granted himself :, few days from |
the labor OF nRhtlnG for the pleasures OF court
ing IN that same old mansion.
There 1t was that yesterday at twenty min |
utes after o'clock Gov Flower and his staff |
arrived. which interesting fact was noisily |
announced to the thousands Of spectators by |
tho booming OF nineteen guns from the First
Battery. stationed on the high ground little
to tho east Of the mansion. or. for every ono
spoke ir military terms yesterday. on the right
OF the line OF the Southern force.
PREPARING FOR THE FRAY
knowing that the good condition for fight
ing. or even the hard work OF pretending to
fight. is that one should have previously we'll
breaktasted. this condition was provided for
by the Brigade Commissary Department in
the lower floor of the mansion. There the
Governor and his staff invited all the field and
line officers Of the brigade and the necessary
details OF the days programme were discussed
mono the less intelligentiy because they were
discussed in conjunction with trile OF cold
partridge and n glass OF cold wine At the
flagstaff near the mansion hoated tho black
and white flag OF the State. This indicated to
THO kuOWlUG spectators inc vicinity OF inc
Governor and there those who wore not
averse to II casual word oil politics or a friend
ly glass Of wine sought him out and paid their
respects
But 1t had become by this time o'clock and
yet all OF the regiments had not arrived.
Those which formed the Northern force-the
Eighth. Seventy-flrst. Twelfth, and Twenty
second-were fortunate enough TO get out Of
the Jam at the end Of tho elevated road and
~..t,,. 49, IL. ..I.. Al /
formed up In the northern end Of the parade
ground long before the last Of the Southern
force had been transferred from the m oh at the
elevated station to the grounds.
LINE OF BLUE IN THE DISTANCE.
Looking down from the high ground in the
rear Of the old mansion. across the broad and
still green sweep OF the parade ground. into
the Northern position. the nearly 1000 troops
down there could only be distinguished as
such by the simmer and glitter OF their
sabrss and guns. 1t gave u layman an entire
ly now idea OF the appearance Of an armed
force when It Is already within riac-hring dis.
tance. There 10 no impression conveyed of a
mass OF men potent 10 deal death and destruc-
ton. for besides the occasional CLINT Of light
reflected from some polished weapon the
force at that distance presented a very vague
~ defined line OF blue.
I'VE amt no thin red heroes" com planned
one Of Mr.. Kipling's Tommy Atknses. But
the poet who described q line OF British inian-
try as q thin line OF red must have had pretty
accurate descriptive faculty, because however
fearful that thin blue line down there at tho
northern end of the field looked aiterward
whom they came charging down on the South
ern force at n distance where sharpshooter.
with his sights scientifically adjusted might.
with good luck. have picked out sergeant In
preference to q private, thcy looked peaceful. |
not to say inoccuous.
IMPATIENT TO BEGIN
There was impatlence among the militia
men as well MS in the n ore numerous ranks of
the spectators at tho delay which deferred the
beginning OF the movement and this impa- ,
tience was martially expressed by tho emerg- {
Of ardl rlIa.