The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-08-21

On the day of the great sham battle
at the fair grounds all southwest Mis-
souri, seemed to be there. Though an
extra fee was charged for admission to
the big grand stand. it vas crowded to
OVERLOOKING. Around the mile racing
track people stood 90 feet deep, and all
available roofs were crowded VITA
boys The street railways were
swamped. All the extra vehicles in
town were insufficient to carry the
throng, and the majority of spectators
were compelled to walk. The crowd
was estimated at 25, 600 to $4,000. One
of the striking scenes was a blind vet
eran led up the beuches. Though he
could not see the sham fight, he could
hear the guns and the cheering, and
no one was more interested.
Preliminary to the battle a battalion
Of the Twentieth United States infan-
try, from Leavenworth, Kas., gave an
exhibition of firing the new army guns
with blank cartridges. They varied
volley and file firing with firing at WILL
and also went through skirmish firing
with fine effect. This was followed by
a battalion drill by the First regiment
Missouri national guard, in which they
showed their proficiency in d~eploying
and ploying with q column of four
companies These representatives of
the state militia are well up in all the
practical evolutions, and gave every
evidence of a faithful study Of tactics.
Shortly before four o'clock the sham
battle opened. First advanced into the
field q small body of skirmishers, who
took open order and lay down. Present.
ly they opened fire on q foe at first in
visible, but the enemy's skirmishers
quickly put in an appearance. The line
on each side was reinforced and began
to drive each other by turns. Heavier
reinforcements fed the fight by de-
grees, and at length there was the
boom of a cannon from the
rear of the forces on the east
side of the field. These began to
drive their antagonists and pushed
them back over half the ground they
had gained. The reserve was brought
up on the west, and also a Calling gun,
which operated on the flank of the adj
vancing troops. quickly checking them.
From this point fortune turned against
the line on the east. and it was driven,
after several stubborn rallies. from the
field, the Calling continuing to work
on its right flank. The last scene was
a charge, on the cannon on the east
side, which was posted behind a fence.
A company of skirmishers closed in on
the artillerymen. and the the whole
swept in thai direction, capturing the
gun along with the defenders.
The firing was occasionally by vol
ley, but in the heat of the fight the
men on both sides fred at will, and
the roar vas continuous. A soldier now q.
can send in a stream of bullets as long
as his ammunition lasts, and the crack
ling musketry of other days is greatly
intensified. The Gatling gun is not
very noisy, but its pop. pop. pop, is pc
culiar, and would be recognized any
where by the practiced ear.
At times both sides were hidden from
each others view by the smoke. Smoke.
less powder will be a great boon to the
in battle. Above everything
the boom of the one cannon vas STIR
ring to the old soldiers. There in some
thing noble in it's clear, ringing crack,
and they would have been glad to have
heard a few more batteries on each
side.
Many of the ladies were nervous be-
fore the fight began, but some of them
admitted afterward that they could In
how the roa and excitement
of battle would overcome all sense of
faar