Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-18

EVENING STAR HEADQUARTERS
CAMP WASHINGTON, June IL.
There is to be a great battle this after
noon in the rear Of the Fort Washing
ton reservation. the contending armies be-
ing composed of troops of the District Ma
tional Guard. 1t Is not 20 be sham bat
tie in the spectacular sense, but military
maneuver strictly according to regulations
to give the men proper idea of the at
tack and defense of given position. The
spot selected is about three-quarters of q
mile in the rear of the for:. 1t Is In a
first-class location for n battle.
The LIST Regiment under command OF
Gel. Winthrop Alexander, is to assume the
defensive, assisted by the Engineer Bat
talon and a Hotchkiss gun battery. The
I'd Regiment, with Col. Cecil Clay in COM
mand, and augmented by the LIST Separate
Battalion, will be the attacking force. Gen.
Ordway did not conclude the mapping out
of the rules to cover the engagement until
late this morning. AT drill call the troops
were ordered to hold themselves in readi-
ness provided with haversacks, canteens,
forty rounds of ammunition and one ration,
for further orders until noon.
The victorious party will not be known
until after the engagement. for the coming
together is to be battle in every sense OF
the word with the exception that no oiood
VIII Umpire the Battle.
The decision is to be reached by umpires,
of whom Capt. Constantine Chase Of the
4th Artillery will be chief, with Major
Davidge and Captain Broome as his staff.
Capt. Charles H. Heyl of the Sd Infantry
will accompany the attacking party as
Umpire, with Captain Hudson as an aid.
Captain Herbert ]. Slocum of the 18th
Cavalry Will be with the defense as UNI
pire, his assistants being Major Harries
and Captain Riggs.
The engagement will be judged solely OH
the actions of the respective commands. If
a company needlessly exposes itself ana
gives the enemy chance to fire from pro
lection that company will be considered
as annihilated. If two companies of the
attacking party should fall upon one COM
pany of the defense, and re-enfcreements
of the defense should not reach the scene
within a certain specified time, that fact
will count against the defense and SO on.
Colonel Clay moved the attacking party
away from the camp at IL clock. Half
an hour later Colonel Alexanders army
moved off in a different direction. The
camp is practically deserted, with the ex-
ception of the guards.
Gen. Ordwny's Views.
General Ordway, in speaking of the field
maneuvers, said: Il am not in favor OF
field exercises as usually conducted, and
therefore desire to find location on which
the methods of attack and defense could
be practically executed without any pro-
gram TO guide commanding officers either
as to the movements best to be made by
them or as to which side would best be
successful In other words, / regard such
exercises as q method of finding out and
testing the abilities of officers to handle
troops under conditions similar to those
of actual war and not for the purpose of
testing the drill of the troops--the latter
can be determined on the parade ground
as well as anywhere else.
Unfortunately. the land in front of the
reservation is too extended to be wholly
covered by the force at our disposal, and I
am therefore obliged to select limited
frcnt for defense. and to give the COM
manding officers OF the opposing forces in
formation of the first location of the forces
of their opponents, instead of leaving 1t for
in war;
Under no circumstances will opposing
forces be permitted 10 come in persona
conflict. They are positively prohibited ap
preaching nearer than fifty yards from
each other
Il wish you would state in The Evening
STAR" said Major George H. Harries Il
The Star correspondent today, that the
publication this morning In the Washing
ton Post to the effect that / am represent
ing The Star in camp. in addition to being
wholly false on the face of it, was inspired
solely by malice. l am fully aware Of the
motives that led to the publication"
1t may be stated that The Star Is repre-
sented at Camp Washington by Mr. c.
Ford Cook as correspondent A special tel
eeraph operator Is also on the ground for
the paper, and an efficient corps of mes
senger boys.
The Field of Carnage.
BY Courier and Special Wire.
In the saddle with the defcnse-Coione
Alexanders command reached the scene
OF battle shortly before noon, after march
ing through long stretch of woods.
The second battalion was at once sent
forward, across a beautiful field of daisies,
to a rail fence, and there halted. Compa-
lies and c, commanded by Capt Shil-
ling and Domer, were thrown out as skirm-
ishers in an adjoining field about twenty
yards from woods.
Companies A and d were held in re-
hill, some distance in the rear, the first
battalion was located AS the main reserve
To TIE front and left of the battalion, on a
Knoll commanding a wide stretch OF
Capt. Thomas S. King.
The sharpshooters of the engineer bat
talon We're sent into the woods in front
OF the I'd battalion in the capacity of
SNoutS. Si DOTueTeQ Dy WOODS.
the right of the main reserve, the re-
| mainder of the engineer battalion, under
the direction of Maj. Gilbert Thompson, Is
making Its presence felt.
One company armed with rifles Is in the
woods overlooking ravine. while the re-
| mainder of the force is digging rifle pits
| on the edge Of the hill. In a remarkably
short time the pits were completed and
| are now being disguised with bushes. The
disguise is complete The umpires and
couriers, on bicycles, are moving about the
| field.
The warning clements fairly spread them.
| selves yesterday afternoon. The reason
| FOR the constant rehearsals since SUNDAY
| then became very apparent indeed. vi
| all the days that the entire National Guarf
| desired 10 be at least fair yesterday was
| the one. The Commissioners Of the Dis
\ trict of Columbia had accepted an invita-.
i ton TO visit Camp Washington, and ever,
| man on the reservation, from Gen. Ordwa,
| down to the scullions in the mess tents
| had hoped that the conditions would BIZ
| such as 20 add TO the showing of the bri
gade.
| The preparation for the coming of tn,
| guests, however. had not been anythin,
il