Evening star., 1898-01-15
Drilling the Troopers in the Knack Of
Fighting. -.
THE MAEEUVERS At FORT RILEY
Terrific Charge on a BeIching Bat
terry.
A SCHOOL FOR BRAVERY

From the New York Times.
There has been scene of strife and war
fare in Kansas. during a period of almost
three months, in which battle after battle
has been fought and in which every condi-
tion of actual warfare has prevailed, save
one-the use of ball cartridges.
Every fall the forces of cavalry and ar
tillery stationed at Fort Riley, constituting
the artillery and cavalry schools of the
army, receive problems IN warfare to solve
in the field. The maneuvers. they are
termed. have just ended and have proved
not only the most perfect from military
standpoint of any yet held, but also the
most hotly contested and exciting.
Nothing theoretical enters into the cam
paiSn 1t Is mapped out at Fort Riley.
No detail of knowledge which a soldier
should know is omit ted. The post COM
mandant and officers in charge of the cav
airy and artillery schools, each of which,
by the way, constitutes subpost, decide
upon the plan of campaign. Subordinate
officers from the garrison placed in
charge of certain bodies of troops and GER
tain problems are given them to solve.
The force defending the post in all en-
gagements wear the regular service uni
form of the United States army. The in
yadnG force, or enemy" wear uniforms
of brown canvas, and are known in post
pdrldnce as THE Browns
When a certain maneuver has been de-
termined OH and is about to be exploited,
order is issued by the adjutant, by order
of the cOmmandant, copies of which are
in turn delivered to those officers who are
to command the Browns" instructing
them where to go and what to do. This
force leaves the post at an early hour in
the morning and goes to some point upon
the reservation 1t may be a mile or two,
twelve miles-it may be in any one of a
dozen directions-these are conditions the
defending force have to find out as best
they can
Into the Field.
Maj Wallace F. Randolph, who is in
command of the artillery subpost, was one
of the judges that morning. AS we rode
down the sloping hill toward the artillery
post, he explained to me many of the
events that We're scheduled to trslnspire
that bright day. Far ahead, winding down
the magnificent road, was long column of
blue-jacheted cavalrymen. their sabers
clanking at their sides and every man in
the pink of condition. Their horses, noble
animals every one. seemed TO enter fully
into the spirit of the fun and were pranc-
ing along, apparently quite as eager to
scent the coming fray as were their riders
The post had now been dropped from sight
behind the intervening hills and the col
unn stretched out across a long, narrow
piain. sk:rtng the tracks of the Union
Pacific
About three mics from the fort we passed.
dlSmantled ruin, which had evidently once
been structure of some Importance The
major Informed that in that building
assembled the first legislature of the state
of Kansas
Beyond the old stone mansion the road
turned abruptly up the bluff and headed in
the direction of ranch house, distant
about four five miles from the post. The
Blues had now thrown out patrol, and
were proceeding cautiously, not knowing at
what moment the enemy might discover
them or be discovered. Scouts were in the
timber either side of the ravine, and a
long stretch of rolling upland lay before
US, over which, 1t seemed to my unframed
eyes, not even a coyote could pass without
discovery. much less a squadron of cavalry
Il think we will be in a pretty good posi-
ton, said the major, If we ride to the
top of that hill over yonder. Major Raj
ferty is over there somewhere. unless l am
mistaken That looks like Captain Sibley
away off there towards the west. You can
see him there on his horse, just rising
above that swell, about a mile away
RecOnnoitering.
I didn't. I looked with all my eyes for
the officer, but certainly did not him.
knew from hearsay that Captain Sibley
and his troop of the second were off there
somewhere. but for all 1 could see there
wasn't eavalryman within 100 miles. We
rode slowly up the ridge to gain better
view. l had a handkerchief tied about my
arm to Indicate that was a non-combatant
hence was in no danger of being captured.
as j didn't count" My horse, evidently
cd 10 be with his troop in action-and he
got there a little later. / had no voice in
the matter of his going, but he went all The
same. and took me with him.
There's battery OFF toward the north,'
said the major, he swept the field with
his eye. DO you make it out?" Away
down in one of the little valleys, almost
hidden by the stunted undergrowth L saw
it How diminutive the and horses
looked. and how insignificant the guns.
They We're in marching order, but evident
not going into action just at that place.
Suddenly puff of smoke arose from the
bushes several hundred yards up the hill
above the battery, and the sharp crack of
rifle rang out The patrol of the
Browns had found the battery and a
rattlnS fire that followed instantly showed
that matters were getting warm down
there a cloud of dust arose. and the bat
terry was gone / never saw anything done
so quickly in my life. Away ii went swirl
ing UP the side of the slope. the horses on
a dead run. As soon as point beyond
range was reached. and ii required but a
minute TO get there the horses swung
around to the left the pieces were un-
llmber-d, the battery was in position, and
there leaped from the muzZles of those big
rifles such a storm of fire as would have
annihilaied any such force as the Browns
presented.
ThOs,- artilIerymen thrilled my every
nerve. Almost before the smoke had left
the muZzles of their pieces the breech
blocks Were opened new cartridges were
inserted in the chambers, and more imag-
ranks of the discounted Browns" Just
here / learned the object of that forlorn
attack of the Browns / also took part
in something that was not down on the
bills Captain Sibley's troop, while this en-
gaEemeut had been in progress, had ex-
ecItec a Hank movement, and came DASH
ing up the swell Immediately in our rear
They were upon US before either the major
or myself had time to think.
"Git" Was the Word.
The major thought more quickly than 1
possibly could, and embodied his thoughts
IL one word. Ctr
The major got and / tried to do like
wise. but my horse had made up his mind
to do little charging on his own account.
He recognized his troop, and. although L
was not consulted in the matter, l went
along In fact. there was no alternative.
i have an indistinct recollection of having
seen Captain Sibley go by me like shot
cut Of a gun Then there was general
mix-up of horses. soldiers flashing sabers
and cracking reyolvers that made my brain