The sun., 1898-09-20
RED AGAINsr BLUE
Account Of This Years lIAn@uvrss Of the
British Army.

British Army.
IL would be long task to describe in detail
the British annual mAn9uvres which recently
ended. but their plan and general course can be
briefly presented.
Tho campaign occupied ak days. It's gen.
eral idea was that an invading force. the
Blue army, had landed between Weymouth
and st. Adams Head to advance on Lon
don in cooperation with force supposed
to be disembArking sixty miles distant. on the
Bristol Channel These two Blue forces. one
real and the other imaginary. were TO got into
touch with each other. and the Red army was
to prevent this. II possible. The Red. also
known as the Northern or Home army, was
under the command Of the Duke Of ConnAught
and had gathered at or near Salisbury, while
the Blue or Southern army. under Sir Redvers
Butler. concentrated In the nvighborhood OF
Blandford. The actual forces were about
equal in strength. with, II We do not mistake.
about $4,000 men on each side.
The opening operations were conducted
principally by the cavalry. an aggregate
Of six regiments. which moved out from
the lines at Blandford and Salisbury. re-
spectively, for the purpose OF reconnoi-
trinR. On Thursday. Sept. !. Col. Frenchs
cavalry brigade OF the Blue army found itself
hercely attacked by the Red horsemen under
Gen. Talbot. It stood its ground. but the re-
suit was really triumph for Gen. Talbot. as
he concealed from the Blue army the knowl-
edge OF the fact that the Red infantry was on
the march from Salisbury toward shaftesbury.
On tho following day pitched battle took
place on Melbury Down. It was brought about
by the attempt Of the Blue forces to seize the
high ground about Charlton Down. while the
Red army had directed itself upon the same
objective. recognizing its Importance for
blocking the enemy's progress toward
Salisbury. The first gun was fred soon
after o'clock and the battle lasted until 1890
2. NJ. The chief incident OF the early part OF
the engagement was q heavy attack by Sir
Redvers Butler upon the right wing of the
Northern army. which suffered severely at first:
but luckily It had an excellent artillery position
at its centre. and twelve batteries there posted
In line played havoc among the Southerners.
The official decision. based on the reports Of
the umpires. was that the attack Of the Blue
forces was well carried out. but when cease
fire. sounded this force would have had to re-
tire. owing to the great strength Of the position
held by the Red army"
As a result Of these operations the Red or
Northern corps was directed to remain the fol-
lowing day observing the enemy. and IL at
tackled to fall back on Fovant. where It could CO.
operate with its main army. It should here be
explained that the operating forces on both
sides were supposed to be advanced troops
comprising an army corps each. while there
were imaginary forces in rear OF them which
were taken into account in deciding upon what
moves were practicable and advisable. This
caused the respective headquarters, from which
orders were received at the front. to be placed
miles away. Thus. on the day just spoken OF.
on the Red side an imaginary advanced
division Of supposed main army was march,
ing upon Salisbury. whereas the real
forces as we have seen. were at Shaftesbury.
while on the Blue side an imaginary main
army at Blandford covered the communication
OF Buffers real force with that town. and there
It turned out. however. that the instructions to
made Saturday a day without fighting. for
when the Blue force had advanced north to
and tSe Rsd army SaG to
ished. Sunday also was naturally day Of
But with Monday. Sept s. the forces came to
close quarters again. the Blues having per-
sisted tt IN IN their neil. , move upon Salisbury. There
river %y and % the Reds e Ga Secure the
TSsb ~ Ss sa fGSs SsssTsd %SS
conceived and executed. Butt. adds the ac-
Goqntn it was met by superior forces already
would probably have been an indecisive battle"
e. On the following day occurred the battle Of
which landed at Bristol was supposed to have
reached Devices. and was to try to join Sir
Redvers Buffers corps at Maddington The
latter was therefore directed to seize the line
OF the stream that runs south through Winter
bourne Stoke and Berwick st. James. The
commander PLACED his main force on the Stone
henge ridge. with a rear guard of an infantry
brigade and eighteen field pieces on the Yarn
bury Castle ridge. Gen. Butler open ed the fight
early with O. brilliant cavalry attack against
the Red cavalry. in which the latter lost both
n RI ufo -,
assault. however. was against bury Castle
The position there was carried by sharp at
tack, but. to the chagrin OF the victor he found
that the ridge had been held only by a couple Of
brigades. whereas the enemy's main army was
posted elsewhere, When this fact was discov-
on Stonehengo ridge. but the cease fire - |
sounded before an attack In force could be de- |
veloped This left the Duke OF ConnauRht still |
strong position.
The next and final day OF the operations
saw change; Another Red army, Imaginary,
could threaten the Blue left. The actual Red |
corps was therefore ordered to cross the Avon |
between Amesbury Workhouse and old Sarum, |
and Buffers corps sought TO prevent this The |
task ask thus given to the Blue forces was most |
Of river front. while the east bank, held by the |
Red army. dominated the west bank The re- |
suit was that the Red troops did get across,
their engineers holding bridges. but the au- |
thorities decided that Red could not have ad- |
, Taken as whole. therefore, both Blue and |
Red had victories to their credit. In the Official
review, OF the operations. the militia were |
praised for the way In which they endured long
and trying marches. Much also was learned