The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-11-10

buTTounulnS cOuntleS OF central han"
/ sas to see the fun, and really they
see about as much Of warfare as any
| layman can see, even If a campaign
! Is going on in his own vicinity.
| To follow the Blues or Browns for
day is revelation to anyone. The
ground Is so rolling that the whole
army might we'll be concealed in raw
Inc. and 1t requires shrewd general
ship to keep full command of the bril-
gade. AS the enemy steadily advances
ON the fort. throwing ort thanking lines
: and men who represented whole troops
in themselves. These are the flag
! bearers. each flag standing for II troop
+. of men. They are so recognized In
| the contest, and 1t is q rule that when
/ two flags flank a single one, the lat
| ter Is to consider himself captured
and retreat or surrender.
The approach of the two lines means
a battle, and soon the cavalry IS seen
coming out from behind hill on the
Milk Ranch road, ready to charge a
/ battery of light artillery on the plain.
Cantering forward. they are met by
IL tCSlt uNtlNt NV lhhI ~
wipe them from the earth. One after
! another of the invaders drops from his
horse in mock injury.
Then the batteries rally and make a
charge themselves. Up the hill they
go, and hurry pell nell 20 the crest
where, in an instant, they whirl into
place and the guns belch forth warn
ing and a menace. The invading
Browns are. however. too numerous.
and have other parties of cavalry and
flagmen on the flanks, and the umpires
declare that the Blues are whipped In
the battle.
Sometimes the campaign lasts sew
eral days. and anxious councils Of
war are held by the young lieutenants
to make the best possible showing for
their sides. They know that Vt will
all be reviewed afterward. and they
do not want to be found wanting.
The conduct of the campaigns, sham
though they be. is n good index of the
actual stuff that is In an officer, young
or old.
The commanding officer. when a
campaign Is over. Issues an exhaust
| i've comment on the merits of the va
| rious troops work. thus pointing out
| the strong and weak points In exer-
| else. His criticism covers the entire
| progress of the troops and outlines
| the work at each successive step In
| the battles.
Sometimes there Is a different enemy
| to fight than n human one. A year
or two ago when the rare Blues and
| Browns got nicely ready to begin
lively battle on pretty piece of
prairie. they were attacked by a prai-
rie fire. which came dancing through
| the long blue steen
A flag of truce was displayed and
in a moment both the late combatants
were fighting tho fire. beating and
| stamping out ths oncoming blaze.
When 1t was all extlnguished the war
| fare was resumed.
Then. again. there was n campaign
| against the town cow herd of juno
tion City, four miles away. The herd
| of town cows was becoming altogether
too familiar for Uncle Sans dignity,
and 1t was ordered by the colonel COM
manding that they remain off the res
| ervatlon. But the COWS did not I'M
| derstand the order. and made their
appearance, rs usual. feeding in happl-
ness on the rich grasses.
'The cows are in sight" reported
an orderly.
Clear Off the reservation" ordered
the commander and an officer, with
| n number Of troopers. went forth to
wage new kind of carnage.
But the cows did not like this, and.
frightened Mt the strangely appareled
| herders, went believing in every di.
| rection. 1t was a long chase, but they
were finally driven back to town.
Then the townspeople took a hand,
and dozen columns Of newspaper let.
tiers and as many messages To and
from the war department were neces-
Sary to restore quiet. The cows, how.
ever did not come back.
About the only real amusement the
soldiers get is when some gulleless
spectator forgets his relative position
and stands in the line of advance.
Then the cavalry or artillery come
charging Oh. as IL to crush him. and
somebody thunders at the stranger:
"Git"
With little ado a~t without stopping
for greetings. he "glts."