The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-10-07
TROOPS FOUGHT
N0BLY FOR FUN
Spectacular Attack and Defense
at Fort Riley.
REAL WARFARE is DIFFERENT
COMMANDERS RECEIVE PRAISE
FOR THEIR TACTICAL SKILL.

TORT RILEY, kan, Oct 6.-While
fully as practical as any OF the pre-
ceding maneuvers. tOday's exercises
contained a larger element OF the spec
tacular than any that have preceded
them. and it is not likely that any of
those still to come VIII equal the work
OF today.
Major Leach of the engineers, COM
handing the Blues, defended a position
with what all the military critics con-
cede was very great skill. General
kobbe, leading the Browns, made dis
positions for attack that were praised
fully as highly as Major Leach's de-
fensiVe disposition Moreover, General
kobbe pushed home his attack with
fierceness and energy that, had the com
bat occurred in actual war. must nave
caused heavy losses to both sides. Al
the close OF the fighting. General Kobbe
had been badly crippled, but he was COM
ing on 10 make a final rush for the
trenches His men were dashing down
slope fully exposed 10 the rifle fire OF an
intrenched line and after descending THIS
and passing through "A ravine. his men
/ had still 800 yards OF open ground TO
cross before reaching the entertainments.
The critics say that this was hardly pos
sible. Still. General kObbe had two full
imaginary regiments In reserve. and even
| though Tepulsed the first time his game
was far from being played 10 the finish.
The plan Of the maneuvers was given In
the orders for the day as follows:
A western force of the Blues is Operat-
ing against "a Brown force in the east,
located northeast Of st. Mary's, Kan.
/ The Blues depend upon the Union Pa
cific railroad for supplies. The main
force of the Blues beyond st. Mary's has
met with serious reverse and has been
temporarily thrust off its line of direct
communication with Fort Riley. Owing
10 the reverse of the main army of Blues,
the Blue force at Fort Riley cannot eX-
pect outside aid from any direction. a
strong force OF the Browns is advancing
10 seize the important depot of supplies
al Fort Riley. destroy the stores and
cripple the Union Pacific railroad for
several days
The attacking force Of the Browns was
made up of the Eighteenth Infantry,
Twenty infantry, COLORADO bat
talon. eight troops of the Fourth cav
airy and three troops OF the Eighth cav
airy. There were Also two imaginary
regiments. The Seventeenth, Nineteenth
and Twentieth batteries made up the ar
| tillery.
The Blues. under Major Leach, CON
sisted Of the Sixth infantry, the First
battalion OF engineers acting as infantry.
the Sixth and Twenty-eighth batteries,
the latter being MenOhers mountain
battery, of much lighter weight and
shorter range than the other batteries in
the field, and troop A of the Eighth
cavalry, under Captain Donaldson. The
entertainments for the defense were made
under the direction OF Captain j. B.
Cavagh OF the engineers and were most
skilfGlly constructed. The loose earth
thrown up In creating the trench was
covered with grass, placed at a right
angle TO the line OF the trench. This gave
20 the eye at a distance of 100 yards
very little indication of the location of
the trenches.
Tomorrow's problem viii be the forma-
ton of an advance guard by the entire
command and the building of a pontoon
bridge by the engineers.
General Tanner, a national suardsman
from Rhode Island, was thrown from
his horse at noon in a collision with Cap
tain Gallagher of the regulars General
Tanner sustained severe sprain of the
right leg.