The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-07
Mondays Engagement a Spec.
tacular Affair at Fort Riley.
Browns and Blues Wreak Fear.
full Execution Apparently.
PLENTY OF SHOOTING.
Major Leach Defended His Pc.
sition With Skill.
General Hobbies Dispositions
for Attack Were First Glass.

Fort Riley, Kan, Oct 7.-While fully
as practical as any of the preceding
maneuvers, Monday exercises contain
ed larger element of the spectacular
than any that have preceded them.
Major Leach of the engineers. COM
handing the Blues, defended 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 defen-
sive disposition. Moreover, General
Kobbe pushed home his attack with
fierceness and energy that, had the COM
bat occurred in actual warfare. must
have caused heavy losses to both sides.
At the close of the fighting General
Kobbe had been badly crippled. but he
was coming on to make a final rush for
the trenches. His men were dashing
down a slope fully exposed to the rifle
fire of an intrenched line, and after de-
Scending this and passing through ra-
vine, his men had still 300 yards of open
ground to cross before reaching the in
trenchmentS. The critics say that this
was hardly possible. STILL General
Kobbe had two full imaginary regi-
ments in reserve and even though re-
pulsed the first time his game was ea<
I
The plan of the maneuver was given
in the orders for the day as follows: A
western force of the Blues is operating
against a Brown force in the east, To-
Gated northeast of St Marys, Kan. The
Blues depend upon the Union Pacific
railway for supplies. The main force of
the Blues beyond st. Marys has met
with a serious reverse. and has been
temporarily thrust off its line of direct
communication with Fort Riley. Owing
to the reverse of the main army OF
Blues the Blue force at Fort Riley can
not expect outside aid from any direc-
/ ton A strong force of the Browns is
advancing to seize the important depot
of supplies at 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 infan-
! try, Twenty-second infantry. Colorado
battalion, eight troops of the Fourth
cavalry and three troops of the Eighth
cavalry. There were also two imagi-
nary regiments. The Seventh. Nine
teenth and Twentieth batteries made up
the artillery.
The Blues, under Major Leach, consist :
ed of the Sixth infantry the First bat
| talon of engineers, acting as infantry,
the sixth ana Iwenty-elgnth batteries
/ the latter being Menoher mountain bat
terry, of much lighter weight and shorter
range than the other batteries in the
field, and troop A of the Eighth cavalry,
/ unQeT AdDI- DOl3lQSOn- ne l1lTSIlCu-
ments for the defense were made under
the direction of Capt. J. B. Cavanagh
/ of the engineers, and were most skill
/ fully 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 to the eve at distance of 100
yards very little indication of the loca-
ton of the trenches.
When the Brown army moved out
from camp to take the position firm
which it later advanced to the attack.
it passed, greatly to the disgust of the
umpires, within 800 yards of the Blues
who were at the time throwing up dirt
for dear life. The location of the in
trenchmentS was in plain view and the
officers of the Browns could not avoid
seeing the Blues at work. Later in the
morning they were unable to see these
very same trenches and their men suf-
fered heavily in front of them. As an
object lesson of well concealed defenses
the work of Major Leach and his men
| would be difficult to Surpass.
Donaldson's cavalry, pushed out III
front of the main line of the defense
was soon in contact with the scouts OF
to the line of infantry. When the battle
opened strong hill on the right Of the
line was held by the command of Ma
jor r. H. r. Loughborough of the Sixth
the engineers commanded by Capt. j
b. Cavanaugh; four companies of the
Sixth infantry, under Capt. B. w. At
kinson; two guns Of the Sixth field ar
tillery and two of Menoher's howitzers
The center was held by jor Morton
of the Sixth cavalry with one company
of engineers, two companies of the Sixth
infantry and four guns of Menoher's
battery. The left was commanded b.
Capt. G. A. Tin of the engineers, and
contained one company of engineers and
two companies of the Sixth infantry
The reserve consisted of four companie:
Of the Sixth infantry under Capt. J. II
Brown. -Four guns Of the Sixth battery
were behind rise of ground in rear OF
the center and had a clear sweep of al
most every part of the field.
General KObbe commenced his attack
by sending detachments around both
TANKS of the Blue line to create appre-
hension for the Blue communications
while he pushed his artillery straight ur
to Morris's hill, the highest point on the
reservation. His batteries were seen fol-
nearly an hour before they opened, the
delay being for the purpose of allowing
the thanking columns to march into Pc.
sitiOn. Suddenly on the slope of Nor
riss hill crimson flag ffuttered in the
air, indicating that the batteries were
firing upon other artillery, the puffs OF
4 white smoke shot into the air $500 yards
4 from the Blue line, and the battele open
ed General Kobbes artillery kept up a
rapid fire, his object being to provoke a
reply from the Blues and thus unmask
their position. The Blues held quiet for
d tAiiiSr Dut many oheiIOHSi , tWO IIiouil-
tain guns opened on the left, as did the
two of Adams's Sixth battery They
fired but a few times, however, and then
were silenced. 1t was enough for the
Browns, however, and tweleve guns
were trained on the two of Menoher and
two of the Sixth battery. The odds
were too great, and after a short COM
bat the four guns of the Blues were
ruled out of action
Meanwhile the Brown infantry was
coming in steadily across the fields
straight into the intrenchments on the
left of the right wing, held by Captain
Jones of the Sixth infantry. and those
in the right center. held by Captain
Powell and Lieutenant Crimmins of the
/ same regiment Brown scouts pushed
IL