The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-30
A TASTE OF real WAR
QUOTED IN BITTER WEATHER.
Operations of the Day Carried Out In
FOrty-MiIe Gale and Driving
Rain, with Dashes of Sleet.
WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK"
DRAWN CONTEST RESULTS FROM Ex-
CELLENCE OF THE STRATEGY.
Show of Desperate Fighting at Every
Point of Contact-TO-Day's Plans
More Militia on the Field.

FORT RILEY, Kan, Sept. 29-Marching
over a soggy field swept at frequent inter-
walls by binding rain driven by forty
mile gale. the men of the maneuver d.
vision carried out their days programme in
splendid style. The work was without a
flaw. and at the conclusion of the days
work the umpires pronounced it the most
satisfactory undertaking that has so far
been carried out in the maneuvers.
In working out the problem of the day II
was presumed that blue" force with
headquarters at Abilene. Kan, was operat-
ing against a brown" force advancing
from the east A division of the latter was
presumed to have already reached Stock
dale. Kan. Col. George B. Rodney. of the
artillery corps. was in command of the
blues and was camped on the banks of
the Republican river on the Fort Riley
reservation. His command comprised the
sixth battalion of engineers acting as in
fantry, the Nineteenth, Twentieth and
Twenty eighth batteries of field artillery
and the first squadron of the Eighth Cav
airy. The plan of the day for Colonel Rod
ney was to make a demonstration in force
toward Stockdale to gain information of the
enemy, said to be about 10000 strong.
The brown" division, which was sup
posed to be encamped near Stockdale. was
under the command of Col. James Miller, Of
the Twenty-second Infantry. 1t was re-
ported to Colonel Miller that the command
of Colonel Rodney was moving north by
way of the Fort Riley reservation. He de-
cided to attack and capture the blue
enemy if possible or at least to drive the
enemy from his direct line of retreat
through Junction City. The troops left the
camp at $50 o'clock, and thirty minutes
after that time the scouts of the blues
under command of Captain Farber, of the
covering front of nearly two miles. The
blues" gained an advantage at first by
seizing Mars hill, the highest point the
reservation. 1t in the direct line of
advance and was too strong a position to
be abandoned. 1t was, therefore, deter
mined to hold 1t firmly. One command of
the Eighth Cavalry was dismounted on the
southern slope and advanced on the run to
the summit, where IL was deployed in
fantry. A few minutes later Marsh's bat
terry came charging through the long grass
to their utmost speed and the wheels of
the carriages bounded frequently a foot
from the ground as the battery dashed into
position the crest. 1t was ready for
action in a marvelously small space of time,
and then ensued wait of nearly forty min
utes before any of the browns made their
GldSSeS
horizon TO the north and Captain Farber
with his scouts pushed straight on to the
front, believing that the main force of the
browns" would be developed in that di-
rection.
However instead of operating in front,
Colonel Miller was marching around the
right flank of the blues" and endeavoring
to gain their rear. Now and then on the
horizon line a form about half the size of
pin could be seen. These were the
brown" scouts working in toward the
times Marsh's battery changed front on
| the crest and finally. as detachment OF
Drown infantry appeared on crest a
mile away, the battery wheeled once more,
| this time TO the right and opened heavy
| fire the advancing infantry. No at
tempt was made at this time, nor through
out the days maneuvers, 10 use the bat
| teries with any rapidty of fire. 1t was
| simply designed to let the enemy know that
| he was seen and that he was where the
batteries could riddle him IL they were SO
a battery is used at its maximum efficiency
| and decide points accordingly. Despite the
| fact that the guns were worked slowly as
compared with what they would be in
| actual warfare, the shots came with con-
siderable rapidity.
Suddenly. while Marshs battery was
| pounding the thin line OF brown" lying
| fiat on the ridge a mile away, there came
an answering flash from a hin mile in
| the rear of the browns" 1t was their
artillery In action in their support. A live.
4 ~ artiliery duel continued between the
| batteries and occasionally in the lull OF
the low reports of the twelve-inch
rifles could be heard the SHARP
| crack of the Krag-Jorgensen, prov
| ing that the scouts of the opposing
forces were coming into contact. The bat
| TALON of engineers, acting blue" in
| fantry. came marching up the hill and
| hurried OF 10 the right of the battery
| where the browns" were already visible
| coming on steadily through the grass
| Their advance was cleverly made and every
| advantage was taken OF the ground and OF
| the tall grass which hid a man very effec
/ tually
| When advances are made in line ovel
| ground devoid To a large extent of trees anc
| other objects behind which considerable
| bodies OF men could be concealed the light
brown khaki uniform proved a decided ad
| vantage over the blue. man clad in the
latter is visible instantly. while the dust
| colored khaki cloth renders Its wearer.
much more difficult to distinguish
The browns" advanced steadily, spread
ing out to their left as they came. and In q
few minutes they were thrown squarely
across the blue" line of retreat The en-
] giueer battalion kept up a rafting fire bu