Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-02
BLUES LOSE A WAGON TRAIN
Spectacular Problem EluOidAtsd BY Troops
At Fsrt lilSy Yesterday.
sAIDlNe BROWNS oUTnASEUNtR RIVALS
BriIIiant Mov of Attacking Cavalry,
well Supported BY Its ARTILLERY,
settles apesttSn az ISsne with
Some suddeRness.

FORT RILEY, Kan. Oct. las a spec
tacle the military maneuYers of today would
be difncult to equal; as an object lesson TO
the ohhcers Of the National guard, for which
purpose It was carried out, " was full of in
struction and suggestion upon points ~ &C
tual war service which they could have OBJ
tained in no other way.
The weather conditions we're perfect. the
men and horses refreshed by their DAY of
rest after the heavy storm OF Monday and
the marching and the attach and aetenae
were full Of snap and dash.
shorn OF all military parlance, the ma
newer was comprised In the effort to march
an urgently needed wagon train through the
enemy's country. The defense of the wagon
train was in charge Of the blues under
command Of Colonel James NJ. O. .Sanno
OF the Eighteenth infantry and the attack
lag force, which endeavofed to cut OF and
cripple the train, was under direction OF
Captain T. r. Rivers of the Fourth cavalry.
At the end Of the maneuveFs 1t was osti-
mated that Captain Rivers had crippled
about IS or 40 per cent of the wagons, but
he bad suffered a heavy loss in accomplish
ing that much Of his task, He bad in his
command eight companies OF cavalry and
besides the usual, lpVsRs, iueidants 10 doug
range rife FIRE, three Of his eight companies
were wiped of the map Of the mansuYers
by attempting to charge a strong line Of In
fantry In position,
Outline of Days work. o.
The orders covering the days work gave
the following as the general situations:
A blue army operating southwest from
salina, Kan, with headquarters at that
point, receives its supplies from Topeka as
a base. The railroads are assumed to be
broken up and supply by wagon train is
rendered necessary. One OF the trains con-
Quoting supplies from Topeka to, the army
has encamped at Ogden, A brown raiding
force has elrcled around the front Of the
blue army and has appesred in the vicinity
Of West Gate postoface, where its com
mander learns That the train, with its es-
cort, has camped at Ogden. He makes his
preparations to attack this train at some
point on the Fort Riley reservations With a
view to. INJECTING upon 1t as much damage
as possible.
The blue force comprised the Sixth in
fantry, 'Twenty-secopd Infantry, Seven
teenth battery Of field artillery and Troops
A and B OF the Fourth cavalry. The wagon
train was divided into two divisions. The
two troops under Captain Rutherford rode
out before the advance guard Of the column,
which was made up of the First battalion
Of the Sixth infantry. To protect the
hanks Of the first division OF the train,
two companI of the Sixth infantry were
thrown out on each side. The rear Of the
hfst division was guarded by one battalion
Of the Sixth infantry, the Seventh battery
and one battalion of the Twenty-second
Infantry. The latter regiment formed the
rear guard of the column and provided the
hankers for the second division. The wagon
train was under the immediate omman of
Captain @. W. Martin Of the Eighteenth
infantry.
Captain Rivers force consisted Of Troops
c, d, 4, F, @ and H Of the Fourth cavalry
the First squadron of tina Eighth cavalry
and one platoon of the Sixth battery. II
was assumed that there were 1870 wagons
In the train and that 1t was tive miles in
length. In reality there were eighty six
wagons in the line.
start to the Engagement.
I The advance Of the blues began promptly
, at Q O'Clock and for nearly an hour pressed
: forward without any more interruption thar
! was Afforded by the other features Of the
country. Starting a wagon train on the
> march IL not the most rapid preparation IL
: the world, even under favorable cireum,
. stances, and when an enemy lie known t.
: be in the front and lie looked for on botf
Z TANKS and expected In the rear, the neces
sary precautions render progress still NOR,
2 slow. Despite these things, Colonel sannC
and Captain Martin moved steadily forward
with their charge. At 10 o'clock a few
9 scattering shots we're heard in advance
Q telling that the skirmIshers OF the browns
n had collided with Rutherford's patrol.
n At 1925 a squadron Of the brown cav
T airy appeared upon q crest 1900 yards from
$ the leading wagons OF the FIRST division. L
made a most tempting shot for the artillery
Word was sent back and the Seventh bat
terry came dashing forward to get them, Tn,
ofieer In command OF the browns, however
y was a man who knew his business. With
out checking his advance for an instant b
dashed his men behind a slight sminenc,
which would, however, AFFORD but sligh
5 protection once the artillery was at work
Then holding back the main body he sen
his men, one at a time, their horses on tn
dead run, across 500 feet OF open ground {
the secure shelter OF a high rise in tn
ground.
The artillery men lashed their horses I
\ their uto est speed. the guns went whirlin
into position with a speed that excited won
,s der. but all the time q constant successful
Of brown dots we're shooting across tn
X open space. About one minute before tn
"a artillery was ready for action the las
ar brown cAValryman had dashed Into safet
8; and the disappointed artilleFymen ger
forced to resume their march.
% what Lost the wagon Train.
This occurred on the left tank Of th
al wagon train advance and the battery passs
over to the right, as the enemy were n
700 ported In that direction. This move, simpl
nv enough in itself. WIS the cause OF the lOI
Oo to the wagon train. The Seventh batter
20 had moved down q slight decline. Whs
W suddenly from a ridge 2.0oo yards ava
came a fash and pun Of white poWd'
smoke. 1t was the platoon OF the Sixt
battery In action for the browns. TIT
had an unobstrueted shot at the train Al
~ hTed with great rapidly. The Seventh ba
teFy wheeled rapidly TO protect the trail
but for a time was unable to secure a goo
~ position. A number Of wagons were betwe'
them and the guns OF the browns, whit
- steadily hammered away at the long III
OF wagons. Had the guns been loaded t
~. destruction Of wagons and animals mu
have been very heavy. 1t was eStimat
N that about IS to 40 per cent OF the WACO
~ would have been crippled beyond all no
~ Of proceeding, They we're promptly dropp