The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-09
But Retrieves the Mistake and Almost
AnnihiIates Part OF One of the
Brown Brigsdes.
LOSES ONLY THIRTY MEN
AND KILLS 80 KENTUCKY AND
OHIO GUARDsMEN.
Indiana Troops Are Again Conn
mended-"Johnny" to Come March,
ing Home ON Saturday.

Staf Correspondence Of the Journal
CAMP YOUNG. HOWARD. Ky. oct. g.
Thrown by somebody's blunder into a fierce
storm Of battle. with scarcely minutes
warning, compelled TO form his men In bat
tie line without time 70 estimate the con-
ditions facing him. Col. Harry b. Smith.
commanding the Second Brigade. the re-
serve OF the Blue army, i'm the absence OF
Gen. w. ]. Mckee, not only whipped the
Fourth Brigade of the Brown army--ohio
and Kentucky troops-to a standstill, but
actually saved the Blue army from the dis
astrous consequences OF the very blunder
which gave the Indiana boys their oppor-
tunity of showing, this time so decisively
as TO admit of no dispute. that they are the
best all-round guardsmen in Camp Young.
The circumstances which led to the fierce
engagement I'm which Colonel Smith and
his Hoosiers, standing like a stone wall
against the mad onslaught OF the Brown
brigade showed what Indiana soldiers
could do in real war. were so remarkable
that probably they have never been dupli-
Gated in peace battles or I'm actual engage
ments. Colonel Smith was leading the re-
serve of the Brown army. force approx
mately 1,4OO strong. In the ordinary course
of things he would not have got bullets In
his teeth until late in the afternoon. since
the advance of the Blue army would neces-
sarily have received the first brunt OF the
battle, but blunder. the sort that has COW
cred battlefelds with dead mems bones and
changed the map OF the world, occurred
The advance marched peacefully on, skir-
r1ishing occasionally with Brown cavalry
scouts, which stung like gna;s. and, like
gnats, were quickly gone. a brigade or
Brown infantry and two troops OF cavalry
succeeded n wornling its way behind the
main column and suddenly burst with fury
upon the slender colamn which Colonei
Smith was leading. Had that brigade not
been stopped aid defeated IL would have
plunged clear through the Blue army,
reverse whicn would have been as unex-
plained as ignominious 10 the Rlue.
LIKE THOMAS AT cHIcKANiAUGA-
The Indiana brigade, like Thomas at
Chickamauga, was rock set. From sunken
road and a rail fence on a perfect military
crest il swept the declining ground In front
of IL with a hurricane Of rifle fire so ter
rible that in actual war not khaki-covered
enemy would ever have crawled from the
green field into which he nai so confidently
dashed. The Eighth Ohio. directly exposed
10 the Second Indianas decimating fire.
would have been annihilated. The Second
and Third Kentucky regiments. at the
mercy of the First Indiana, would have lost
so heavily, IL actual bullets had made battle
music. that this military organizations
usefulness would have been at an end.
The umpres decided that the total losses
of the Indiana troops would have amounted
70 30 men. They held that the Eighth Ohio
would alone have 100 men killed. The losses
Of the Second and Third Kentucky Regi-
nents would have been, in their estimation.
fully four companies. probably $50 men. Sc
that in that hot fight of thirty minutes In
diana lost 30 men TO total casualties of 80
men in the opposing brigade. This tells the
story of the victory.
Hoy the Brown brigade managed to pens-
trate the main column OF the Blue army
without being engaged, and how IL was al
lowed to dash back so far as TO meet the
Blue reserve, are questions wnich are un-
solved tonight The umpires may reason
il out in their reports, but the fact STANDS
that the most desperate engagement OF the
day was fought and won by reserve force
while the main column was peacefully plod-
ding along in front. The fact viii stand.
too. that Colonel Smith, unsupported. un-
warned but not unready, hurled back the
flushed invaders and saved the Blue army
from being cut in two pieces. Not COM
mander at Camp Young. regular or militia.
has won the same glory IL vas deserved
luck. because Colonel Smith aad the Second
Regiment which met the full fire OF the
enemy. had lain in the trenches all day Mon
day. eager for a fight. but scorned by the
fortunes of war, never getting 10 fire shot
in that hot engagement.
PLAN OF THE BATTLE.
The battle of to-day was planned by Maj.
Gen. John c. Bates as follows:
General Situation Blue force Is en-
camped at West Point and the Brown at
Vine Grove Scouting has conveyed TO each
commander a knowledge or mis- opponerJs
Snecial situation tBlue).-The command
ing general decides 10 attack. and issues MS
orders accordingly. His force In as follows:
First Brigade infantry. Second Brigade In
fantry. Seventh Cavalry, Fourteenth Bat
terry Field Artillery. The Blue leaves camp
az speciai situation tBrown).-The command
ing general decided TO attack, and issues his
orders ,sS SGoFdinss ,Sfssry s Fourth Brigade i'm
fsntry. Troops l. and NJ Second Cavalry,
Troop Fourth Cavalry. Second squadron
Eighth Cavalry. Iwenty-nist, ,,sa ~ ,s,,sai
Artillery, FIRST BAUER! inuiai" N"'"n1i
Guard.
The Brown force is supposed to move
from Vine Grove at daybreak. In reality Il
marches from camp at a m and proceeds
to stithton, from which point IL begins its
movement at II a. IN.
The Blue army took the beautiful Null
draugh roa1 Colonel Anderson. Of the reg
ulars. commanded. His force was approx
imately 4.So men. The regular nfaatry.
composing the First Brigade. led the col
umn Col Harry b. Smith and the Second
CONTINUED ON PAGE 1. COL CO