The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-04
SOLDIERS ENGAGE
 IN MIMIC WARFARE Work of Most of Troops at Camp Young Excellent KENTUCKY REGIMENT BAD Marched on Cavalry Almost in Close Order and Took Little Advantage
 of cover-Germans Didn't
 Like Fake Fighting.
KENTUCKY REGIMENT BAD

Camp Young, west GOluL, Nyo OSlo- Der 3-A worthy German farmer paced up and down a little stretch of pike on a commanding hill near Camp Young listening to the spluttering Krags which sounded near at hand. As he walked he planted his left leg in decisive hay foot" fashion, which left no doubt that he was a relic of real struggle.
 As another volley sounded close at hand, the farmer cut loose a round Teutonic oath, after surveying the sum lit peaceful landscape, he said: "Ach, dis is no fidtren," he walled. I'd Is skirm- ishing bear. You see nodding. Ven vas init Siegel We chust chumped in und gif em-.
 He was almost the only one dissatisfied with the days maneuvers.
 Out of six skirmishes, In each of which a militia regiment participated to- day, developed two little conflicts which were regarded by the military experts present as gems of their kind. Col. Arthur Wagner, chief umpire, who arr ranged the series of advance guard movements for the citizen soldiers, has reason to be proud of the results which attended his work. None of the com mands did absolutely bad work, al- though there was at least one or more skirmishes off color at times.
 One General Problem.
 Though each of today's maneuvers was detached and distinct from the others, and arranged with a view to testing the efficiency on the skirmish lines of the particular command engaged, all were based on the same general problem.
 Each infantry regiment was opposed by two troops of cavalry. Each national guard regiment was supposed to be the advance guard of the blue main body lying near West Point. Each cavalry command was supposed to be acting as brown rear guard, the main body of the browns supposed to be lying some fifteen miles away and playing for more time. The order given each cavalry command was to harass and annoy the opposing regiment of state infantry as much as possible, with the least possible loss to itself Every time the cavalry commands found good cover they were to dismount and open fire. forcing the infantry to de- ploy and dive the troopers out As 1t takes some little time to deploy man try, each instance where the cavalrymen
 
 gained for the main body of browns.
 Colonel Wagner's Programme.
 Colonel Wagner's programme called for the opposition of the following commands;
 First Indiana Cblue) against two troops of brown cavalry.
 Eighth Ohio (blue) against two troops of brown cavalry.
 First Michigan (blue) against two troops of brown cavalry.
 second Kentucky (blue) against two troops of brown cavalry.
 Third Indiana (bluel against two troops of brown cavalry.
 First Wisconsin Cblue) against two troops of brown cavalry.
 Perhaps the most notable of these six small fights was that of the Eighth ono against two troops of the Eighth caVairy' the latter commanded by Captain Evans Captain Evans handled his command Tn fashion to win the admiration or all spectators even those unversed in tac- ties He kept his two troops In close or der, so far as the work would permit. When his pickets were driven in he De- gan what might be termed reversal or the infantry tactics. advance ana hre by rushes," while one troop took good cover and engaged the blue skirmish line, the second retired and took the nearest cover in the rear, commanding the blue advance. Then when the first troop was l forced back the second opened fire until they were forced to repeat the movement of the first.
 Advance Was Very Slow.
 In this way the advance of the Eighth Ohio was so retarded that it took about an hour to advance mile. This, RQw- ever, was not to the dscredit of the Ohio troops which were excellently handled, with the possible exception raised by one of the experts that too many companies | were deployed for the work in hand. | Captain Evans men were so well disposed | that only during the last few minutes were the Ohio men able to get more than a glimpse of a rapidly moving brown | coat or two. At no time were the brown horses within range. The use of smoke l less powder blank cartridges by both sides | added difficulty to the work of locating the opposing forces. The blotchy irreg- | ular spatter of shots from first one quar- | ter and then another, puzzled even the umpires at times, although the latter knew the general lines followed. Kentucky Regiment Slow. | Less satisfactory than the Ohio, the | Eighth cavalry affair, was that in which | the Second Kentucky and two more troop | of the Eighth cavalry were opposed. The | Kentucky regiment was slow and the I cavalry videttes riding far afield precip- | itated the affair The militia boys did | not seem to take the business seriously, and after two whole battalions had de- ' ployed. advanced at a walk in almost