The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-29
Twenty-Five Wagons i'm Lieut.. Col.
LoughbOrough's Army Put Out Of
Service i'm short Time.
BLUNDER BY AN OFFICER
PREMATURELY GAVE COMMAND FOR
CONVOY TO ADVANCE.
Result Was an Unexpected Attack and
Calamity for the Train-Severe
Day for the Troops.

FORT RILEY, Kan, Oct. 2S.-The mill
tary maneuver of to-day was planned by
Colonel Wagner, the chief umpire, and was
highly successful. The exercise, roughly
stated, was the attack and defense of
convoy. The defense of the train was in
charge of Lieutenant Colonel Loughbor-
ough, of the Sixth Infantry, who had
under his command the Second, Sixth,
Twenty-first and Twenty-fifth regiments
of infantry. One battalion of the Twelfth
Infantry, one squadron of the Fourth Cav
airy and the Twentieth field battery under
Captain Snow. The idea OF the problem
was that the supply train was to be hur-
ried through to an imaginary body in ad-
vance that had been ,cut off from its sup
plies.
A force under Lieutenant Colonel Kings
bury, of the Eighth Cavalry was to at
tack this train, do as much damage to it
as possible and hold it until an imaginary
force coming up in his rear should enable
him to capture the train. He certainly de-
layed it and crippled it badly and more
over held it for a length of time sufficient
in the opinion of the umpires for his REIN
forcements to arrive. However, although,
Lieutenant Colonel Loughborough lost a
steadily pressing forward, driving back
Lieutenant Colonel Kingsburys men and
infiicting heavy damage upon him. As
usual, in the rlaneuvers, the problem came
TO a close just as the real good fighting
was about to commence.
Lieutenant Colonel Loughborough started
from the north line of the reservation with
the head of his column at 10 O'Clock and
was allowed one-half hour march from the
line before Lieutenant Colonel Kingsbury
could march AGAINST him, The march of
full hour and a half, however, before the
advance battalion under Major Morton. OF
sns s1Ts n full S
mounted. Volley after volley was thrown
into them and at rapid file fire was poured
at them for several minutes. The umpires
decided that the cavalry had been practi-
cally destroyed by Major Morton and ruled
it off the track.
Meanwhile. back on the road calamity
was riding with the wagon train. 1t is
a military axiom that the wagons moving
in the country should not cross one ridge
until the ridge next in advance had been
secuted and any possible enemy developed.
Lieutenant Colonel Loughborough, on COM
ing to a ridge beyond which opened val
ley fully one and one-half miles across,
halted his train, and during his temporary
absence some one ordered the train for
ward. 1t passed off the crest and was
winding down into the valley, when sud
denly from the far hill came the boom of
artillery. 1T was Lassiter's battery, which
was out with Kingsbury. Such hot shoot
ing as that battery did has not been seen
during the maneuvers. Their aim was full
length along a half mile OF white wagons
coming down a slope. In war time the
shells would have raked the train from the
first wagon to the last one over the hill.
The umpires decided that twenty-five
wagons were put out of service, and Lieu
tenant Colonel Loughborough, returning in
time TO prevent further damage, parked his
train behind the hin and pushed forward
his infantry and drove the battery back.
The train then advanced, but by the time
the neap OF the traln reached the nil from
which Lassiter's battery had fired the UNI
pires called a halt. The umpires decided
| that kingsbury had delayed the train long
enough 10 allow his hypothetical reinforce
| ments to come up, and that the train was
| in serious danger, although Lieutenant
| Colonel Loughborough was still pushing
| it forward. The marching to-day was very
| severe, but the troops stood it magnif-
| Gently. A portion of them returned to
| camp in the wagons, while others were
| forced to march home, and these last COW
| cred fully twenty miles during the day.