The National tribune., 1904-09-01


from armed forces. Once again every
road which leads Wasbingtonward. every
street and every avenue of the city is
guarded. cannons boOn, and the shock OF
musketry splits the air with it's fierce vol
legs. 1t is bloodless war, however, only
mimicry Of the two awful bhttles which 4a
years and more ago startled the country
with the thought that Washington, the
Capital Of the Nation. was left almost
naked to the assaults of an enemy.
These are young soldiers, too, just as
were most of those who AZ years
ago, on the plains of Manassas, fought
the second Battle of Bull Run, and suf-
fered defeat second time on that his
toric ground Just boys, most of these
soldiers. but no mothers heart will be
hurt, no fathers eyes will read through
tears long lists of killed, wounded, and
missing" ''Butternut and Blue will
meet again. but they are brothers now,
and, after the days mimic fight is over,
will gather about the campfires and talk
of what their fathers did or didn't achieve
| on that battlefield ~ years ago
There will be few seasoned" vet
Grams who will show the youngsters ''how
it was done" and 'how it ought to be
DONE but those youngsters in blue aud
others in brown are going to go right
ahead and do things their way, and their
done in this mimic warfare as it was done
~ years ago, except the marching and
the retreating. The arms are new, the
uniforms are new, the ratiOns are no long
err ''sowbelly and bareback" with coffee,
the camp equipments are new, the forma-
ton OF troops is new, the regulations are,
oh, so very, very new 1t is all dread
fully scientific now, you know, and science
is going to boss this battle for the Ma
tional Capital. If, however. the struggle
to get at the great white building OH Cap
itol Hill was serious, and the Government
archives were really threatened by dam
gerOus fOe-well, then you would see
science sprOut wings in a hurry and soar
away, and the old-fashioned tactics would
step in. These youngsters would throw
away their scientifically arranged ac-
GOVERNMENTS, and they would sail in to
win, just as their fathers did, AZ years
ago, and then. like the youngsters Of
that day, now nearing the half century
mark since the two Bull Runs, they would
leave many Of their brightest and bravest
on that blood-red field Of battle" while
the lists of missing would be swelled
to thousands.
A SUPERB TEST.
Keep in mind, however, that this is
mimic battle, but it is none the less II
magnificent test Of the capabilities of the
great National fighting machine, the Reg
ulars' and the Militia" or National
Guards, of the United States.
The new generation Of soldiers Of the
North and the South will camp again
within sight of historic Bnll Run, this
time for the purpose OF perfecting them
selves in the art of war by more peace
full means than those adopted by their
fathers - I.
The occasion for thisI assemblaee of SOL
no J.
the great battles of the Rebellion is the
annual field manuven of the Regular
Army and Militia, and the site Of the bat
ties OF Bull Run was selected because it
was the most central point where sufi-
cient land could be secured by the Gov
eminent for, the proper performance Of
the duties laid out in the prearranged pro-
grams. q -
Between 10000 and 10000 troops will
be assembled on the field for the Is days
the soldiers are to indulge in field exer-
cscs. and these will represent the cavalry,
artillery, infantry, signal. engineer and
hospital branches of the Regular Estab-
lishment and the Militia of Maine, Yer
mont, Massachusetts, Connecticut. New
Virginia West Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina. Georgia, Florida, Ala
bama, Texas and Tennessee. The troops
began to assemble Aug. q, and will re-
main in the field until about September H.
The manuvers serve as
POSTGRADUATE COURSE
to the drills that are held in garrison by
the Regular troops and in the drill halls
by the Militia. In such places with linn
tied field only instruction of the most ele-
mentary kind is given in the more impor-
tant branches of military science Elk
tended order, outpost and advance guard
formations can only he had under Difficult
ties, and sometimes not mt ALL The Mill
tia suffers more in this respect than the
Regular Army. 1t has been found BY
experience that in time of war it takes
from three to six months to get volunteer
regiments into anything like the shape
that actual service demands of them 1t is
for the purpose of giving much-needed in
struction and of getting together a force
OF volunteers who will not require long
preliminary training for service in case of
war that the manuvers have been estab-
lIshed supplementary to the regular drill
course of Regular and Militia troops III
addition to the benefits obtained by the in
dividual soldier through practical study of
these especial points of military science,
worked out in practice. the assembling of
an army corps of 10000 men gives general
officers practically their only chance to
handle large bodies of men in the field.
and it also gives the commanders of the
units Of this great body their only chance
to work with other units in so large an or,
ganizatiOn most valuable element.
THE MANuvER STRIP
contains approximately $4,000 acres, for
which the Government is paying 81 cents
per acre, over and above any assessment
that may be made for damages after the
troops depart. The strip is oblong in
shape, about five miles broad and ID miles
long. The eastern end is at Manassas and
the western extremity is n mile or a mile
and half west of ThOroughfare The
distance between Manassas and Thorough.
far by railroad is just 1914 miles.
The troops will be divided into three
divisions The First Division camp will he
on an immense tract just west Of Manas-
sas. extending back from the railroad o
mile and a, half or two miles. 1t is ex-
pected that 1880 troops will be encamp-
ed here. The Second Division camp will
be at Thoroughfare, where, there will be
the same number of tr9ops. These two
| divisions will form ,sroyisonal Army
Corps, and corps Headquarters will be es-
| tablished ut Gainesville, d station on the
| railroad nine miles west Of Manassas.
Here, also, will be the press camp, and
arrangements are being made to accommo-
| date 40 newspaper men Headquarters
| camp will be pitched in d large field to the
| north Of the railroad and about three
ma rfprx of n mtie from rho 4fa fior,