The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-08
BLUES and BROWNS
IN DRAWN BATTLE
NO DECISION BY HIS UMPS.
BLUES TWO MILES FROM GOAL
WHEN TIME WAS CALLED.

brown Force, Defending the Gap,
Had Ofsetting ADVANTAGES, How
overflow Attack Was Made and
Resistance Was Omered-MiIitia
Ate Up Two Days RatiOns in One.
South CnrOIinians Cleaned Out a
StOre-WiH Lose Pay.
Corps Headquarters. Gainesville,
Va, Sept. THE first maneuver prob
lem closed to-day with Gen. Grants
force pushed through the left wing of
Gen. Bell. This put the Blue force
within two miles of Thoroughfare Gap.
the objective point. However, Gen.
Bell had Smiths brigade on the right
and Barry's brigade on the left of
this breach in his line and Col. Wag-
ner, chief umpire, draws no conclusions
as to what might have happened had
not hostilities ceased under the COM
mand previously issued by Gen. Cor
bin to cease hostilities at noon so that
the tired troops might be given re-
lief.
This attack on the part of the Blue
Wll0
Prices brigade consisting of the Sew
entieth Virginia, the First Maine.
First Alabama and Sixteenth Infantry.
Previous to this there had been Sc
we're fighting on the line to which
Gen. Bell had fallen back during the
night.
This line, the Antioch road, was
within two miles of the western limit
of the maneuver zone and extended
the five miles of the width of the
zone.
Concentrated the Blues.
While Gen. Bell was falling back
to the new line from the Carolina
road, which had been the scene of
the conflict the day before, Gen. Grant
occupied the hours between midnight
and daylight in concentrating his
forces for an attack on the Brown
left. He withdrew all of his cavalry
from the southern portion of his line.
their position on the first day, and
threw two full brigades and sixteen
guns to the point indicated. His ar
tillery was so well placed that it had
unobstructed play for an hour on the
Brown line.
The effect of this fire was not taken
into account by a decision rendered
by the umpire on the field early in
the battle, when the Blue force was
required to fall back, but was taken
into account later and credit given
accordingly to the effect of the fire of
the Blue artillery.
Every spectacular feature of a battle
in full progress was produced in the
maneuvers to-day, and the field was
viewed from near and far by many
spectators. Gen. Corbin went among
the troops of both armies and made
close observation of the progress of the
battle. Mrs Corbin. Mrs. Grant and
Miss Patten viewed the maneuVers
from an automobile.
During the afternoon the troops re-
turned to their respective camps to rest
until o'clock Tomorrow morning.
when the problem will be reversed and
the Brown army will take the field
against the Blue in the effort to strike
at Washington.
The militia troops displayed the US
ual disadvantage of inexperience in the
field. Many Of them ate their two
days rations the first day and went
hungry to-day. The Regulars set them
good example in this respect, divid-
ing their supplies equally between the
two days.
Complaint Of depredations by militia
men came to headquarters to-day from
Wellington, where It was claimed that
the First South Carolina Regiment
had cleaned out a provision store alb
solutely. The loss will be reimbursed
to the proprietor and the amount de-
Quoted from the pay of this regiment.
GEN Corbin and both division COM
manders unite in praising the conduct
Of the militia.
A daring attempt was made last
night to capture Gen. bell In his head
quarters at Thoroughfore The cam
ture was not made because Gen. Bell
heard of the plan and literally took up
his bed and walked. He secreted him
self In a farm house nearby and silent
until morning. The capture was
planned by a scouting party. and
would undoubtedly have been success.
ful had not Gen. Bell made his escape
I'm time. lie had stripped his head.
quarters OF its guard for other duty
and II confronted by the armed scouts
would have had 10 accompany them "a
the lines " the Blue army.
II is estimated hy the army officers
that casualties during the two days
of fighting have depleted the Biue
army by l,s00 men and the Brown from