Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1904-09-02
READY FOR THE MANEUVERS.
The Regular Troops That Are To
Take Part Are Already
On The Field.
Special Dispatch to Evening Capital

1
Washington, ID. O., Sept EVERY
thing is practically in readiness for
the beginning of the great army ma
neuvers at Manassas, Va. The regular
| troops that are TO take part are already
on the field, and the state militia will
arrive tomorrow aud Sunday. Every
state of the Atlantic division, with
the exception of Mississippi, will be
represented.
The plans for the maneuvers have
been carefully worked out by officers
/ of the regular army, who have been
engaged on this duty for some time.
| The field of operations embraces 80
square miles in Prince William county,
/ Va, extending from the village of
| Thoroughfare eastward to Bull Run.
The grounds chosen for camps and
for field exercises are we'll adapted ia
such purposes. and have been provided
with ample water supply, drainage
and other needful facilities. The
30, 900 troops engaged in the maneuyers
Will constitute one corps, which will
be divided into two divisions. Major
General Henry O. Corbin. former Ad-
iutaut- General of the Army, and now
in charge of the Military Division of
mand, and the two divisions of the
force under him will be commanded
by Brigadier- General J. Franklin Bell
and Brigadier- General Frederick ID.
Grant
The first division. under General
Grant, will occupy Camp No. / near
Manassas, and will wear the old style
blue flannel blouses, while the enemy,
the second division. under General
Bell, will be encamped at Thorough
fare, ten miles away, and will be uni
formed in khaki. Beginning next
Monday and continuing for five days,
problems of vital Importance in mod
ern warfare will be worked out, and
in order that the regular and militia
troops engaged may derive the greatest
and most lasting good from the oper.
ations, conditions of actual armed con-
fiict will be approximated to the near
est possible degree. During the engage
ments between the Blues and the
Browns. as the opposing forces will be
designated for purposes OF brevity, the
spectacular features that distinguish
ed the graphing of armies in former
times, the dash of cavalry against ar
tillery, the bayonet charge in close
order against infantry intrenched, the
rush across the shot-swept open, will
all be sacrificed TO the businessllke
features of the present day warfare.
The sham battles will be no boys
play. Compared with them the drill
the state militia gets in armories and
on parade grounds is like kindergar-
ten to a boys military school. AL
though the government will pay for
damage done, the opposing forces will
not hesitate TO pull down a mans
fences, tramp over his corntield, or dig
up his front garden, IL necessary, on
the ground of economy. Whatever
would be considered expedient in ac-
tual battle will be carried ont in sham
battle. While the opposing forces
will be Instructed, in a general way,
to destroy as little property as pos
sible, to avoid cemeteries and fish.
warrens, and to consider the rights of
the inoffensive farmer, no regiment or
company is going to imperil the
chances of the success of its division
by taking these things into serious
consideration.