Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-10

before they had gone a mile or more, and il
| not allowed frequent rests were subjects
for treatment at the base hospitals.
The Weather Ideal.
] The weather has been ideal for maneuv.
! ers. There has been only one day in the
| week when there was much heat, and or
| this day the suffering was as nothing COM
| pared to what it would have been if there
had been seasonable weather. There has
been one natural condition that has made
| the hardship of marching almost double
| however. There has been no rain In this
section of the country for weeks, and the
| roads are covered with fine dust. in some
places to a depth of five or six inches. A
| marching column raised cloud that could
| be seen mile or more. and when the troops
happened to be mounted their movements
| could be traced in any part of the maneuveI
| field from the column of dust that rose as
! they proceeded. Not only was there dust
| in the roads, but In the fields the earth was
| so dry that it required but little trampline
| to raise binding cloud A cavalry troop
| would trot down the road and into field
| and be completely hidden from the view OF
| a passerby fifty feet away. The lack OF an
adequate supply of water for the men and
animals made changes of position abso-
| luteIy necessary when nightfall found the
men in the field.
| These things have been the principal diff
| cultfes the troops have been forced to I'M
! dergo in order to acquire the knowledge
| of the work of the soldiers. There mas
| been little complaint of any klno, now,
ever; the men have been well behaved and
orderly, but two cases of depredauonS on
private property have been reported 10
headquarters, and the first reports of both
of these cases were highly exaggerated.
1t is gratifying to the officers of the army
to know that neither of the cases reported
concerned the troops of the regular army.
Departure of the Troops.
The general will be sounded in some
of the camps this evening. and many OF
the regiments will depart for their homes
tonight BY tomorrow night the field will
be cleared of every soldier except the
regulars who will be left to clean up the
camp General Corbin desires to have as
many of the militiamen as possible reach
their homes by Monday at the very latest,
and all efforts are being bent in that dl-
rection. Some of the state troops par
ticularly those from Texas and other far
points, will not be able to reach their home
stations in the time specified. but spe-
cial arrangements have been made Tor
them. All of the trains on which they
travelled to Manassas and Thoroughfare are
awaiting their use at the sidlngs at these
two places. Each train is marked with
the name of the organization which used
it in coming and they will be shifted to
the main track of the road as each reEl-
ment lines up the platform for entraln-
ing. Officers of the regular army Will De
on duty at all of the stations to see that
there is nothing wanted to make the de-
parture as suspicious and as expeditions
as the arrival.
Tomorrow afternoon Brig. Gen. Thomas
| H Barry commanding the department OF
| the gulf will assume command of all the
troops on the maneuver field and Gen. Cor
| bin will depart for New York, where he
| will begin final preparations for MS de.
parture for the Philippines on the list OF
October. Gen Corbin has spent consider
| able time in the two weeks he has been
| here in putting into shape his annual re-
port of the work of his division Of the
army In the first week he was here he
| managed to do a great deal of work on the
report but since Sunday last the press OF
| business concerning the maneuvers, the &C
tual maneuvers themselves and the recep-
/, ton and entertainment of distinguished
guests has consumed pretty much all his
time He has spent as much time as pos
/ sble in the field with troops and has gall
Hoped about the country with his stan UNI
til he is familiar with every lane and by
way.
Gen. Corbin Expresses Qualification.
In relinqushng command of the maneu-
yer corps General Corbin has taken occa-
sion to express his qualification at the man.
ner in which the troops have worked dur
Ing the past week The order announcing
his departure says:
I'm relinquishihg the command of the
| ders, No. 7. headquarters Atlantic division,
| July 20 1904. the commanding general ex-
presses his appreciation of the sustained in
| terest manifested by attending organized
| militia, despite discomforts of bivouac,
| heat and dust. in maneuvers which have
| involved all the hardships of actual war.
Efforts have been made to instruct some
| and to give to others opportunities to APP
ply instruction in the duties which, proper
| ly performed, will result in the arrival on
| the field of soldiers physically and mental
| ly fitted for the shock of battle. Incidental
| ly, artillery and Infantry fires have been
| heard and charges have been led, but there
has been neither victor nor SpoilS of war.
Preparation for war, not an illustration of
| war itself has been the object sought, and
| it is believed that the goal is now much
nearer 20 all who have participated In
the maneuvers.<
The commanding general particularly de-
sres to speak of the admirable discipline
shown by all the troops both regular and
| organized militia There has been no in
| stance so far as known of any wilful de-
| struction of property or of any but the
! most courteous treatment of the Inhabitants
| of this county, who have constantly eX-
| pressed to the commanding general their
| appreciation of the good conduct of the
| soldiers. 1t is a pleasure to feel that we
| leave behind us here nothing but pleasant
| recollections of our encampment and ma
| neuvers
| THE commanding general desires to
| thank all troops for their hearty, cordial
4
and their general regard for the good
| reputation of the government and their
| states, and to express to the officers of the
| various staff departments his acknowledg-
| ment of the efficient services rendered by
| them without exception and at all times
Many Distinguished Guests.
| A large party of distinguished guests
| is being entertained at headquarters to-
] day Gen. Chaffee came down from Wash.
| lngton TO attend the review and took lunch
| with Gen. Corbin. The governors of Geor-
/ gia, West Virginia, Maryland and Massa.
! chusetts and the lieutenant governor of Vir-
| ginia are also present today. The four gov
| ernors were here yesterday and one or two
| of them hav, been here several days. Gen
! Joseph Wheeler WAS a guest at headquar-
| tiers yesterday. Gen, Wheeler came down &c
| watch the maneuvers for the day only and
| was an interested spectator He was not q
| member of the confederate army under
| Beauregard at the time of the first battle OF
| Bull Run. but he has been a close student
| of all the battles OF the civil war and dur
! ing the course of the fighting yesterday
IL Ixt1 ~.