New-York tribune., 1904-09-07
CAMPED ON THE FIELD.
READY FOR FIGHT TO-DAY
Grant Loses FiUe Companies on
First Day of Ball Run.
lar rELEGRAPH TO rHE TnIprxE.


Corps Headquarters Gainesville. Va. Sept g.
The troops of the Brown and Blue armies
bivouacked tonight ready for renewal of the
war game at any minute after midnight The
quartermasters had provided for this bivouac.
and il is counted upon TO contribute more Of
practical value to the participants than anything
else including the work OF the day over the
country roads and fields.
The solutions of the problems are OF interest.
but the conditions which governed to-day's
movements were SO impeded by rules and agree
ments between the commanding officers of the
opposing forces that the operations bore only a
remote likeness TO real war The various as
sumptions which are necessary are more or less
confusing and lead to some dispute OF the rela-
tive advantages enjoyed by one or the other
side. II is out OF order 10 employ civilian spies
or interfere with the telegraph lines. so that all
the opportunities OF actual warfare arc not
available. The chief value OF the exercises so
far has been in the study Of the detraining OF
troops. and their provision while In camp and
night in the selection OF camps and the build
ing of camp fires. which many of the militiamen
learned for the first time should be small rather
than large: the reserving OF strength and the
avoidance OF cold water and Of food other than
that issued 10 the troops.
At daylight to-day General Grant. command
ing the blue army, had established front across
the battlefield and pushed his line two-fifths of
the way 10 Thoroughfare The northern half OF
his line was solid mass OF infantry, the south
ern half was q patrol OF cavalry To meet the
attack General Bell. commanding the brown
army. established line OF battle sweeping in a
semi-circlo from Buckland on the southwestern
limits OF the field TO Woosey on the north. Buck
land is less than two miles from the western
limit OF operations and woolsey a little more
than that distance. General Bells centre was
the strongest part of his rine
General Bell advanced his line at least two
miles further east than the position he originally
took up. going little more than halfway to
meet the attacking party, and established an
extraordinarily strong line succession of
lines. bisectng the man9uvre zone. the right
resting about two and half miles north of
Gainesville and extending from that point due
north to the limit of the zone. The attacking
forces were Tnarshalled I'm front of this line on
the east. Between the two forces was stretch
Of about a mile of rolling country with woods
ard corn fields on either side.
General Grants advance was stopped about
10 o'clock Four companies of the 74th New.
York and one company Of the 9TH Infantry,
regular under Brgadier General Wint, com
manding the First Brigade of the blue army
were ruled out Of action for attempting 10 cross
the open space. They were subject to the con
centrated fire OF u long line Of the I'd Texas
Regiment. under General Lee. commanding the
First Brigade of the brown army.
After this brisk skirmish. which developed
such strength on the part of the brown army
General Grant swung the bulk of his infantry
and artillery TO the south in an effort to flank
General Bells line OF infantry on the right
General Bell. however learned OF the move
ments Of his adversary and rushed up his re-
serves TO the threatened point. The two forces
came in contact shortly after O'Clock. artillery
brought into play by the Brown army, and
rapid fire guns and rifles spoke on both sides
The battle had proceeded only a short time
when an order from the umplres was given 10
cease firing. Fifteen minutes allowed 10
each side to rectify its lines. At signal from
the chief umpire the action resumed. The
fighting became very hot, but before a decisive
point was reached the umpres stopped the
nghting for the day.
First Lieutenant Cornelius X. Vanderbilt of
the 18th New-York. was compelled to submit t0
medical treatment to-day account OF tho
heat. His condition is not regarded serious.