The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-05-13
THE. THIRD BULL RUN.
Historic Ground Choaen for the Man.
oeuvers of the Army.
s0UTH 0ARoLINAwI BETHERE
Twenty-Five Thousand Regulars and
State Troops Will Take Part In
Fortnight's Operations. a
9 Shame Battle.

COrCnlSnG'S Operations. a
gd Shame Battle.
Major General Corbin win fight the
third battle of Bull Run. The gen.
eral staff of the army is now engaged
upon improving the strategy of Gen.
eral "Stonewall" Jackson in what is
regarded by military strategists as the
most mastery campaign OF the civil
war.
From Portland, Me-, which never
came nearer to war than seeing in the
offing Spanish fleets which never ex-
listed, the army manoeuvers will be
transferred this year to Manassas,
Va, which still bears the marks Of
the heavy blows dealt by blue and
gray forty-two years ago,
f'or the first time an opportunity
will be afforded for effective compari-
sons between the old army which
fought and the new army which is
being trained to fight. Can the mod
ern armament and the methods of
transportation which have developed
forty years from the days when Pope
and Lee raced from their respective
bases to the battle ground change the
result of their manoeuverS? Twenty
two Thousand modern soldiers will be
used to test the prowess of the ancient
armies OF the rebellion and prove
what would have happened had the
commanders whose names made his
tory possessed krag- -JorgenSen rifles,
rnrft Il L.,
field gun.
1t is probable that no field of any
Of the great Southern conflicts could
have been selected which mas suffered
SO little change as the low-lying land
in the Valley of Northern Virginia
between Thoroughfare Gap and the
Potomac.
There have been few alterations in
the general make up and characteris-
tics OF Manassas since the rear guard
of General Popc's army fell back tu
Washington. Railroad lines and roads
which afforded the old combatantS
their only methods Of transportation
other than that afforded by the coun-
try roads have not changed. The lines
shown upon the map Of 1862 are still
unchanged, except that upon what
was the left flank of the Northern
army there has been constructed a
road between Alexander and Freder-
icksburg, and a line across what was
the base of the Southern army from
Fredericksburg to Charlottesville
These latter lines would so materially
have affected the operations of the
civil war that it is probable, if the
general staff follows its plan of repro
ducing the campaign of 1862, they
will be barred by the umpire.
Eighteen thousand regular army
troops and four thousand militiamen
from various Eastern states will par.
ticipate in the operations, which will
continue from September 5 TO 20.
This is the largest body of regulars
and militia gathered for manoeuvrcs
In the history Of the United States
The fieldr of Bull Run, Bristow Sta.
tion, Milford and Manassas Junction
will again be trod by armed soldiers.
The same strategic points which play
ed sucn Il vital part III the contest of
military science waged between Gen
eral John Pope, the Federal leader,
and General Robert Il. Lee, Confedcr-
ale, stand the same today as in 1862.
Major General Henry G. Corbin,
commanding the division Of the At,
lantic, will be in supreme command
Lieutant General Adna r. Chalfee,
chief of staff, whose actual fighting
service in Cuba, the Philippines and
China in the last few years is fresh in
mind, will observe the manoeuvres,
military attaches Of foreign govern
mentS will witness the cvolutions.
Convenient as the scene OF fighting
will be to Washington and Baltimore,
and even Philadelphia and New York,
thousands Of onlookers are expected
to find their way thithcr Already
inquiries that pour in upon the war
department show that many an old
veteran who fought in the cam
paign Of August, 1862, intends to see
how the soldiers Of today will handle
themselves on the lighting ground.
To this day wherever the veterans
Of the campaign of the great rebellion
gather stories as to red Virginia
mud" have prominent place. 1t is
declared there is no 'stickier' mud in
the world and no time when it is
"stickier" than the last rainy harvest
months.
The campaign of 1863 WAS fought
for the most part by veterans OF at
least years standing. There were
four regiments from in or near the city
of New York in that campaign. but
they had had time TO learn Lhe differ
sence between the paycmcntS OF the
,island OF Manhattan and the shifting
'siuSA in the wake of Il Virginia rain
esSoEp. 1t is considered highly proba-
,ble NY army officers that the rcp- |
>Ihents from the state Of New York SO
foEUnate as to Dc allowed tie oppor-
tuhHY> to attend these manocuvres
,Wilbbe apt to encounter some incon-
\Senience before they equal the record
OF Gesetal Stoncwall Jackson when he
fought two armies in the same day
1beyond 'Thoroughfare Gap at points
hfteen Vhnles OF red clay apart ana
>Yolf, ,theStrategy OF the game OF 1862.
:, NCe. operation OF militia with regular
troops, which forms the basic princi-
pie lQ6 the national scheme Of defense,
1YDo be Afforded thorough operation