The Minneapolis journal., 1905-10-15
ATTACKED AS In
ACTUAL WARFARE.
sFIELD ARTILLERY LEARNED VAL
UABLE LESSONS AT SPARTA.
Night Target Practice Gave Gunners
& Practical Demonstration Of Tactical
Theories and Was Of Great Benefit
| Arrangements for Feeding Horses
in the Field Found to Be Unsatis-
4 factory.

Officers of the battalion of field ar
,tillery stationed at Fort Smelling regard
the recent maneuyers and target prac-
tice at Sparta, Wis, from which place
the battalion has Just returned, as of
ton 'of the tactical & a instruction ais, given
the men in garrison. One Of the most
valuable features was the night-target
practice, which was SO successful that
the position assumed forsthe enemy was
riddled with shrapnel2 balls:
For this practice it was assumed that
an enemy was approaching, who had
made contact with the forces just be-
artillery duel had occurred, leaving the
enemy intrenched in a position favor
able for firing upon the troops next
morning, from which it was desirable
| to dislodge him before his fire could
be made effective. Accordingly, the
batteries were thereupon assumed to
represent the defensive force, instead of
the enemy, and galloped to the posi-
io o. sns1r IRON Wnasa
upon their former position, now as
sumed to be that Of the enemy.
Their target practice was conducted
thruout on the same principle of
assuming war conditions, as nearly as
i possible and Of maneuvering always
! the batteries assume the part Of sup,
{. porting artillery, first for one side, then
j for the other, taking the respective
q l.positions on the opposite side of the
4 valley that would have been assumed
I In actual operations by real forces in
i, time Of war, a grim reality was given te
8 the practice which stimulated officers
i and men to do their best, and which &C
y counts for the excellent records made.
Tho most not al b1a that,
march was their stop for one day at ths
;, iii1te rstate fair AT La 4 Crosse Wis whicl
Twas made upon the request of Congress
Imam j. j. Esch, a member Of the mil
Eitary committee, who is very much in
D 13tere ested in military matters as well a
z railway rates. The battalion gave /!
- Madison Square Garden exhibition drill
8 and each separate battery also put up
i, special drill, all Of which were watche,
z by Mr.. Eseh with great interest.
= Horses Have Sand Collie.
e One result of the trip of these bat
teries is the conclusion that the pres
:, ent arrangements for feeding horses i
Il i the field are far from satisfactory. I
:, : considerable number Of horses wer
4 4 much annoyed with "sand coico dul
y y ing the encampment at Sparta; an
return retu Trip % ONE Of fis them ap Became M -
+ / weak that ii, had to be left behind a
: :, farmhouse. The veterinary egave
: a stimulant, and in half an hour it wa
- able to- walk slowly on to La Cross
a from which point It was shipped bae
sto Fort Smelling by train. Several otl
"A er horses were SO much weakened b
diafrhoea, resulting from the sand coli
lthat they required constant care fro
m, the veterinary in order to pull thel
thru the trip. :e.Z
These results are even more impor
ST ant than the other lessons Of this tril
IS a battery Of field artillery is just {
y good as it's horses, and no better. It
t. no good when its horses are. worn Out
~ indeed, it then becomes positive detr
y, ment to it's command, since it must /
* abandoned. or the command must wa
te for more horses. Consequently, tt
@ ing ing care Of its horses in a sandy countl
y: in the field are not altogether @satisfa
" tory is a valuable new fact, worth a
IL the time expended in finding it out.