The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-27

Yesterday was the elimination of the
series of tactical problems that has been
worked out this fall at Fort Smelling.
The personal staff and department staff
of the department commander, General
c. c.. C. Carr, and the two members
Of congress from this vicinity, with
many other visitors, saw the problem
worked out by two of the cleverest tao
ticians in the army. $3.50, .,.. ...5
The operations in all of these prob
lens are as near to actual warfare as 1T
is possible to get without the use of .
lem, in which Major Allen commanded
the Blues and Major. Ballard the
Browns, involved the Blue attack of the ,
Browns, successive positions, and the .
Delay of the Blues advance as long as
possible by the Browns.
Major Allen began the attack from
the target, butts on the new rifle range. /
He made an ostentatious attack against |
the Brown right, over open ground, with
his left wing, while the right of the
Blues sneaked along the bluff on the
Minnesota river to get on the flank OF
the Browns. The movement was sue
cessful; but at considerable cost to the
Blue left. The Browns had skilfully
concealed battery of artillery in the
brush west of the new cemetery, with
which they had been able to enflade
portion of the Blue left. Half this Blue
pire, Captain John Fl. Parker, and the
rest sent back 500 yards.
. Seeing that both his TANKS were
threatened, especially his right, Major
Billiard pivoted his rearward movement
upon his own right flank, withdrawing
by eehelon from the left This left his
right flank to bear the brunt of de-
termined attack made upon it by the
battalion of Blues, commanded at this
point by Lieutenant Price, but who en-
eountered a most stubborn Brown re-
Sistance at the hands of Lieutenant
Greer, with single company. This
company. concealed itself in a little
ravine so well that it caught the Blue
left wing with sharp volley, causing
heavy loss a second time.
Billiard now made a new stand upon
the old target butt. hill, north of the
butt, and his left on old reservoir hill,
with two of his guns at each position.
He also put one company in a cut in the
old abandoned Minnehaha road, guard
ing the center. $ ss..
Meantime, Major Allen, crowded for
which to assault the old target butt,
holding the fringe of timber from the
new magazine west to the, boundary. At
the same time he advanced his ARTILLERY
along the road thru the fort, to posi-.
ton near the cavalry stables. During
this advance the Browns caught him by
the dust raised by his artillery while
in rapid motion, and he suffered light
artillery loss from few well directed
shells. Having seized this artillery DO.
sition, he now pushed his right, flank
Forward under the bluff. this time of the
EMissfssippi, on 7his favorite turning
movement against the left flank Of the
enemy, whom he forced by this shrewC
: maDeuver, out of their strong position
on old reservoir hill, back on Mime
haha.
= It was certain that the end of the
problem showed Major Allen in posses
sion of the strategic position of ole
reservoir hill from which it was only
matter of time ard patience to driv,
the Browns off the reservation. thu
j there were still several hard nuts tt
60 crack.
There is one more problem to b.
solved, which will close the maneuve
instruction of this season.
: Colonel W. L. Pitcher, Twenty eight
infantry, was highly interested spec
tator of yesterdays maneuvers. Col
onel Pitcher commanded the force tina
cleaned up the island of Mindoro, in tn
Philippines. He expressed himself a
=. very highly pleased with the work, say
ing that it was the finest instruction
he has ever seen at any post in nearl
forty years. service.