Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-21

able incident or the manoeuVreS was
the sham battle on Friday, which the
News and Courier's correspondent
described as follows:
For hours the forests In Chicka-
mauga Park rang as the blue and
the brown armies battled with each
other for the possession OF long
train of wagons and supplies. 1t was
a sham battle, but even sham battles
show to some extent the stuff OF
which men are made, and the South
Carolinians of the First regiment are
not different from their fathers who
did battle in awful earnestness on
this same field forty years ago. 1t
cannot be said that the blue army,
of which the First regiment formed
an important part, won the engage
ment, nor can 1t be said that the
victory was to the browns. The UNI
pires may have something to say
about the result next week, when
they discuss the manoeuvres With
the other commands that are to fol-
low those now in camp. 1t takes
bullets to settle questions worth war
ring about, and umpires, whether
they decide or not, are discount.
When the lines of the blues and
the browns came together about
skirmishes and smaller engagements,
the tactical problem had been COM
pleted. The position of the opposing
forces brought about theoretical
result. But" said General Bubb, In
discussing the battle, later In the day,
at knew these fellows would never be
satisfied unless. they had an oppor--
tunity to shoot some, so directed
that the engagement continue until
the lines came too near together,
even for blank cartridges. And when
they almost met we had q devil OF
time to stop them. Those fellows
would have gone to fighting with the
butts of the rifles had they reached
each other"
Gen. Bubb described this last
movement as purely spectacular. II
was. Their blood was stirred to fe-
yer heat by the terrific infantry fire,
the South Carolinians, at Col. Lewiss 6
command charged up the steep hill
| into the very teeth Of the brown
army. The men were yelling like
fiends and firing as they went. The
l.outposts Of the brown army had to
be drawn In and the blues became
frantic in their efforts to capture the
entire brown force. Rifles roared on
both sides, but there was not sign
of smoke, just the roar and yelling
of the South Carolinians. The UNI
pires dashed up and down, waving
their arms and shouting to the men
to cease firing. 1t was glorious
sight, and something the men OF the
First regiment had been wishing Ior
since the manoeuvres began.
| Technically the problem this
| morning was what Is known as q
/ Convoy" The blue army was sent
to Alexander's bridge. just at sun
rise, for the purpose Of conveying q
train of wagons into the valley OF the
Chattanooga, where the main army
was supposed to have been located
i The brown army was found TO DC
operating in the vicinity. 1t dis
covered the wagon train, and Its con-
voy, and Immediately began plan
ming the capture Of the train. Thai
was the object of the engagement.
One manoeuvre after another fol-
lowed, with more or less rife firing
for two or three hours. Artillery. on
both sides was brought into play
Meantime, the wagon train moved or
unmolested until within two miles OF
the objective point. Then the fight
ling began in earnest, and. last Of all
that particular charge, by the First
South Carolina, which closed the
battle.
The blue army failed to get IT:
train through. To that extent the
victory was with the browns. But
She brown army failed 10 capture
the train, and when the fighting was
called of there was a chance fol
Major Sickel, commanding the blues
to have moved his train out by an
other route, engaging the enemy
meanwhile. This was mere chance
Of course, but 1t would certainly
have been attempted in actual war
fare. No doubt the umpires, wher
they come to discuss the battle mex
week, will have great deal TO say
but to the layman 1t was a draw
neither side having accomplished
what 1t undertook.
| Col. Lewis was everywhere durint
| the engagement He was cool and
lcoilected, and manoeuvred his regi'
lment with the skill and discretion
of a regular officer. At the close
when the theoretical part of thu
thing was over and there was moth
4 ing left but the charge up the hill
then Col Lewis showed his blood
and yelled as enthusiastically as the
/ men,