The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-07
ALABAMA IN SHAM BATTLE Camp Taft is Nearing
 the End. GOOD SHOW BY SOLDIERS Montgomery Men Will Be Home
 Saturday. Pay Day Brinss sss.ooo to the Camp Ground--Tents Are Struck
 snd Companies Ready
 to Leave.
GOOD SHOW BY SOLDIERS

 5000 men comprising the Blue and Brown armies met on the Chtckamauga battlefield this morning and were not ly engaged for two hours when they were withdrawn to the camp.
 A dozen captains of the United states army and State troops acted in the cs- pacity of umpires and passed judgment on the men and officers engaged.
 Led by Colonel c. R. Bricken the End Alabama Regiment marched from the camp to Alexander's Bridge. distance by the route taken, of about four and a half miles. Colonel aBricken carried his right arm In a sling but could not be persuaded to leave the fieid of bat tie. After the men swept away from the main road, the band which jour neyed that far struck up the strains of Dixie" and with a yell the men quickened their pace and advanced to the bridge where they were supposed to begin their campaign of the morn- ing.
 Arriving at AIexander's Bridge which was the scene of one of the hot test engaEements of the civil war, the cavalry and artillery from the regu- lars and six companies from the Srd Alabama, which was attached to the army of the blues, having preceded the blues to the bridge. At the same time as the blue army, which was marching to Alexander's Bridge, the brown army composed of the list Regiment and six companies from the 3rd, augmented by detachment from the regular army similar to that of the blue army, left camp ana marched to Fort 0glethorpe.
 Blues and Browns Engaged.
 At 8 o'clock both armies began their movement The blues left the bridge and proceeded for the high ground two miles away. The brown army made for the same point and was first in po- sition. After proceeding about two miles the scouts of the blue army dis covered the brown men and the en- gagement was on, The artillery of the brown army was quickly in position and shelled the opposition. whfle the blues formed a line of battle and sn-. gagged tho brown army.
 The End Regiment was held in re- serve by General Graves and when Colonel Bricken was finally given inc order to advance, Major Dickey of the nrst battalion was sent to the extreme left of the line with Major Seals of the third battalion to his right
 The second commend, under Major Baber, was still held in reserve and when Colonel Graves arrived from the front for reinf0rcements Company, A. of Montgomery, under Captain Jackson. and Company B, of Birmingham, under Captain Smith, were rushed to tha front and the prettiest movement of the battle was pulled off by Captain Jackson when he switched his company to the flank of a battalion of regular army in1antFymen. The Browns were so strong that Captain Jackson and Captain Smith were ordered back ai- though achievements at that time would have made further fighting un- necessary.
 The umpire who judged the move ment told Colonel Graves that the movement was most effective and the prettlest thing possible to see on a bat tlefeld.
 A company had practically sacrificed itself, but in an actual engagement their movenent would have shattered the attack of the opposing side
 Captain Weiss. of the Blues sup ported Captain crenshaw of the An dalusia Company after a determined fight at the roadside, turned the flank of battalion of the Brown Army and forced them to run. Every man in the battalion would practically have been taken a prisoner. Shortly after this movement the battle was termi- mated.
 Blues Get the Decision.
 The umpires did not give any de-> cision but 1t was gathered from their conversation that the Blue Army had made the best showing.
 The men arrived back in camp short iv after 12 o'clock very much tired. but feeling good over their showing in the engagement.
 Al one time during the battle the firing line of the two armies was not more than fifty yards apart.
 The battle this morning ends the nanAuvers and some time tomorrow the men will break camp and return to their homes. It has been definitely decided to put the Montgomery men at home some time Saturday morning early.
 The camp has proved to be a valua- ble thing for the officers of the Ala bama National Guard. Umpires Burt and Murphy have been of much ser vice to the men. Captain Burt is very popular with the men of the End as he has taken greater interest in the work of the Montgomery companies than of the other umpires His system of in- struction has been very effectual and his suggestions and theories have been very popular.
 This was pay day in the camp and s23,O0O was distributed among the men from Alabama.
 The soldiers put in two miserable nights becauss of the rain and several of them went on the hike this morning wearing wet clothes. Despite this the health of the camp has been most re- markable. The sanitary work has been in charge of Lieutenant Locke of the Greys, who has been highly com plimented on his showing.
 The men are, sleeping tonight in dog tents, camp being struck during the afternoon.
 Private Joseph Swain of company E, or the Gulf City Guards 1st Alabama Regiment, of Mobile, was painfully but not seriously injured during the pre- liminary sham battle today. Another member of his company behind him shot him in the right shoulder with a paper wad from one of the blank cart ridges. He was moved to the field hos pitaI and the wad was extracted,
 TR0UP ISSUES CALL.