Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-17


lay of the land. At points of Importance
the car would halt and send forth its
bicyclists on all sides like bees from a
hive.
Tented in Driving Rain.
The Blue army tented last night in a
driving, penetrating. marrow-chilling east
erly rainstorm. The wet penetrated every
thing penetrable, from blankets to bread
boxes, and gave things the air of the
real campaigning to an uncomfortably
accurate degree. The only comfort for
the Blue army; shivering and sneezing
In it's tents, was the thought that 1t was
the Reds move, and they. as the at
Bostors defenders.
The rain started in shortly after mid
night with a strong, raw east wind from
of the coast. The rain fell from then on
until morning as 1t can fall only on the
east coast of New England within call of
the Atlantic. The remnants of the even
ing campfires were soon put out by the
Kissing raindrops. and the camp started
in for a soggy time of it.
During the night the outpostS of the
I'd, fung out beyond Taunton, captured
three Red infantrymen, but could not
learn from them whether the Red forces
had moved in any considerable NUMBERS
to the west of Taunton. The country De-
yond Taunton is important territory. as
the Reds must move through 1t to per-
form any f1anking movement around the
Blues exposed right flank.
Right Wing Advances.
The advance of the Blue right wing
the feature of the defense for the past
twenty-four hours, Is in the face OF an
enemy half as strong again,a bold move.
ont hotiof
that his raid on fife bridges of the lower
Taunton river Sunday morning has left
the river impossible and hemmed the in
vaders in within the territory west OF
the Taunton river and directly south OF
the Blue lines.
The two main bridges below Taunton
have been technically blown up by
means of large decorating caps produc-
ing asvillainous noise and poster past
ed on the bridge in question solemnly
testifying that the bridge has been tech
nically blown to smithereens.
None of the territory northwest OF
Taunton, where the river ceases to be a
barrier, is covered with Blue scouts and
outposts. Cavalrymen of Troops Il ano
C of the 1st Squadron have pushed as
far as Eagle Mills. west of Taunton, and
they have not met with the enemy. AS
the game stands, therefore. the recon
noitering done by the Blues SO far has
been barren of results
Gov. Diapers Hasty Retreat.
Gov. Draper of Massachusetts is now
in camp at division headquarters with
Gen. Pew He has been an interesting
spectator of the accommodating and out
post work during the past twenty-fout
hours and is still laughing over the eX-
periences of yesterday, when he nearly
came in for a role of something more
than spectator. Gov. Draper says that
he did not really run away with his staff
from the Red cavalry scouts, but did re-
tire rather rapidly on catching distant
glimpse c. the Reds TO avoid possible
wrangie as to whether or not he might
have been technically captured
| As a matter of fact the governor is
immune from all hostile demonstrations
but he was not at all sure that the for
eign troops of Connecticut and New York
would understand IL that way. Gov
Draper says that he was responsible not
only for yesterdays rumors of his cap
in the center. AS he went on his way
back toward the Blue outposts he was
followed by about half a troop of Red
cavalry.
Il don't know whether they were
after me-" said Gov. Draper. but they
were certainly coming our way and
coming fast. and suspecting that 40
communicative chief of the Theoretical
defenders of Boston ! might be looked
upon as a prisoner. retired
Sixth to the Rescue.
Gov. Draper was glad to find a bat
TALON of the 9th Massachusetts, on out
post duty. The Blue Battalion was
lined up behind a railroad embankment
with not so much a felt hat show
Ing. Its rifles We're in readiness,
charged with six rounds OF deadly
blanks. Nearer galloped the Red
troop. A Blue officer spying them from
behind a tree let them come on.
He waited until horses and men were
within hundred yards of the Blues
muzzle. Now the order to fire rang out
and six volleys cracked after it. Ter
rible havoc OF theoretical kind was
wrought upon the Reds saddles, eleven
/, of which the nearest umpire informed
the governor had been emptied. The
peculiar number hit upon by the um-
pire is accounted for by the fact that
twenty-five rash cavalrymen composed
the Inflated pursuing party. and half
of them were ruled dead or disable
The Governor of Massachusetts was
nightly pleased with his taste of the
| firing line, and congratulated the ba.-
talon on its nifty work He was
still chuckling about the incident.