Omaha daily bee., 1909-08-17
Contending Forces Confront Each
Other North of New Bedford.
sKRM1SHEs DURING THE DAY
Ten Cavalry Men and Six Infantry
Men Killed in Outpost Fight
FORTY BLUE SCOUTS CAPTU
These Are Later Retaken and w
Them Two RedE-GeneraI Pew
Files Protest with
Umpire.

BOSTON, Mass Aug. 16-The field of
the war game now being played in south |
eastern Massachusetts became considerably |
enlarged tonight. when It was announced |
that a theoretical fleet Of battleships and
smaller war craft was on its way to assist
the invading army of the red by series
Of night attacks on the Boston harbor de-
fenses. The harbor forts today received re- |
inforcements when the transport Sumner
brought six companies of coast artillery
from New York, a total of 71O men. The
newcomers were distributed among Forts
Heath Banks. Andrews Warren and
Strong, and tonight each of the strongholds
was fully manned to resist an attack by
the fleet Of the enemy. The fleet will
consist Of transports, tugs and mine plant
ers, numbering fourteen In ALL and each
designated either a battleshp, cruiser or
torpedo boat. They will carry six FOUNDER
guns and small arms instead of the big
guns Of the real warships, and the fire
Of the guns of the forts will be entirely
sub-calibre. This sea war game will be
umplred by Colonel Cronkite, who is in
general charge of the naval maneuvers,
and by Major A. NJ. Hunter of Governors
island N. Y.
Armies i'm Close Touch.
ROCK STATION. Mass. Aug. 16-For
the first time since the beginning Of the
war game between the army of the red
and the army Of the blue, the two forces
tonight were in very close touch with each
other. general engagement seems not
improbable tomorrow.
The situation follows a day which proved
eventful as deciding on which sides of the
group lakes north Of New Bedford Gen
eral Tasker H. Bliss, commanding the red
army, would make his advance. While he
sent the Tenth cavalry and the Fourteenth
New York infantry towards Myricks Sta
tlon on the extreme west. this movement
was only q feint and tho real advance was
along the eastern end OF the line. Tonight
the headquarters of the commander-in-
chief are about four miles southeast of
Middleboro. a most strategic position.
Plans of General Bliss.
In this position General Bliss is so situ-
ated that he still may have chance to
move his army quickly around Assawont-
sett lake, past Watch Hill, and then swing
his full strength against General William
a. Pew's blue forces on the latter's right
wing or he might even attempt to turn
the right in upon itself. Observers here
however, wene inclined to think tonight,
that such q move would be less polite
than a quick swing around to the left
OF the blue army, so to force a path
for the invaders between Middleboro and
Plypton. That would mean an attempt to
turn the left wing and would afford the
advantage OF more territory for maneuver-
ing, plenty OF fairly good main and cross
roads and what is theoretically an exceed
ingly strong consideration, would give the
red army an opportunity to work around
to the west IL 1t found itself in a danger
Gus position.
Reds Advance Seven Miles.
The advance Of the red army during the
day was over a distance OF about seven
miles for the main body, although some
Of the troops had a much longer hike"
than that, notably the Fourteenth New
York regiment which went with the Tenth
cavalry to the west side Of the lakes
Some OF the men OF the Fourteenth COW
cred about fifteen miles during the day,
which, added to . ten-mile march yester-
day, made them a tired lot of infantrymen
t0niEht
As a result OF the forward movement.
most OF the forces of General Bliss are
concentrated around Rock Station and
Middleboro, which was occupied this after
noon. Just before the close Of the period
at l o'clock General Bliss drew back the
Fourteenth New York and the Tenth cav
airy through East Freetown the scene of
the Sunday night encampment of the main
body and hurriedly marched them around
Lakeside park where they are encamped
tonight The Fourteenth New York which
In the morning constituted the advance
guard OF the left wing, is now in the
rear guard OF the red army and is sepa-
rated some distance from the main body.
In the forward movement the scouts of
the two armies had several brief encoun-
ters in the vicinity of Middleboro in the
half hour preceding the close of the day s
maneuvers.
sixteen Men Killed.
There was a conflict between a mixed
patrol OF cavalrymen from squadron A OF
New York and the Essex troop OF New
Jersey, and a detachment of District OF
Columbia bicycle scouts. representing the
invaders and a portion OF the Eighth
Massachusetts infantry on outpost duty
for the defense. This resulted in the
killing OF ten csvalrymen and six in
fsntrymen, according to the umpire. II
was merely a skirmish and at its close
the two scouting parties fell back &c
their supporting bodies.
Just TO the north of this point six blue
scouts were captured by a cavalry ad
vance a mixed patrol made up OF mem
bers OF several commands Without know
ing It this mixed patrol was within a
's1sVery short distance OF strong force OF
Y due infantry which was marching toward
Middleboro, II was said by one OF the
umpires tonight that had the red cavalry.
men been sufficiently alert they could
have located this body OF blue infantry
and could have sent an orderly back tC
the main cavalry body. about a mile IN
the rear and strong force would have
been hurried around by way Of the green
to cut OFF the blues. a very important
capture
Before they were ordered TO fall bach