Evening star., 1909-08-18
ADVANCE OF THE INVADING FORCES

straits According to those familiar with
military tactics. there was only one
met hod of salvation. He could not hold
his ground from yesterday, prior to the
advance of the Red army. 1t was just
such situation as exists on the foot ball
field where an eleven is shut out and the
other goes down the field in series Of
compact formations. tearing and shatter-
ing its way through, and then, keeping
the same formation. forces its opposing
eleven back to its own goal line.
Gen. Pew's men were spread over
twenty-five miles of territory. Gen. Bliss
three brigades were gathered together
in radius of one mile. Gen. Bliss had
made the only proper move under the
circumstances, and Gen. Pew had been
guilty Of a tactical error. such as is COM
monty made by those who are not vet
Grams in the art of warfare.
Gen. Pew's One Chance.
Gen. Pew, who is a keen. alert man,
must have seen that he had been out
maneuvered, for, after the fighting at
Waterville and at Eddyville yesterday, he
began falling-back movement.
The only thing for him to do to save
the day. say the umpires, is to fall back
as rapidly as possible, covering his re-
treat with his artillery. retreating at the
best speed he could. gather his scattered
battalions within ten or fifteen miles of
Boston, consolidate them into COM
pact army, and offer battle on a narrow
front He must retreat, if he chooses to
retreat, in an open country where he
has no intrenchments to retire to and
fortifications to take refuge behind. Gen.
Pew was counted on to see his error and
fall back There was a chance that he
would fail to see it and continue the
sprea ad-eagle formation. which brought
disaster to him at Waterville and Ed
dyviIle. In that case he is lost. it is
sad
The movement yesterday could not be
dignif1ed as a general battle. Two bat
taf,ons of the Sth Ma ssachisetts held
Watervile, and then Gen. Bliss van
guard the Connecticut and District OF
Columbia troops. slipped in the wedge
as they came up the narrow dirt road
which led from the north a mile above
Rock station. Oislodged. the two bat
talions fell back on Eddyville, where part
of a third battalion OF the same regt.
ment the Sth Massachusetts, joined in
and there was a stiff. but unavailing re-
sistance offered Gen. Bliss forward body
The New York troops came into conflict
with this portion of battalion which
had reinforced the discounted other two
and the 10TH Cavalry assisted them
and a number of prisoners were taken.
Swimming Taunton River.
Probably the most interesting thing
which happened In yesterdays fighting
was the swimming of the Taunton river
by detachment of sixty men of the
Massachusetts cavalry. They had beer
ordered to make a maneuver in Gen
Bliss rear. In the pelting rain, wfthou,
precaution. they plunged i'm with all theil
clothes on. and then. after swimming
the river. marched thirty miles.
The Fife and Drum Corps of the 14ti
New York National Guard had an eXpe'
rience in camp, which members told with
laughter today of two men of the Sig,
nal Corps who had tied their steeds to q
wooden stake while they got their sup
per. The stake was planted in sOf,
ground, and while the horses were graz.
ing it was pulled forth and raped
them in the f1anks. They Immediately
ran away. At terrific speed they tore
through the 18th Regiment encampment
bearing down on the 10th with the stake
swinging between them. The Fife ano
Drum Corps quarters were directly in
their way. and the men were just setting
down to rest. They heard the thunder OF
the hoofs and saw the snOrting horses
bearing down on them. Without waiting
for further developments with one accord
they dived over stone wall i.to ar
empty lot. Sight of the line of disappear.
ing legs over the wall provoked the mirth
of the entire regiment.
he llOSl lHtcIeSllIlS Ol 1en- w OOu s Or
derlies is Capt. j. ]. Ryder of Buzzards
Bay, who was one Of Gen. Sherman's ole
scouts. ard was with him at Fredericks.
burg
Capt. Ryder, Veteran Scout.
Capt. Ryder. also Chaplain Ryder. is
sixty years old. but every day he
rides out to the front on the hurricane
deck of a horse in his blue G. A r.
uniform. and yesterday was present at
the taking of Waterville. Capt. Ryder
can do twenty or thirty mile hike, with
the best of them. Yesterday he was
easily the most picturesque figure OF all
the group of officers who sat drawn up
in front of the old white church at the
Waterville cross roads. as the rain
soaked 7th toiled up from the woods. All
the rest wore khaki but Capt. Ryder s
spotless blue looked very handsome
against the white of the little church.
The maneuvers of today may conclude
the campaign but If Gen. Pew's army
retreats 1t is likely that the main con-
flict will occur tomorrow or even the
next day. Gen. Bliss was most eager to
follow up his advantage this morning
and the watchword. was "On to Boston
when proceedings began at an early hour
in the morning.