Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-16
BUT NINE MILES OFF
District Brigade Is Close to
the Enemy.
MEN UP BEFORE DAYLIGHT
Are on the Alert for Orders to Ad-
vance.
OH. THAT 15-MILE HIKE!
Footsore and Weary, the Boys Reach
Long Pond and Make
Their Camp.
III, THAT 15-MILE HIKE
Special From STAFF Correspondent

Special From p STAFF Correspondent.
ROCK. Mass August 16--The District
Of Columbia troops passed through this
town which is seven miles south nf
,JiddIeboro AZ 30 O'Clock this after
noon. They are on the advance against
Boston Tie Blue forces have not yet
been sighted.
The District g,ardsmen will camp near
here tonight All are well.
WHITE FARM. Mass. August 1s.-The
LIST Brigade of the Red army, composed
of the District of Columbia troops. en-
camped last night al East Freetown,
about twelve miles north of New Bed
ford and is resting under arms this
morning, prepared 10 march at mo-
ment's notice, as soon as orders re-
ceiyed from division headquarters.
The entire command has been up since
before daylight. Late last night, as no
orders had been received from division
headquarters Gen. Harries ordered the
1st Brigade To be ready to march at D
O'Clock this morning. which is the hour
when hostilities commence each day. At
2 o'clock this morning members of the
LIST Battery were awakened and the COM
mand prepared to take the road. The
horses were harnessed by lantern light.
The infantry regiments were assembled
at O'Clock, their wagons were packed
before light, and by ;, O'Clock the entire
LIST Brigade was under arms, ready to
move.
Part of the Blue army has been To-
Gated at Middlehoro about nine miles
north of the position of the 1Si Brigade
which is on the right flank of the Red
forces This morning the enemy's posi-
on was developed by the cavalry and
bicyclists.
The men are all interested. are taking
the war game seriously. and are wait
ing mpatiently for orders to advance
The LIST Battalion. 1st Infantry. under
Maj. McCathran, has been detailed as
advance guard of the 1st Brigade for
today. Col Harvey is brigade officer of
the day. and Capt. Alvin D. Hathaway
officer of the guard
Boston Forty Miles Away.
The position now occupied by the Dis
trict troops is about forty miles from
Boston where the Red army hopes to be
within the next three four days. The
camp site is a delightful one, located
on the south shore of Long pond. lake
about three miles long. Communication
with division headquarters has been es
tablished by telephone by Signal Corps
and field telegraph and telephone wires
are seen running in all directions. This
morning Maj. Edward F. Riggs, ord
nance department, distributed 5000
rounds of blank ammunition to the in
fantry troops. Revolver ammunition was
given to the officers and troops armed
with the pistol.
The men are carrying the ammunition
In their belts and with emergency
ration In their haversacks they have food
and ammunition enough to go a consid
cradle distance independent of their army
trains.
Mai Neumeyer, head of the commits
sary department, assisted by Capt. Neu-
meyer. commissary has seen to 1t that
the District troops are fed well as. if not
better than. any in the field. The first
ration of fresh beef was issued last even
ing, and Maj. Neumeyer gave the COM
missary officers careful instructions how
to make the most of the first issue of
fresh meat. The troops do not get any
bread, and prospects that bareback
will be served in place of it the rest of
the week.
A Real Hike, This.
The train of the LIST Brigade consists of
twenty-four wagons each under a detail
of the organization to which the supplies
belong. The District troops had their
first real hike yesterday and it was one
which the men will not forget for long
time. From $50 o'clock in the morning
till nearly ) O'Clock in the afternoon the
men marched along the road without
quite hot. and as there has been rain
for long time some of the roads are
very dusty.
For miles the District corps marched
yesterday through dust so thick that it
was often impossible to the men
three or four files ahead. The column
moved fifteen miles. and very few of the
men fell out of ranks-only twelve in the
I'd Infantry, which headed the line. and
about an equal number in the list In
fantry, which brought up the rear.
The I'd Battalion, LIST Infantry. under
command of Maj. Hodgson, which had
been doing outpost duty all night, march
ed with the rest just if they had been
resting all night. The troops are all we'll
after the march. although there were a
few with blistered feet These men were
inspected by the surgeons this morning
On the march yesterday some of the
removed their shoes and walked
along in their stocking feet
Men Are Merry.
Col Richard d. Simms commanding the
I'd Infantry was enthusiastic in praise of
his men this morning because none of
them asked 10 be detailed with the train
guard. During the march yesterday the
1st Battalion of the I'd Infantry, under
command of Maj. Anton Stephan. the
advance guard, and the men pushed ahead
all day despite the heat and dust.
The men grumbled some the march,
as soldiers generally do, but when the
camp was reached the men gave cheer
and set TO work with vim to pitch their
tents. Within an hour from the time the
advance guard arrived the field was lit
orally covered with shelter tents, ar
ranged in parallel lines and with the
picket lines for the horses. The field force
of the 1st Battery was set UP and three
horseshoers set TO work at once lacking
loose shoes. Several hundred people in
autos. carriages and on foot watched the
District troops from their camp and
many were heard TO compliment the men
on the business-like manner in which the
work was done
After mess was served the men visited
the park on Long pond and enjoyed them
selves during the evening. AS they We're
tired after the long march they volun-
tarily returned to camp early.
A Bit Sleepy, But
The nights here quite cool. and
many of the men We're shiverint they
crawled out of their shelter tents before
o'clock into the morning air. but sthey
had So much to- do TO get ready to march
that they were soon warm and thoroughly
awakened. A few of the more sleepy
soldiers tried TO steal a few minutes
more sleep after the order came TO get