The Washington herald., 1909-05-03
OFFICERS TO FIGHT
OLD BATTLES AGAIN
Famous Conflicts of the Civil
War to Be Gone Over.
LONG TRIP OVER THE SCENES
Students at War College and STAFF
Officers Complete Preparations for
March from Fredericksburg to
Richmond VIII Refght Engage
ments Under Conditions Of To-day.

Final preparations for the annual staff
ride of the officers OF the War College
and General Stan have been completed.
Tomorrow the twenty-five student Of
hcers. accompanied by several members
Of the General staff. and under command
Of Lieut. Col. H. X. Evans. director Of
the college. viii join the escort and train
al Fredericksburg and viii begin their
ride over famous bsttlefeids Of the civil
war.
During the next thirty DAYS this little
body OF officers. representing the best
brains Of the American army. VIII pro-
reed from one battlefield 10 another. max
ing a detailed study Of the battle as It
actually took place, ard also as II would
be fought to-day uncer conditions OF
modern warfare.
Escort and Train Depart.
The escort and train 10 accompany the
student officers left Fort 8Iyer yesterday
morning under charge Of Maj Ebea
Smith. Of the General Staff. who is in
structor at the War College. MAI. p. z.
Straub. Of the medical department. viii
accompany the expedition as surgeon.
The escort and train consists Of thirty
five enlisted men detailed from the cav
airy and field artillery al Fort AIyer.
eight wagons. and about $50 horses Lieut.
William ". Overton. OF the Fifteenth
Cavalry, has direct command OF the es-
cort. which viii convey the officers bag
gage. camp equipment. and commissary
supplies, just as if an actual campaign
were in progress
The escort encamped al AccOtin6. Va.
last night. and probably viii reach a
point near HUmphreyvine before ending
the march to-day Tomorrow it viii be
met at Fredericksburg BY Lieut.. Col
Evans and his student officers.
The original intention was 10 have Brig
Gen William ". Wothersp0on take com
mand Of the expedition. but he viii De
detained in washington as acting Chief
Of Stan in place OF Mai Gen. Bell. who
accompanied the Secretary Of War 10
Panama. Gen Wotherspoon may meet
the party al Richmond before their re-
turn TO Washington
Work Begins at fredericksburg
Actual work Of the student officers viii
begin on the scene Of the Horror OF Fred
eTicksburs, where. in lSsz. the Union
forces. under Gen Burnside, made a
furious. costly. and unsuccessful attack
on the position OF the Confeders;es IN
der Lee
Lieut. Col Evans explained the plan n
study last night After the officers arrive
on the battlefield two OF their number.
who have been detailed beforehand in
time 10 make a complete study Of the
battle. one representing the Union and
the other the Confederate side. make a
statement Of the historic case pointing
out the positions Of each side and ex-
plainingF the course Of the battle. After
the historic battle is Thoroughly under
stood il is then handled as a problem" g"
and each officer IS required 70 make a
statement IS 10 how he believes the battle
could be fought az the present day. The
statement is written out IN the form Of
an order.
The drawing uD Of these orders under
the conditions assumed on the field OF
battle forms the chief work or the stan
ride The orders are always divided into
five parts. Great emphasis is laid upon
the necessity OF keeping these parts dis
tinCt and of making the entire order ab-
solutely clear The first part gives al
possible information about the enemy,
stating where he is reported, believed. or
known to be located The second part
gives the plans OF the commander: the
third. the instructions for the movement
Of troops; the fourth. the directions 70
the ammunition column and train. and
the fifth the location Of the commander
and how messages can be sent him.
Allow for Changed Conditions.
In drawing up their orders for these
imaginary conflicts on the OLD battle
fields. the officers take into account the
great difference between the arms Of To-
day and those used in the civil war The
artillery Of Grant and Lee had q range
OF about 60 yards and the rifles only
about 200 The field pieces used to-day
are effective up to FIVE miles. and the
Springfield rife carries three and q quar-
ter miles
After the orders are completed the off,
GERS assemble in conference. and each
order is read. criticised and frequently
picked TO pieces Debates on problems OF
tactics and strategy between these Off
GERS from all branches OF the service.
who have been selected by the War De-
partment as the brainiest officers OF the
army are sometimes spirited and always
instructive. The conferences are usually
held IN the afternoon or evening, after
the officers return 20 camp, and the dis