Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-26
LIKE REAL BATTLE
ONH|STOR|C FIELD
District Troops at Gettysburg
Get Baptism of Fire in
Mimic Combat.
DECISION OF UMPIRES
DECISION OF UMPIRES
IN PLACE OF BULLETS
Regulars and Guardsmen in Gen.
Harries' Red Army.
TEST IS ONE OF STRATEGY
Deeds of Reckless Daring Not Per-
mitted by Rules of Game.
Issue Is in
Doubt.

Special From a Staff Correspondent.
HEADQUARTERS RED ARMY. neal
Gettysburg, July 26.-Commanding ar
army of the best fighting regulars iI
the world, to which are added all the
troops of the District National Guard
Brig Gen. George H. Harries is today
pitting his skill and experience as a
fighter. leader and a. tactical com
mander against an unknown enemy's
force on the slopes near the old town
of Gettysburg. 1t is the Red army that
is uphoIding the Districts honor. and
should the problem in warfare be solv-
ed favorably there will be rejoicing
throughout the camp of the District
brigade tonight Old soldiers who have
fought real fights will be telling theil
part in today's battle over and over
again There will be comparisons be-
tween this Gettysburg skirmishing and
the bamboo scrapping of the Philip
pines. Young soldiers, not yet in the
service full year, will be rubbing
tired legs with liniment and wonder
ing what it was all about.
Cavalry Clashed First.
This days fight is the great battle and
looks exactly like the real thing All day
long the troops have been ready and
Waiting for the first clash. which came
scout noon in a cavalry skirmish, when
the outposts Of the blues were discovered
t.,n. Harries army was advancing eau
t-,usly northward when he learned that
i.Is cavalry had bumped the enemy with
d, resounding thwack, and then the big
la hit vas on.
1t is a problem in attack only. as far
as the Red army is concerned. What
lac Blues are supposed to do no one on
this. the Red, side can tell. Their prob
lein may be to be attacked and beat a
etreat without loss, or it may be to re-
,eive the attack and repulse the Reds.
4 nat is not known as yet
Gen. Harries' troops are as follows
One-half of a troop of New Jersey caval-
~. one battery from the sd u. s. Field
Artillery and the 1st Battery of the
District OF Columbia, the 18th U. s.
mules laden with machine guns; a COM
pany OF engineers, part of the ambulance
company. and a detachment of the Signal
Corps. and last, but by no means least.
the Districts own 1st and Cd Infantry and
the LIST Separate Battalion go to swell
the hShting strength of the Reds.
Looked Over the Ground.
Early this morning the staff and
regimental officers rode out over the
country to get a good look at every
ridge and valley 81 which artillery
could be planted or behind which a
solid regiment could be hidden The
roads were watched carefully, and
every bit of information that could
be of use was carefully stored up
against the time when the enemy S
iieds' infantry fire.
The Red army marched away from
camp an hour before noon. every man
with full haversack. ready to drop
uown TO eat hasty lunch when the
opportunity presented itself. The yell
iow-corded Jersey cavalry was sent out
away ahead of the army; the 10Th
formed All advance guard after the
manner of regulars and scanned every
inch of ground that IL covered in it's
well spread formation. The 10Th was
ordered, after the first cavalry clash,
TO deploy on the enemy's reserve The
cavalry kept the enemy busy and de-
iayed any progress it might have made.
Position of District Troops.
The 1st District of Columbia Infantry
was swung sharply from the column
when the first shots cracked through the
woods ahead, and stretched itself out in a
thin brown line of fighting men to the
right of the 10Th Infantry. Simultane-
ously the I'd District of Columbia began
TO get busy. A mounted orderly came
laundering down the road with field
dispatch In his hand. hunting Col. Simms
When the message was read, Col. Simms
turned sharply to the left across fences
and hedges, forming line similar to the
lst District of Columbia on the other
wing, but putting only two battalions OF
his regiment in fighting position. The
, I'd Battalion lay in waiting resting until
the time came for il to rush forward tc
help the men the lighting line. De-
ploying lin the rear of the right flank, &c
ward of any chance of surprise from the
Blues in that direction, the lst Separate
Battalion was left in that position with
instructions to keep the enemy bus,
should he appear on that end.
Meanwhile Capt. G. j. Fox with hi.
lieutenant. j. Harry Shannon: and eighty
nine artiilcrymen Numbered down
road filled with dust, found splendid
position for the guns, and, unlimberint
the pieces. began to throw shells into tn,
enemy's front.
Issue With the Umpires.
What the outcome will be cannot b,
ascertained until the umpires get to
sether. The sight is one of real war
though. Every hedge row and fence i.
concealing rife. and the sharp cracl
of the firing at will is drowned only by
the incessant nerve-racking, awful clat
ter of the machine guns of the 18th. TIL,
enemys artillery is doing its best to dis
mount Foxs guns, and at one stage o.
the movement would have done SO hat
not Lieut.. Shannon advised a feintin,
movement To the left, which disturbed tn,
enemys range.
In everything possible 1t is war Th,
Signal Corps Is n instant danger of bein,
captured. and Its messages are legitimat,
prey for the enemy IL they can be inter
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