The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-05-20
MILITARY INSPECTION At
St. THOMAS COLLEGE.
CADETS SHOW GREAT PROFICI-
ENCY IN MILITARY TACTICS.

ENVY i'm WILL An ~ lN0.
The annual military inspection of
the College of ST. Thomas began on
Thursday, May 18th. Captain Cootes,
18th Cavalry, U. S. A., who was de-
tailed by the War Department to in
spect the military colleges in the West,
devoted Thursday and the afternoon of
Friday to the work. On Thursday
morning the twelve companies of ca
dets with the band marched to the
drill ground and the days proceedings
commenced with a review. This was
followed by a searching scrutiny of the
arms and equipment issued to the col
lege by the Government. AS he went
down the long line Captain Cootes in
terrogated cadets here and there with
the purpose Of reporting on the mill
tary knowledge and training of the
corps. The friends of the institution
who were attracted by the prospect
of witnessing something more spec
tacular than an inspection of Gov
ernment property were not disap-
pointed in the rest of the mornings
program. Escort to the Color and a
regimental parade were followed with
much interest and evoked favorable
comment on all sides for the soldierly
manner in which they were performed.
A rifle drill executed to music was
especially pleasing. For this exercise
the students were garbed in white uni
forms, and the harmony of movement
as the hundreds of rifles flashed and
glanced in perfect rhythm called forth
many expressions of admiration. The
afternoon was devoted to company and
battalion drill in close and extended
order, a problem in small outpost,
regimental problem in advanced guard
The splendid bearing of the cadets and
the faultless manner in which the vari-
Gus maneuvers were carried out
evinced a remarkable degree of eff
ciency Archbishop Ireland honored
the occasion with his presence and fol-
lowed the drills with deep interest.
Sham Battle Won BY St. Thomas.
A unique feature of the inspection
|
afternoon between the College and
the University of Minnesota The en-
gagement took place on the Fort Shell
ing Reservation, and the issue was de-
cided by Major Farr and Lieutenants
Bailey, Reynolds and Jones, officers of
the Fifth Field Artillery stationed at
the Fort. Thousands of spectators
| ro wv hu
the pomp and panoply of the mimic
war, and were directed by soldiers of
the garrison to points of vantage where
they might follow the progress of the
battle from the moment when scatter
| ing shots of skirmishers in the woods
gave warning that the enemy was clos
ing in, until the sharp and steady fusil-
lade at the dramatic close of the fight
! To the St. Thomas companies fell the
task of defending an imaginary bridge
against the University forces. Owing
to the nature of the ground the mill
tary problem was of more than ordi-
nary interest. st. Thomas gained a
distinct advantage at the outset by
putting the artillery of the University
out of action and repulsing the COM
panies sent to support it, The dis
qualifying of the artillery necessitated
a change in the plans of the University
troops and forced them to make a
| frontal attack. Having to fight in the
open they had no chance of making
headWay against the withering fire
poured upon them from the st. Thomas
entertainments. One assault after an
other was made only to end in failure
| The judges unanimously decided that
st. Thomas had won the way. Among
the spectators, who with Captain
Cootess followed the varying fortunes
of the fight, were Doctor Vincent, Pres
ident of the University of Minnesota;
Major Butts, Commandant of Cadets
at the University; Major Rice, Com
mandant of Cadets at St Thomas, and
Lieutenant Cox, Commandant at Shat
tuck. More than twelve hundred ca
diets took part in the engagement