The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-20
FIELD ARTILLERY
BACK FROM CAMP
Howitzers Return After Most
Successful Military
Manoeuvres.
NO SICKNESS OR ACCIDENT
Horses Prove Entirely Satisfac-
tory-Service Conditions
Prevailed.
NO SICKNESS OR ACCIDENT

I zers arrived at their armory shortly
before o'clock yesterday afternoon.
The journey of 1876 miles was made In
after arrival the guns and material
were numbered. the material put
! away and the men dismissed This
ends the series of Virginia military en-
campments for 1911.
t Battery 3. OF Norfolk, and Battery
! c. of Portsmouth. entrained at Tay-
lor's Crossing. their special train leav-
! ing promptly at noon. Captain l.,
/ Branch Johnson. of the Norfolk Blues.
+ wired Major T. NJ. Workman last eve
| ming. reporting: Reached here 4:25."
| The work of loading was done in
| exceptionally rapid time, the Norfolk
! battery completing the task within
( twenty-threc minutes. The men from
Portsmouth were not quito SO quick
Quickly Made Ready.
| NO attempt was made to move the
| Howitzers until the other two bate
! showed that they had learned some
| thing by making ready with half the
! trouble they experienced week ago.
! The trip to Richmond was without in
! cldent.
/ Not scrap of paper or refuse was
/ Ielt on the GROUND at camp LINDSAY
/ Walker. The officers saw to II that
everything was cleaned up. this fea-
| ture provoking comment from Captain
/ Spaulding, the army inspecting officer.
| In spite of all the hard work done
! Mt the camp. which was practically a
| continuous performance, the men were
I remarkably we'll pleased. Each man
seemed TO feel tina. ne had learned
I things we'll worth knowing.
Nothing dIrinn he
! to dctract from the success OF the en-
campment There was no disorder at
/ any time. The hospital tent. erected
( with so much care. remained absolute
I " empty. for nobody got sick. There
was not Il case of illness. and the
/ trifing spran suffered by tho man
/ who fell with the broken Chickahomi-
( ny Bridge was the only accident. The
I surgeons were the idlest men about
/ the place. oven the horses shared in
I this good luck. OF the 154 IN camp
I only one was hurt.
| Horses Helped.
| One of the most satisfactory feat
/ ,Ircs was the ndaptability shown by
I tho horses. Almost every animal was
Of superior build and training. and
all seemed to fit into the work before
them. The men. too. learned conf
/ dcnce In their handling, until the hat
| teries returned home moving as regu-
lars do with permanent aninpls.
| a member of the firm OF Smyth
| Brothers McCleary Mcclellan Company.
! which furnished the horses. said last
evening: THE animals could not have
| been better cared for by anybody.
There is not a sore back In the lot.
In fact. the animals are in better
condition than when they went to
camp. The men progressed wonderful
~ in learning to handle them. and
- vi,
I Speaking OF the horses, Captain ]. c.
Wise the h; ttalion adjustant, said: "I
never saw a better lot anywhere. They
will average as good as those in the
regular army. The success of our
camp is no little due to the splendid
selection of horses given u.s.
Nothing Forgotten.
Major WORKMAN was happy in the
successful consultation of the first
camp which 1t has been his lot 10
command. He with Captain Wise had
worked for months on the AFFAIR.
checking and communicating all pos
sibilites.
1t was we'll that he did so, for the
failure to deliver government rations
I for several days. with the drought.
would have caused lack OF food and
water had not provision been made
beforehand for every emergency.
II believe" said Major Workman
yesterday, that Virginia never spent
military money TO better purpose than
in this encampment. To one who has
watched the work of the men during
the week. the Improvement seems
wonderful Each man now knows his
place as the component part of bat
terry. The camp conditions were those
of the regular army including the fir
! ing and man euvering have not
heard of n dissatisfied man, while on
every hand 1 hear men say they are
I sorry to leave"
! Captain Myers was equally pleased
with the work of the Howitzers. He
is satisfied that the men have learned
more under service conditions than
( at any camp of which he has knowl-
edge.
Make Permanent Camp.
! Captain Wise thinks the State should
/ purchase the Tay!or's Crossing site as
place for a permanent camp ground.
He does not believe that n place can
! be found In the state which combines
all the advantages OF this location
for the purposes both of the artillery
and infantry The ground Is free OF
| brush, FREQ OF bitches. has no wooden
/ or wire fences. The grades are grad
| ual. so as to permit OF handling of
guns and vehicles without undue
| strain and yet rolling SO as to aEow
| of indirect fire. There has been
scarcity of water. as a result OF the
drought, but there appears to be plen-
J ty by going after 1t. y we'll was
dug on Friday, and yesterday morning
| 1t contained twelve feet of water.
1t was the comment OF the regular
and militia officers that the fire con-
troll in Fridays practice was perfect.
| although the reel cart was not taken.
A field telephone was used for the
transmission of orders. adding great