Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-25

NC ont . brown-clad battle line in q thil
wing. stretching up ana down I'M
meadow behind fence rails ana ions
weeds.
have been great theoretically, but tn
advance Of the Blue column was checked
for n few moments, and the fellows sup
posed to be tearing the bridge down coui'
have nut in some good ticks during tina
smart little skirmish by the white farm
house.
The Blue reserves ran forward at double
quick time. and the cavalry platoon, nav
ing done it's work. scampered on like CIR
Gus ponies after they have done then
stunts in the ring with a "Dont-you
wish-you-could-ca air. None OF
the Reds were visible then. In reantS
they were lying in lines along rldgt
which runs parallel to the Potomac
Reserves Sing and Smoke.
They were watching the fight at the
farmhouse with impotence and wanted tt
get into it. Men in the reserve com
panies were lying in bitches, playing
craps. singing. smoking cigarettes and
listening to the rifle cracking half mile
or more away. The Blue column pushed
by the farmhouse and entered the broad
meadow The 1st Separate Battalion
tried thanking movement on the left oil
the main Blue column.
Nothing had been heard from the ar
tillery as yet. The signal company was
stringing a field buzZer station as fast
and faster even than a spider can
string out web. and at each vital
point In the Blue command man with
a buzzing telephone over his head was
sitting waiting for a message 10 or
from the commanding officer. How
no
getting ready to cut out lot OIL the
foolishness in midfeld, where the IN
fantrymen were lying down nat, pop
ping at one another.
The battle was fought between two
ridges. the intervening country being OF
the rolling sort, and from either ridge
the artillery captains could get me
picture of the battle going on. capt.
Shannon of the Reds had his battery con,
cealed partially behind some fine OLD
trees on the ridge above the white farm
house.
Range Rods Are Captured.
Capt. Austin, r Battery. Sd Field Ar
tillery picked a position on the opposite
ridge, a mile and quarter away from
Shannon's four guns. and drove up
winding road. Two artillery scouts went
ahead One of them had the battery
range rods. Soon one scout came tearing
back Riding UP TO Capt. Austin, he sa-
luted, and said:
"A platoon of cavalry about 700 yards
ahead, sir. They captured MCGUIRE and
the range rods. He couldn't ride fast
enough, sir.
I'm have to have infantry to protect
my flank there" said the battery COM
mander to Col. Ourand there is cavalry
right there in a position to worry u.s.
company was picked for this work.
Double time-inarch-" Down the road
they trotted, until they came to clump
of trees which screened them well. Mean
time the battery was unlimbering.
There was but little or no firing any
where at this time. You could rest a
field glass upon the fence near the spot
where Battery f was placed and hum
dreds of red bands on felt hats could
be recognized a mile across the hollow,
and Capt. Shannon of the other battery
on the other ridge was searching with
field glass for the Blue army. Finally he
discerned Maj. McCathran's regiment, or
at least a part of it. as it moved along
the slope of a ridge.
Throw Shell on Infantry.
Battery, attention.
Lieuts. Vogt. Bonnet and Wilson were
with Capt. Shannon. The men jumped to
their posts Shannon. reeled off firing
data. sounding unintelligible. many num-
bers like a foot ball signal. The men
loaded with blanks. and at the command
Fire" the boom of the first gun rolled
hack and forth between the mountains.
He was firing on the infantry.
Men near the gun to be fired stopped
ears. There was a roar, a flash that
looked like sudden solid fire. and an
enormous pun of white smoke smelling
of powder enveloped the right section OF
the battery. and chung to the grass SO
that the road and field was smoking for
minutes after the right-hand gun had
spoken the first word on the Blue side
of the artillery argument. The Blues
fired on Shannon's battery. Capt Austin
figured that putting the other battery on,
of commission was his business just al
that point
Shannon knew he was getting shelled
so he turned his guns the other way and
sent shells across the valley with the
hope of destroying the Blue battery. Tht
Red battery auieted down and the
infantry scrap In the middle of the field
began to get hot.
Maj Clarence Sayer's battalion in III.
I'd Regiment. lying up on one of tn,
ridges. attracted the attention of the UNI
10 cover and simulated actual condition.
The Blue column, McCathran's men. be
gan a systematic advance across tn,
field, protected by a HILL as they thought
but probably they were in full view from
the ridge where Shannon was pumping
shrapnel into the mess below him. In
fact. the Red battery left off hammerint
its four-gun opponent on the opposit,
ridge. and turned its attention exclusive
~ to the infantry. while Battery r sen
she'll after shell, in theory. across TIL,
e.ab yards of Intervening space, and poo
Shannon's guns We're silenced. although
actually they kept up a terrible banging
Have to Leave Glover Field.
Just at this point a bugle cal
sounded from a knoll where the UNI
rires were standing, causing the firms
TO cease The Blue lighters depIoyed
THROWING line out parallel with tn
ridges. which: were thick with Red rife
men. Wing close 10 the s;ubble AS the
hustled across the field the Blues wer
isiriy well protected in that part of tn
engagement. but away off to the north
:rightful rife skirmish was heard Wolfe,
after rclicy III era shes showed quicl
al destructive work somewhere
= wos the LIST Separate Battalion whic
I'D tried 70 drive Col. Harvey back from
n entirely unexpected quarter. Howeve,
opponents The Isl Separate charge
with Veil. 4 fine sight. but n hearties
tiuuire lGied most OF them dead and tn
Isl separate had to retire. shannon
ltat:ery fred gun after gun into the Is
Ssparatr withost checking its charge.
4 =