The Washington times., 1912-08-20
District Guardsmen
Ready for Maneuvers in
Harpers Ferry War Game

Harpers Ferry War Game
CAMP ORD WAY. LIvAR
HEIGHTS, W. Va, Aug. 20.-The last
preliminary step has been taken. and
the final lesson in the kindergarten
work Of preparing an organization of
citizen-soldiery for emergency war
cases has been received and the 1.60o
District National Guardsmen now en-
camped here today were declared by
the corps of the regular army instructor
inspectors to be sufficiently we'll versed
In these preparatory stages to begin
the mimic warfare.
The guardsmen are resting on their
arms. At any moment war" Is to be
declared.
Rain Dampens Ardor.
The brigade of militiamen, to-
gether with the regulars from Fort
Myer also encamped here, are expecting
to be divided into two opposing armies
on the shortest of notices, and to be
pitted against each other in solving mill
tary problems already mapped out by
the army corps and brigade officers. -,
The rain of yesterday afternoon and
last night has, done a lot to dampen
their enthusiasm however. For how
can 1t be expected of man who Is in
the field but two weeks out of each
fifty-two as a soldier, to care whether
he shoots to pieces an opposing force,
or Is shot by the self-same body, If his
shoes are wet, his uniform soaked, and
the only pair of dry sox he has this
side of Washington safely resting on
the feet of some other more provident
associate. the name of whom he knows
not?
War Maps Finished.
Maj. F. B. Wheaton, of the Engineer
Corps, and a whole crowd of young
men, have put the preliminary touches
on the war maps Of this section of the
United States; Colonel Garrard, Colonel
Parmerter, Major Cook, and their as
sociates already have decided just what
military maneuvers the guardsmen must
go through with before "the general"
call is sounded on August 28, and all
that is now required to set the two op-
posing armies flying at each other s
throats is the signal.
There's something like a hundred
yards of red and blue and white cloth
snugly resting in Colonel Garrard S
Quartermaster's department, soon to be
cut into narrow strips and distributed
among the guardsmen and regulars. The
red sfrips will be used as hat bands
by the invading forces the blue by
the defenders" and the white for the
umpires and noncombatants.
It's going to be as near like a real
war as army men and blank cartridges
can make 1t.
Plan for Future.
While the encampment is but half
over, and the most interesting part of
tho 1912 maneuvers yet to come, prepar-
atoms for getting the large body of
militiamen and regulars away from
Harpers Ferry now are being made. All
the details for breaking camp, getting
the troops, equipments, supplies, horses,
and other paraphernalia on board the
trains, getting the trains to Washing
ton, and unloading them. have been
worked out.
The exact hour Of departure of the
trains, however, not yet has been desig-
mated. Neither has 1t been determined
just when the First Battery, Field Ar
tillery, the mounted section of the Sig
nal Corps, and the Field Hospital Corps,
which will take the overland route to
Washington, will leave Camp Ordway.
The last vestige of the 1912 encamp-
ment will disappear promptly at 1886
o'clock on the morning of Wednesday,
August 28. At that hour, the general
call will be sounded by the bugler at
camp headquarters and this will be
taken up by the trumpeter at brigade
headquarters.
Instantly and simultaneously every
tent in camp will be struck, and the
tented city in which the men have lived
for the two weeks will be a field of
khaki-colored canvas and tent poles. At
once these tents will be rolled up and
packed ready to be thrown in quarter
masters wagons, to be hauled to Hall
town. w. Va, there to be placed on
board freight cars for Washingt on.
After camp has been struck, Major
Boyd Taylor, paymaster general and
his assistant, Capt. Thomas r. Clarke
Will give the men thgir wages for the
two weeks in the field.
Hike to Station.
On the Wednesday of breaking camp
the noon mess call will be sounded one
hour earlier than usual. An hour later
assembly will be sounded, and at 12:lI
o'clock the men will take up the mile
and half hike to the B. & o. station
where they will entrain.
The first section of the military trair
will carry the Second Infantry. Fol
the officers a Pullman car will be pro
vided. Thirteen coaches will be provid
ed for the men. Capt. Harry c. Weir,
ich will be the quartermaster of thi:
section.
The second section will carry the
First Infantry. 1t, too, will consist o1
tflii, thirteen cars and one Pullman. Capt
quartermaster of this section.
The brigade headquarters stan, the
First Separate Battalion, the ambu
lance company, and the dismounted de
tachment of the Signal Corps. the bri
gade commander and his staff, the pos
noncommissioned staff, the orderlies o.
brigade headquarters, and the head
quarters clerks. will occupy. the third
section. which will consist of one Pull
man car and eight coaches. On each
section there will be a stock car for tn,
horses. Capt. Edward NJ. Nevlls, of the
quartermaster's department, has beer
designated as quartermaster of thu
third section.
Pay Day Dates.
ia ior TTaUlor haS