Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-24
DESTRUCTION OF BRIDGE
BY THE "INVADING" ARMY
Battle Program in Which District
Guardsmen Are Principals.
REPORT OF UMPIREs LATER
Lively Scraps Afield in Vicinity Of
Camp Ordway the Past Few
Days-Eervice Medals :
Conferred.
Special From stan Correspondent

Special From stan Correspondent.
c NJ OR II w AY, BOLIVAR
HEIGHTS. w. Va. August 24.--A rail
road bridge across The Potomac river
west of Harpers Ferry lis said to hav..
been utterly destroyed by the Red army
this morning. and the Blue Army is SUP
posed to have been beaten. The Reds
We're under the command of Col VIII
liam l.. Harvey, who operated against
a Blue force comma nded by Col Charles
Fl. Ourand.
The Red army consisted OF the 81 In
fantry. b Troop of the 18th Cavalry
and the 1st Battery. Field Artillery.
commanded by Capt. J. Harry shannon.
The Blue forces In the field consisted
OF the lst Regiment. comman anded TO.
day by Maj. McCathran: the 1st Sepa-
rate Battalion. commanded by Nal.
Walker; Battery K. Sd Field Artillery.
commanded by Capt. Austin: the Signal
Corps company. commanded by Lieuts.
Lands and McLennon. and the ambu-
lance company, commanded by Lieut..
Hudson.
The general situation this morning when
the war broke out was az follows:
\ Blue army, using the Baltimore ana
Ohio railroad as a Line OF supply. had pro-
tecsed 1t at various PAGES. The main
army of tho Blues was said to be 100
miles west Of Harpers Fe ry. The Red
cavalry was reported 10 be In the resr
Of the Blue army. which was operated
against the railroad.
A cavalry brigade OF the Red army, re-
inforced by the lst Battery under Capt.
Shannon. was reported this morning as
being at work tearing up the rsilroad
east of little station named Keller. The
Red patrol kept in touch with the Blue
infantry and artillery.
Object Of the "Red" Commander.
Col Harvey, in command OF the Red
troops, which were in the vicinity OF
Harpers Ferry, kept his troops massed be-
hind a house near Keller HIS sole mis-
sion was to delay the advance OF the
Blue force so that the detachment of Red
troops in his rear could burn the bridge.
At s o'clock this morning Col. Durand.
commanding the Blue advance. received
word that the hostile cavalry was destroy
ing the railroad. Col. Durand hastened
toward Keller. and his mission was to get
to that bridge across the river and pre-
vent It's destruction.
The battle has been fought with a great
deal OF gunLowder and many spectacular
charges over field and up and down hill.
the artillery, placed on two high ridges.
has been killing one another, and the
cavalry has been gaiiop-ng ali over this
part OF the country. NO decision has been
renoered by the umpires. The hea army,
however, Claims a compete victory. al
though more about II Will be leai ned BY
the time the omcers have a chance to
hgnt the battle over again, verbally
Inc Medical Corps mad a problem to
..1x
movement. Maj. Clarence A. Weaver was
des.gna,ed es CHEF surgeon, and by MS
| oruer = dressing station and ilelo nospi.
tai were established during the b.ttle.
List of Medal Men.
Twenty-five-year service medals will be
distributed this afternoon or tomorrow. 1t
is expected. Tins ceremony has been
eagerly looked forward to by the men
VINO are entitled to wear these badges OF
quarter century OF honorable service
with the National Guard OF the District
OF Columbia. Plans for the presentation
nave not been competed. but IL is prob
able the medals viii be given at a dress
parade.
Coz. Charles IL. Ourand. number one in
point Of service, will he the first man TO
receive a medal. He has been i'll the
guard since its inception, and twelve
years before that mad been a member
of the Columbia Cadets. which eventually
was taken into the old lisht infantry.
Others who viii receive this honor at the
same time are Lieut.. Col. Anton Stephan.
I'd infantry; Lieut.. Col Arthur BROOKS.
retired; Maj. L. l.. Webster. retired:
Capt. +. c. Edwards. LIST Infantry; First
Lieut.. Charles A. Meyer. LIST Infantry.
battalion.
Mimicry Of War.
These are the days when thousands Of
Washington's bravest soldiers are being
killed By an umpires decision. The UNI
pire is a regular army officer with u
white band upon his hat. who decides
whether or not the paper bullets are
doing the thing which would be expected
of leaden ones in wartime. We have been
having battles and skirmishes. sharp and
Fascinating, with ratt .ety-bang- g-bang
sounds, in the fields west Of camp. for two
days. and If the bullets had been lead in
stead Of paper there would have been q
hurry cali for all the ambuiances In camp.
No one can te.l-eyen an umpire can
only surmise-whether the lst Regiment
licked the I'd, or the two regiments cap
tured the LIST Separate Battalion. or
wheher the list Separate" beat the OPP
posing forces. In an engagement between
two actually hostile forces the one ele-
ment now missing would be a great b-g
factor You can drill the men and get
them to make the attack accordinl to the
best laid plans Of tacticaiy inclined ex-
pert officers but In the ast analysis us
the little lead pill that's going to count
This IA admitted by every one In the
war game, but nevertheless the war has
been picturesque and realistic for the
last two days, for the men have been
hanxinr away with loud cartridges. while
on ridges surrounding the plains old fel.
lows who saw these same neids charged
over by real opposing armies nifty years
ago, sit down on the ground and tell
stories OF the old times.
The meadows In which the men have
been fighting are great natural theaters
for the rifle fighting. a. spectators can
sweep the entire plain with neld glaeses
and see the entire performance. Tho
fields, however. are not Exceptionally fins
for real maneuvering. - there are CON-
ditions which would not exist In Wos. For
instance. the men kesp cut Se sega 0saAs