Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-06-07
BIG DRILL GROUND
FINE VANTAGE FOR
MARTINsBURG MOTORISTS


/ manent Army Post---Naturai Am.
i phitheatre for the Maneuvers OF
F Rare Scenic Beauty
Martinsburg motorists will have 4
vantage point during the coming sum.
mer Of rare enjoyment. Just three
miles from Winchester and abou, "a
miles from here over one of the best
and most beautiful country roads Iva.
aginable the u, s. Government "a
about to establish cavalry post OF
$500 men. A dispatch from Wash.
ington sass
After hearing the claims OF towns
In q dozen states Secretary OF War
Garrison has Just signed an order ii.
recting about $500 Of the best drIlI-
ed cavalrymen OF the United States
Army from all sections OF the coun.
try to begin sixty.day eneampmeiN
July 30 on 1900 acres OF land three
miles east of Winchester. Mai. Gen.
Leonard Wood chief OF STAFF. says
the encampment will consist OF the
cream CT the army.
IT Will be one OF the largest OF tho
kind ever held In the United States.
and theories Of cavalry maneuvers
will be tried out to demonstrate their
practicabiiity IN actual warfare. The
general stan and many other high Of
hcials will spend much time here AMI
military experts are coming from Ell
rope to study the maneuvers officers
who inspected the site say 1t Is ideal,
and II is possible that the War Da-
partment will hpally convert II into
Ia regular army post" fii
Il A Beautiful Drill Ground.
/ The plateau selected for the on
campnant Is almost Ideal for great
drilling ground There are some
elevations on the surrounding hits
where With strong glasses every man
euver can be Witnessed with no troa.
Bile at ALL II Martinsburg and Win
chester could have searched the
world over u Il doubtful II q
more spectacular show could have
been devised for midsummer enter
tainment.
The presence of some 1000 or 5000
troops during the time allotted VIII
be great thing for both towns. The
cavalry branch OF the service IL by
many experts considered the most
interesting one from the military
viewpoint OF the army. This IL the
first effort OF the government to es.
tablish great cavalry parade and
its development viii be watched with
the deepest interest.
A Permanent Post.
There Is small doubt OF the fact
that the summer camping ground
will be eventually converted into
permanent army post. The plateau
country roundabout climate, water
and everything else is almost ideal
for such q purpose and II would be
difficult TO picture a more scenical'y
beautiful section OF the Shenandoah
Valley. conceded to be one OF the
most beautiful in the world.
The plateau itself as q natural am
phitheatre is almost as fitting as Il
II had been made to order for spec
tacular maneuvers. And every inch
OF II has been fought over in the civil
war. Where the army troops VIII
camp was once the winter camp OF
Stonewal Jackson and the strategic
battle ground of that famous cans
paign. winchester itself was the
scene OF some OF the biterest fighting
II will be ecalled.
The historic old town, than
which there are none more picturea
qae Of history in TIE Old Dominica
will shortly take on some OF its old
military pomp. President Cooper OF
the Northern Virginia Electric Light
Company said over the long distance
phone today that the drill ground
was southeast of Winchester over q
fine road. He appreciated the benee
fits that Winchester would derive
but hoped that it would not bring
into the town an unruly element.