New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-05
BATTLE OF NEWT0WN'
A DRAW, SAYS BLISS
Generals Report Also Points
Out Shortcomings OF Ma
tionaI Guard Troops.
TOO MANY IMPEDIMENTA
Seventh Regiment of New York
Receives Highest Praise
Battery A Men Without
Food for Several Days.

Washington, Feb. 1.-The famous
battle of Newtown. Conn, fought by
the Blue army of defence against the
Red army Of invasion on August IL
I last, and in which a grand total OF H.
331 officers and men from the army
and national guard took part, has been
officially declared drawn battle by
! Brigadier General Tasker II. Bliss, the
commander of the manpuvre cam
| paign.
His report. just received here. gives
! in minute detail the conduct al the
campaign In the report General Bliss
and officers under him make plain the
shortcomings Of national guard troops
in the matter Of providing sufficient
number Of animals for wagons and
competent drivers. and also deals with
unnecessary baggage carried and over
loaded wagons.
fl has been the unofficial opinion that
the Red army Of invasion, which had
theoretically landed on the Massa-
chusctts coast and was working south.
| had been the victor, but General Bliss
relative to this says
In the last combat exercise in the vicin-
| itv of Ncwtown. ON August j.. IL may pt
said that the contact between the forces
| took place substantially as planned. The
! exercise gave an opportunity Tor practi-
| cally all of the troops in both DIVISIONS "
! take part in the combat exercise. ana 'nc
ground was sufficiently open To permit ne
= unpires and staff officers to observe fuilS
/ the development of the action IL seemed
! to the chief umpire that the rulings given
| by the umpires with the various oI San
! cations were reasonable. and, win II"
| exceptions. proper so Tar aS tH'S '"''
! under his observation. ,
| Under tho control Of the various UNI,
pires, one side or the other cameo Io'a.
| advantages. but so far as the iltiaI r'su,s
/ was concerned IL was Impossible To ten
/ precisely what would have been the our,
| come had the rifles been loadcd VIII od'i
| cartridges The action lasted Det"cc"
! three and four hours. IL had 50. iar ~
| veloned as 10 show clearly the strategicaI
| problems that each division cominahdct,
| attempted to solve, and also 10 glNe IL
| opportunity for tactical deVeiopIlcn,s'
The situation as developed did Hor r,' 49,
| rant statement from the chiet uIilpiIy
| that either side had gained very deciuc"
| advantage over the other
Very few organizations are praised
individually in the report, but num-
Der are criticised.
In speaking OF the various troops on
duty. the eth Regiment. Of New YORK
CITY. Colonel Appleton, receives the
highest praise for its work on the
march. Captain c. n. Roberts. L. ;. ~.
on duty with II as an observer, de-
! cares:
Command was kept we'll closed up. No
falling out without permission. Excellent
military discipline. No unnecessary noise
or confusion In ranks. Regiment always
entered bivouac In excellent order ana
| condition
The comments on other New YORK
organizations by inspectors as noted In
the report are as follows:
18th Regiment.
! CAPTAIN ]. Is. Gowen. L. $ A.. says:
4; times meals were irregular and regi-
ment proceeded to drill and exercises win
! the scantiest of supper and breakfast
| marching and manpuvring until p, III.
I before getting n good meal. Three
wagons were assigned TO each battalion.
| which was the cause OF delay in arrange
| ment and loading. Some attempt was
| made 10 carry out some or the prihcipleS
| ID
but I'm this did not show any fruit FIRE
discipline was poor Men did not take
| cover. Combat orders were not issued
| nor information conveyed 10 subordinatcs.
| fst Battalion, 22d Engineers, N. G. N. Y.
| Captain Fiskc, l.. :. A.. who was on
duty with this organization. says:
The majority of the officers and enlisted
men are unaccustomed TO engineering
! work and their duties In connection there
| with They seem 10 have little apt-
| tudc for this class of work. In their daily
| life. apparently. they did not have TO or
! ganl1e and supervise directly the work
! and guidance Of men, and for this rea-
| son fail to organize and superintend prop
! erly the military engineering operations.
23d Regiment, N. G. N. Y.
Captain \. j. Daugherty. L. S. A..
says:
owing to the fact that the regimental
commlssary and quartermaster could not
! find out the location OF the issuing sta
ton, tho issues Of rauons and forage
were generally delayed, and on several
occasions did not arrive until after they
were duo to be consumed.
Battery A, list Field Artillery, N. G. NJ Y.
Lieutenant f.. b. King. L. $. A.. says:
In marching. making and breaking
camp. Harvesting and embarrassing ana
driving, a splendid organization. Battery
owns horses Rations We're ample and
sufficient when they could be obtained.
Regimental commiSSary did not give this
battery rations at first, and for several
| DAYS the men were practically without
| food.
seth Regiment, N. G. N. Y.
Captain G.. II. Morrow, u. S. A., III