The Washington herald., 1913-10-04
TROOPERS ARRIVE
AT FORT MYER
March Through Virginia Con-
cluded by 2,100 Muddy
Cavalrymen.
PRAISE FOR COMMAND
Col. Murray Enthusiastic Over Work
of Regiments-White House
Ellipse Review Thursday.

u
a premium at Fort Myer last night, for
the Washington post was called on to en-
| teTtain 2,lOO guests. They were the troop
| ers who have spent the summer trying
out and developing a new system of army
maneuvers at Winchester, Va.
The 1000 men and their 100 officers rode
into Fort Myer shortly after noon by way
of Falls Church. Va, rather TO the dis
appointment OF Washingtonians, for 1t
had been hoped the men would ride
| through the city. on their way to the post.
But part of the city-the baseballistic
! part-will have chance to see them to-
day, for they are to attend the game this
afternoon at American League Park.
Just what other public appearances the
cavalrymen will make here before they
return TO their various posts has not been
decided. Col. c. II. Murray, of the
| Twelfth Cavalry, detached. in command,
will confer with the officials of the War
| Department this afternoon and decide on
what. If any. exhibition drills will be held.
1t is almost assured, however, that the
| President. Secretary of War and other
officials will review the cavalrymcn in
some of the new maneuvers on the White
Lot Thursday.
Tired and Muddy.
The men arrived at the post tired and
mud-bespa ttered, for they ran into rains
on every day Of the three-day ride, and
they Immediately went into quarters TO
clean up and rest In spite of the hard
trip, there was only satisfaction eX-
pressed. for it had been just the sort OF
q test that the officers and men had
wanted
And the cavalrymen did not arrive un-
escorted, either. There was the usual
troopers escort of dogs, one of the nota-
bic sights OF the cavalcade. The band
of CANNES numbered more than twenty
five and ranged all the way from thor
ougnbreds TO moRgrel. and hailed from
every part of the country through which
the troopers have passed.
In fact. one OF the followers had at
tached himself to the body at the start
of the march and yesterday afternoon, |
when a group of women. wives of Of |
tcers and their friends, were being |
shown around the post this Winchester. |
Va, attache, handsome bulldog, !
caused quite fuTore.
He had established himself and was
making a happy tour of the post, tail \
awag. when there was a scream Of rec |
ognition from one of the party OF wom- |
en-. She was from Winchester and the |
fond owner Of the pup. He was a spe-
cially priced pet. He, like the others |
of the doggy escort. had liked the free
and easy life of the cavalrymen and /
had simply come along. He was cap
tured and locked up in a box stall until |
his mistress returns.
The arrivals yesterday included the |
Tenth Cavalry from Fort Ethan Allen, |
Vt; the Eleventh from Fort Oglethorpe, |
Ga; one squad of the Fifteenth from |
Fort Myer. and one squad from Fort
Sheridan. ILL.,
The troopers left Winchester Tuesday |
morning and made their first camp at
the Shenandoah River The second was
at Leesburg. Va, and the third. We'd
nesday night, was at Colvin Run.
Virginia BaIIs Given.
At Berryvilc and Leesburg. Va. the
residents gave balls in honor OF the Of
hcers.
The march not only furnished an OK
Cellent test Of the Capability of the
troopers for rough riding under all sorts
OF conditions. but it gave the field Of
hCCrs of the brigade a chance TO COM
plete their ninety-mile test ride, the trip
on each day being thirty miles.
The new system of maneuvcrs worked
out this summer at Winchester was the
result of a trip of some length, made by
a board of army officers 10 the countries
of Europe, where the latest tactics of
the foreign cavalryman were studied.
The latest methods OF the Europeans
were adapted as we'll as possible TO tn"
|
the troopers were detailed to duty at
Winchester to try out the new ideas.
The innovations on which the cavalry
men spent most of the summer were the
double-rank formation, the management
of smaller troops, the silent command,
and certain other technical points of the
control of cavalry that are too intricate
for the lay mind to grasp.
Murray COmmends Troops.
Mai. Murray expressed his satisfaction
at the results of the summers work.
He said:
The men are in first-class condition,
and although we have been rained on
for three days, we feel fit to demonstrate
what we have learned of the new sys- {
TEN of silent command Of cavalry as
soon as Mai. Wood. the chief of stan,
wishes US to do so.
Il may be advancing an eN-parte view.
because l aided in proposing the new aid
system of silent command, but l think
it will be a great success If put into eff
feet in the United States Army, and my
of the enlisted men in the !
training we have had at Winchester goes
to show they like it and take to it /
readily" IL