Evening star., 1914-08-08
HEAT WAVE GRIPS
D, c. MILITIA CAMP
Gen. Harries and Staff Take
Field to Observe Final
"War" Operations.
ACCIDENT MAKES FIELD
MEDICAL WORK REALISTIC
Guardsmen Start Packing for Trip
Home Tomorrow-"Regulars'"
Efforts Win Applause.

GINA BEACH. Va. August S-During
fighting this morning Gen. Harries and
staff took the field to observe operations
Of the troops.
Today is one of the hottest of the en-
campment. land breeze is blowing.
and the thermometer is rapidly climb
ing. All the guardsmen are wishing for
the fighting to be over early so as they
may take a plunge in the surf Mis- aft
ernoon.
The field hospital had practical
demonstrations this morning in caring
for wounded under the direction of a
regular army surgeon who designated
certain men with wounds. which Dis
trict guardsmen were required to
bandage. The work was well done and
was made very realistic when one man
cut his hand in opening tin. his first
aid package and bandage being covered
At a conference at headquarters this
morning Capt Edwin Nevilles. camp
quartermaster, gave final instructions
for the return movement to Washing
ton All guardsmen are to go back to
Chesapeake Beach on the steamer
Dreamland, and there Will be no special
train AS in the movement to Virginia
Beach. Maj. Alfred F. Robbins. n. G..
.. C.. quartermaster, is to meet the
soldiers at the Norfolk dock Monday
there. Maj. L. H. Neumeyer. \. G.. d. c.,
head of the commissary department,
left camp last night for Washington.
War Game Ends Today.
Today the war" which has been
raging in this section for the past three
days will be ended. and the District
guardsmen who have been bearing the
brunt of the fighting will turn their
thoughts toward home. Tomorrow when
Washington is barely beginning to move
around her fighting sons will have knock
ed down the homes which have housed
them for the last nine days, and will
begin the preparations for the return trip
via Norfolk and Chesapeake Beach.
After three days of hard fighting the
District militia put up the fight of their
lives today, knowing that whether they
won or lost the fight would be over. and
that when the bugler sounded retreat
it was to do no more fighting or start
In front of the whizzing bullets for one
year, until the encampment Of the Ma
tional Guard of the District of Columbia
for 1915.
Not vantage point for ten miles
around was left uncovered by the
troops this morning. The fighting yes
terday was in companies at war
strength, while today it was battalion
in war strength On each of the high
sand hills stood an outpost with a
semaphore signal flag. and along the
beach they even climbed TO the roofs
of the fishermen's houses, the better
to view the lowlands and transmit the
information to the armies which they
were protecting.
AS the observers passed through the
battle country large commands of
troops could be seen hiding under
cover behind great sand hills. ready
for the word from their outposts that
the enemy had been sighted and a
point of contact established. When
this message came along the fight was
on, and continued until noon. when
the recall" was sounded, marking the
end of the big fight.
Fine Test for Soldiers.
Fighting over this sandy country is
the best test of the soldier abilities of
the District boys. for the tramping is
hard. and to stand the test the soldiers
must be in the best Of physical condi-
ton Walking around here may be
likened to walking in a deep snow.
All during the morning hours there
Was constant patter of rife shots to
the eastward of the camp and toward
the ocean. MS u1llll lHe
outposts and the entire army had been
theoretically driven into the ocean,
and those who were not shot were
drowned. While an advance guard of
a battalion was out establishing the
contact other battalions Of the guard
remained around the camp ground
forming the reinforcements, which
We're kept in touch with the front by
the wireless apparatus of the Signal
Corps and by the buzzer telegraph
lines. the wires for which are laid
right along the ground.
During the engagements the troops
worked their way for fully five miles
from the camp grounds and extended
their operations right along the shore.
and after the recall had been passed
along the battle line by the buglers
and the troops walked the return dis
tance, what they did to the MONDAY
meal goes without saying. They de-
served the hearty meal which they ate,
for they had done their work well.
Although handicapped in many ways
by the protected positions held by the
enemy" the main army of the Dis
trict National Guard forming the at
tacking forces located the troops with
out much difficulty and gave them a
hot fight. They kept them retreahng and
shifting positions all the time. forcing
them 10 lose ground and to give up the
advantageous points which they held
when the fight started.
Officers of the District National Guard
showed evidences of hard study of STRAIT
egv in the manner they handled their
troops Spurred OH by exhibitions OF the
work Of the regulars Company E. .9th
United states Infantry, the District sol
diers, officers and men. did what they
could to emulate them and they did it
we'll The District boys always expressed
their appreciation of the work of the reg
ulars in trying to teach them the war
game as they play it in the army.
Regulars Show Militiamen.
Just before the exercises the regular
company is marched on the field to show
the militiamen how to make advances un-
der a hot fire without exposing too much
of the force to the enemy at one time.
When it is over and the regulars march