Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-31
MACHINE GUNS BARK,
MEN CHARGE TRENCHES,
IN PLATTSBURG WAR"
"Blue" Army's Defense Against
Invasion of Enemy's "Red"
Forces Gives Close Imita-
ton of Actual Conflict
CAPTIvEs LOSE TOBACCO

MILITARY INSTRUCTION CAMP IN
FIELD, ROUSE'S POINT, n. Y, Aug.
3t-A battle. I'm which more than 1000
men took part, fought over more than
mile of front, was the feature yesterday
OF the maneuvers I'm which the business
men of the Plattsburg training camp are
participating. IL was the most preten-
tious event of the war game so far. and
tho hundred or so Philadelphians who,
for three weeks have been studying the
science of war, got as near the real
thing as any OF them care to. For the
first time all the forces were engaged
and the fighting assumed the proportions
of n pitched battle in contrast to the
skirmishing to which tho efforts Of small
parties had been confined up to that time.
The Blue forces broke camp at Cooper
town early, and attempted to engage
the enemy and prevent a juncture of a
Red force moving from the town Of
Champlain, with another Red force es-
tablished at Rouse Point, on Lake Cham
plain.
The latter Red force had sufficient time
to become entrenched thoroughly in an
excellent position on a height back of the
small town that bears the promontory's s
name.
The Blue force, however, were not
aware of that fact. After marching for
| four miles or so from Cooperstown, the
BhNlOlS anu dhNdiNe EudIuH Cdillt III COAl-
tact with the enemy cavalry patrols,
| slowly forcing them back. AS the right
| flank guard, consisting of half the busi-
| ness men, swung through the town OF
Rouse Point, the fighting became hot
and extremely spectacular.
| The advance patrols kept up a continual
fire from various vantage points in the
! town. Any cover was utilized, from the
| pump in a backyard to a passing buggy
| with terrified farmer inside, trying C
make out what II was all about. The towr
was finally cleared as the cavalry fel
back. The flank guard then proceeded
| toward the enemy's position, the mali
body swinging in from the west along th'
road from Champlain.
| 1t was then the battle started. Agains
the 1000 of the Red force, strongly in
trenched, the Blues proceeded as a skir
mish line consisting of a thin line o
men a yard apart, extending more than
mile from one end to the other in a grea
semicircle. Supported by artillery an
machine-gun fire the line eventuall
closed in. The battle finally ended wit
bayonet charge of 1000 excited, shoutin
men, who were stopped a few feet fror
the trenches by the whistles of the um
pires.
The whole scene during the battle woul
have brought joy to the heart of the mos
eXacting militarist. The rifle fire was cor
tiuuous for more than an hour, sputteT
ing up vigorously as one part of the Blu
line moved forward in one quarter, an
being hotly answered by the return fir
of the resisting Red force. All the whil
artillery doomed from various quarter
and the barking machine guns contribute
their share to the general racket.
No decision was rendered, it not bein
the policy of the umpires to breed an
spirit of competition in the maneuver
The umpires were everywhere designate
by white hat bands. At intervals, aftC
studying the action, they would sen
word to one officer or another to retil
certain amount of his forces as dea
or wounded. Those men would then drc
where they were. The captured, an
there were many of them, stuck a pieC
of green in their hats. Further, as
penalty for their lack OF alertness, the
had to sacrifice all their tobacco to Il
capturing force.
, The citizens of Rouse's Point had II
p time of their lives. 1t is not often thi
a spectator can witness a battle vii
personal safety guaranteed.
Today the Blue army broke camp
Rouse's Point and proceeded in the dire
tion of Moors, - miles away, where
: It expected it will bivouac tonight.