Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-26
Six Horses Hauling Gun Make
Mad Dash, But No One
Is Injured.
FIRST BATTERY IN FIELD
FOR TWENTY-FOUR HOURS
Artillerymen. N. G. D. c.. Take Trip
Closely Approximating Actual
Campaign Service.


near Indiana avenue late yesterday hot
ana tired. but perfectly satisfied with
tie military experience gained in the
huns of Virginia In the twentS-four
hours atield the men slept on the
-rcund picketed their horses. went
through With the careful detail OF car
tng for harness and tentage. took part
III Z theoretical advance and a retreat,
ard had two or three experiences in
cannon driving thar Will remain with
rhs drivers for some time to come.
The most exciting of these had not
tecu mapped out b, the War Depart
m.ni. and consiste ed of a runaway. six
horses one three-inch gun and Gals
son. with Twelve or fifteen men. The
battery was using the equipment and
horses of + ia ftery, Sd Field Artillery.
from Fort Myer. Only short distance
from the post on the outgoing march
The inst section (Which was in the rear
~ the TIME owing TO its having been
tn- last section to leave the field after
taking position to assume an attack
began to ake too much speed. the
horses nolted. hats flew in every direc-
ton, and there We're several drivers
" no that moment believed every
thing Sherman said about war.
Lieut. George g Wilson. in command
of that platoon. spurred his horse
ahead and seized one of the runaWayS,
hut could not check the flight abso-
lutelH. The pin holding the fieldpiece
to the Timber gave way. leaving the
gun in the road, and just at that mo-
nent the six runaways made for a tel
eSraph pole. Fortuna tely they grazed
il only. and men tumbIed off their
mounts into he field. No one was hurt
although one or two of the men were
hreathless for few minutes After
that the horses behaved themselves
n n MAJ 6iSty rhor
Enemy Driven From Ridge.
On A hill at Nauck's Capt. Churchill,
ispector-instructor for the National
Guard of the District of Columbia, re-
ceived his alleged orders to drive the
hostile cavalry from ridge mile or
more farther on. This gave the bat
terry its first practice in taking a posi-
toh behind covers, getting the range,
angles of sight. and going through all
the motions leading up to actual firing.
The hillside was off the road, not easily
accessible. and the management of the
entire train of horses, men and can
non In getting IN and out of the hollow
was no picnic. 1t was assumed that
the ridge was cleared. and the LIST
Battery rumbled on in dust and heat that
was more like August than April
The destination was camp ground
on the rife range at Edsall, Va. The
battery pulled into the range shortly
after midafternoon Saturday and
pitched shelter tents. For the bene-
iii of the uninitiated, these are the So
Jailed pup tents. about three and a
half feet high and holding two men.
rolled in blankets as they sleep on
the ground Horses were cared for,
watered, fed and given hay for the
picket line. The picket line, thick
rope stretched from wheel to wheel on
the battery's cannon, caissons and lin
IL
shelter tent camp was pitched. Mean
time. the battery's cooks were busy
at the field kitchen. A young lawyer
who had Joined the battery ito get
exercise" was given the job of split
ting a pile of hickory cord wood He
got what he joined for.
Supper Eaten in Field Style.
supper was eaten in field style, in
mess kits. on the ground. officers and
men getting their chow from the same
cauldron. The moonlight glowed on the
camp before mess kits were cleaned
and all things made snug for the night
and a guard posted to keep watch on
the picket line. The three or four old
time regulars accompanying the force
showed themselves accomplished field
service men by finding the softest
places on the range to sleep, and the
battery snored to the accompaniment
of Southern railway freight trains,
which ran up and down the line near
the camp all night
Reveille awakened the men at $3.50
yesterday morning. and brought the
battery tumbling from its tents to the
realization of cold morning. The
water in the creek was bracing, but the
air was too chilly for bath. Every
one jumped to work soon as shoes
were laced. Horses had to be brushed
and curried, watered and harnessed
Non-conls' worked like beavers, while
the commissioned officers kept their
eyes on the general result. Two men
were detailed to the unmilitary out
absolutely necessary duty of helping
out at the kitchen again. For Sunday
breakfast huge basket of soft boiled
sether with broiled bacon. punk" or
army bread. nlush and coffee, and all
of ii that any man wanted.
During the Harvesting. a lookout on
the results was kept by Lieut.. John
Eager. of the Sd Field Artillery, who
accompanied the militiamen.
Order Given for Retreat.
Breakfast over the battery pulled out
OF camp The theoretical advance had
become retreat: Capt Churchill, in
command Of the theoretical column
had received word that the enemy on
The ridge, had been reinforced. and SO
T., became necessary for the battery to
axe :: position so as to hold back the
advancing enemy long enough for the
infantry and cavalry In our column
20 get away. The battery found a hol-
low behind a hill and planted its four
guns. while the limbers were placed
several hundred yards away on a road
side. This position was used for more
aiming and operating practice, field
telephone work and signaling
Meantime Sunday dinner was being
cooked In a romantic little glen by an
old stone mill. Tho kitchen equipment
had been sent there while the field
guns were being hauled into position.
Sunday dinner was a grant event.
Chicken. corn. stringbeans. "spuds."
had stuffed himself. was the menu. A
trile luxurious for war. The answer to
that is the war over as soon as
mess call was sounded
The meal was served in a secluded
spot near the new Alexandria water
works, and it necessitated some very
careful driving to reach the place.
powders and bitches barred the way,
giving the men an elegant chance to
all right and out again without mis-
hap. and the column rolled on through
the dust. reaching Fort Myer in mid
afternoon.
Capt Churchill Praises Men.
capt Louis Vogt. in command, gave
the necessary orders to await for In
spection by Capt. Donnelly. the regular
officer in command of F. Battery. whose
equipment had been used; and Capt