New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-21
Fierce Attack on Reds
Ends at Sprout Creek
COrnheld.
GERMAN FORMATION
USED BY BLUE ARMY
Victory, Despite 5000 Loss and
Retreat, Says Major-Mayor
at Camp Friday.
From star Correspondent, o, The Tribun,I


Camp Whitman, Fishkill Plains, n.
Y, guly 2O.-National guard officers ad-
nit the high price of corn was to blame
for the great moral defeat the Reds
inflicted on the Blues at this mornings
battle Of Poker Plains.
At daybreak $4,000 theoretical men
started from Myers Corners, north
west Of Camp Whitman. for New Ham
burg. on the Hudson At the same time
left flank of 5000 men, composed Of
three regiments Of Blues. accessory
cavalry, artillery and hospital units,
started west from Camp Whitman to
protect the larger army TO the north.
Several theoretical miles from the
camp there is a stream known as
Sprout Greek A few hundred yards to
the east of the creek an extensive field
Of corn is protected on one side by
stone fence and on the other by marshy
grounds. Into the marsh jumped sew
eral companies of Blues until the mud
reached their breeches. On the other
side of the stone fence a row Of red
hats gave away the enemy. Slowly the
Blues worked up until within a hun
dred feet of the cornfeld. Here there
was good opportunity for strategy, but
--"Ye can't come through my cornfeld,"
shouted an angry farmer, an old shot
gun IN his hands.
Shotgun Starts Retreat.
The officer pleaded with him but
the man was obdurate. Meantime the
Reds" had caught sight of their foe
end several hundred guns cracked
simultaneously.
This was the sign for a general re-
treat by the "Blues" They fell back
on Sprout Creek, where a company of
engineers were building pontoon
bridge.
Sprout Creek is not always as
ambitious as it was this morning. To-
day IL averaged two feet high but the
theoretical height assigned the stream
was far greater
With precision and despatch the
bridge was built. 1t was the first
yontoon ever constructed by the Ma
tIonal Guard. At Brigadier General
Dyer's orders the remnants of Blues
lined up on both banks of the stream
for instructions. They had forgotten
tire Reds entirely and amused them
selves by chucking "the most un-
comfortable Of their ranks" into
Sprout Greek. Four thousand men,
horses and wagons marched across the
bridge as soon as it was completed
Nurses Aid Wounded.
Il was estimated that the Reds, in
spite of their moral victory. lost 1000
men in dead and wounded. The
casualty list of the Blues amounted TO
500. A whole company of the eth Regi-
ment was wiped out A hurry call TO
Hopewell Junction and Fishkill Plains
brought out scores of pretty volunteer
nurses. Within an hour the ice cream
supply of the neighbOrhood for q
radius of FIVE miles was exhausted.
Major +. ". Dayton, inspector gen
eral Of the 1st Brigade, told the Trio-
une reporter to-day that the Blues
used in their maneuvres the mass for
nation employed so often in the pres
ent war by the Germans.
They have made such a wonderful
showing in Germany because they have
been perfectly willing to suffer great
losses" said the major. General
Dyer's orders to use the mass forma-
tion was a daring risk 10 take, but it
accomplished good results. We be-
lieve the Blues won, and that decisive
ly"
Major General Organ tonight gave
out the problem for tomorrow morn
ing. The general situation is:
Red force somewhat larger than a
division and forming part of an invad-
ing Red army from the north has
reached Pine Plains, thirty miles south
of Hopewell Junction.
A Blue division belonging to the
advance Blue forces east Of the Hud-
son River is IN back of Beacon, n. Y.
New Red Troops Arrive.
The special Blue problem is to
meet possible hostile enterprises
against the important intersection at
Hopewell Junction. The division COM
mander has detached his 1st Brigade
with reinforcemcnts.
The 9TH Regiment will join the reg
ulars, Reds, tomorrow. The hostili-
ties will begin at o'clock. With Gen
Cral Dycr's staff will be Mortimer l..
SchiF and young Cornelius Vanderbilt,
Jr., both Of whom arrived this after
noon
A boxing bout was staged at the base
Of Headquarters Hin, and 5000 troop
Crs, with half as many visitors. saw
"Pinochle" Pete defeat Soldier" Steve.
what do YOU think Of the camp"
Mr.. Schf was asked later.
al think it's bully" was his answer.
Mayor Mitchell Will arrive Friday to
address the civilian soldiers. Among
the prominent persons IN the cavalry
with the national militiamen are Cor
nelius Wickersham. I'd. Elihu Root, jr..
William II. Taft, ID, Walbridge Taft,
nephew Of the eN-President, and l.. II.
Bigelow, former Yale football star