The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-18
BOTH SIDES PR|MED FOR MIMIC BATTLE. AT THE FAIRGROUNDS. Texas Confident of Victory Over Alabama National
 Guard Troops. SEALS FEELS SURE
 OF THE OUTCOME Colonel Reiahardt Says His Veterans Are Determined to Capture Major
 Seals and His Entire Com
 mand.
By ELLIS c. HoLLUMs

Yesterday afternoon and last night was spent by Col. Vic Reinhardt and his staff in reconnoitering the field where battle will be waged this afternoon between the
 Texas battalion and battalion of the
 Alabama National Guard. under command of Maj Carl Seals.
 The Texans are on tiptoes for the fray. They gathered about their headquarters in little groups yesterday afternoon and discussed the impending enga cement. Mus kets were carefully examined, and every speck of dust scrupulously removed. The springs were well oiled, and every man looked to his powder. They prepared for the coming of, the battle carefully, each man sensing that they were to be pitted against modern methods of warfare, and a field with which they were hardly fa- miliar, not having been on it for more than 50 years.
 In Major Seals camp the rifles received their usual share of attention, and the young soldiers placed their arms in the allotted places and sallied forth to the ball at the Hippodrome, where they danced until an early hour this morn- ing.
 Colonel Reinhardt said last night: We are ready for these young fellows and are prepared to win the day. We expect to capture Major Seals in short order
 After that, it should be an easy matter to rout his command. We probably will send Major Seals and that part of his command which does not fall to the deadly aim of our expert rihemen to the Rio Grande to aid in keeping the Mex jeans on their own side of the river" Major Seals was just as cocksure of victory as was Colonel Reinhardt "The
 Alabama National Guard never failed of It's duty, he said, 'and our boys will
 leave the field of conflict tomorrow night with unsmirched escutcheons. Victory will perch upon our proud banner. and the Texans, brave though they surely are must face inevitable defeat" It IS rumored in certain select circles that it is the intention of the Alabama National Guard not only to capture Col onel Relnhardt but also to capture Cap tain Holland, Captain Greenhouse and Captain Perkins, commanding the three companies in the Texas battalion, and put them to digging ''goobers" in a small patch near the Boys Industrial school l The old vets have become slightly in
 censed over the ignoble fate arranged for | their commanders, and have resolved to
 ! piilS lHe yOuHS SnlpS down a Deg.
 They will go into battle with joy, and promise to make it a matter of terrible
 interest to those with whom they will l fight
 l The Age-Herald's special war corre- ! spondent in the camp of the Texans learns that the Lone Star battery will be placed on the southernmost end of the fairgrounds field. just across the race track and the fence. It will be we'll pro- tected from the enemys view by shelter of underbrush and timber, and when the guns unlimber, the only way the Alabama National Guard can get the range is through aeroplane scouts, and the Texas battalion already has captured every aeroplane the Alabama National Guard had available, putting them out of com mission
 So eager are the Texans to get at the young fighters of the Alabama National Guard, it is predicted that they will
 charge after the artillery fire has reduced the breastworks of the enemy sufficiently of protection If the Texans charge they will be compelled to cross a wide open space under the direct fire of the Ala bama National Guard high powered rifles, and unless some method of surmounting this obstacle is found, it would mean that half of the command would meet a glori- ous end.
 The battle begins promptly at o'clock this afternoon, when the first shell from a Texas field piece will screamingly seek l it's way to a vital spot in the breast
 works of the Alabama National Guard.