Evening star., 1916-07-27
eUARDSMEN STAGE
| AF|ERCE BATTLE
Two Forces of Infantry En-
gage in Hot Fight Near Vir-
+ ginia Highlands.
RESULT OF ENGAGEMENT
/ is NOT DECIDED AS YET
Sanitary Officers Waging Campaign
in Camp 0rdway-Troop A to
Give Big Smoker Tonight.

For two hours this morning fierce
battle was waged around the village
of Virginia Highlands. about four miles
southeast of Camp Ordway. During
the whole time two forces of infantry
pumped away at each other constantly.
1t was hotly- contested but a blood
less battle, fought out in the heavy
underbrush in that section.
After brief close-order drill on the
parade ground this morning, the Sd
Battalion, in charge of Maj. Summers.
was taken out in the direction of Nir-
Sinia Highlands. and was to start from
the river front in command of Col.
Glendie Young. theoretically, this
force was landed early this morning
With the view to making its way to
Manassas 1t landed safely and started
inland.
The defensive force, consisting of
the lst Battalion, Maj. Hodgson. and
the I'd Battalion, Maj. McCathran, under
command of Lieut. Col. Anton stephan,
left camp a half hour later. and fol-
lowed the Columbia pike in the direc-
ton of Alexandria. When In the
vicinity of Virginia Highlands the
forces were deployed and given instruc-
tfon to find the enemy.
But Two Knew Problem.
When the troops left the camp the
only persons who knew the problem
were Col Young and Col. Stephan. The
troops and the officers were kept In
ignorance of their duty. further than
the fact that they were told to march
In a certain direction.
IT.
their own resources in locating the en-
emy. and after a long search the out
POSTS came in contact and reported the
fact to their respective organizations,
using couriers to transmit the mes
sages The advance guards then came.
into position. and established a point
Of contact. which they held until the
arrival of the main body of troops AS
soon as the contact was made, the va
rfous organization commanders were
required to deploy their forces in an ef-
fort to rout or annihilate each other.
The smoke of battle did not hang
over their troops. for they use smoke
less powder, but they left a very
smelly atmosphere for some time after
ward. The use of smokeless powder
made 1t all the more difficult for the
troops to locate the fire. They could
only get glimpse OF an olive-drabbed
infantryman, now and then. as he
sought to change his position, and in
the heavy underbrush and wooded
country in which the troops were op-
Grating it was difficult to locate the
numbers of the various forces. Neither
side knew what troops had been sent
out from the camp to oppose it 1t was
the first real war game which had been
put up to the troops since they had
been in camp.
!; Result Is Not Yet Known.
The result of the big fight will not
be known until late this afternoon.
when the officers school Is held, and
then Col. Young and Col Stephan will
compare notes and tell which force was
technically out of commission. 1t was
after noon when the troops returned to
camp In the hot sun.
t'while the troops were in the field
the sanitary. officers were fighting
big battle all their own in the camp
Armed with large cans of larvaecide,
Col. W. o. owen. medical department,
G S A: Mai. Luther H. Reichelderfer,
chief surgeon: Capt. Herbert Bryson.
sanitary officer of the camp. and Mark
Finley. sanitary detachment. Sd Infan-
try. went to every httie water noIe IN
ton in an effort to drive on mosquitoes
and all disease.
The cavalry and artillery troops had
a mounted drill on the parade ground
The machine gun company. Capt
Earnshaw returned from the rifle range
last night, led by its own band. Ell
forts are being made by the machine
gun commander to have his force re-
turned to the range for practice with
rhe machine guns. He wants to estab-
Iish camp at Congress Heights until
the Sd Infantry moves for the border
4 No More Until Pay Day.
t;Capt Horace p. Hobbs, United States
nbustering officer. said that absolutely
M troops would leave Camp Ordway
for the front until after pay day, the
LOT of the month.
Troop A cavalry, has completed plans
for its big smoker and entertainment
IN its quarters tonight 1t Ii q stag
affair and many men. prominent in
Washington, are expected to attend. Tho
cavalrymen promise a number Of sur
prises in the way Of entertainment and
the friends Of the cavalrymen are urged
% attend. No written invitation has been
sent out, but any one having q friend in
the troOp will be welcome.