Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1916-09-15
BADGER TROOPS TO
TAKE PART IN WAR
GUARD WILL PROTECT REAR OF
RETIRING DIVISION IN
MANEUVERS.
TEST WILL BE A REAL ONE
Wisconsin Soldiers Will Be Required
to impede Progress of Pursuing
Troops - High Officials
Praise Badger Boys.

San Antonio-The Wisconsin troops
probably will be given the most impor-
tant work to do in the war problem
which must be solved by the soldiers
of the Twelfth division in their march
to Austin, Tex. 1t is likely that the
problem will be one between two units
of division each. A battle will have
just been held and one division is max
ing a rapid retreat while the other di-
vision is in pursuit. The disorganized
and retreating troops will be an mag
mary one, but it's rear guard will be
very much alive, being composed of
the Wisconsin brigade under General
Richardson.
1t will be its duty as rear guard Of
the retreating division to protect it
from destruction from the pursuing di-
vision. To give it this protection the
Wisconsin brigade will have to delay
the advance of the pursuing division,
three times as strong as the Wisconsin
brigade. The pursuing division will be
composed of Illinois, Kansas and reg
ular troops.
To protect the rear of disorganiZed
retreating force is real feat, and it
sometimes means great loss of life,
which sacrifices being necessary to
protect the main body.
All sorts of tricks and small fights
will be resorted to to delay the oncom-
ing force, it being impossible, of
course, for the brigade to engage in ac-
tual battle with the entire pursuing
division.
Badgers Are Praised.
Praise for the Wisconsin soldiers
continues. 1t is heard on every hand.
High officers in the army, officers from
other states and civilians have no end
of good words for them. They made
a decided hit in the town of New
BraunfeIs, city officials there declaring
that they were the most orderly and
most soldierly men who, have ever
camped there. There was not one bit
of trouble while they were there,
which made the stay much more pleas
ant than that Of other troops.
Motors to Supply Division.
For the first time in United States
army history, motor transportation
will be used to supply an army divi-
sion when the Twelfth division, which
includes the Wisconsin brigade,
marches from San Antonio to Austen,
and it will be the first time a divi
sion has moved with complete equip
ment since the civil war.
Two truck companies, sixty-siX ma
chimes, will make up the supply train,
fhn
train and one company, the engineer
train, making total of five compa
mes, or It's machines.
There will also be a sanitary train
of four field hospitals and four ambu-
lance companies, and each regiment
will have it's own field and combat
trains of horse and mule drawn We
hicles.
The auto supply train will form a
continuous train of machines between
San Antonio and the, column. Every
day days rations for the 653 officers
and 13,410 men will be delivered by
the trucks.
The troops will leave Camp Wilson
in two columns, one comprised of the
Wisconsin brigade, reinforced, and the
other the rest OF the division. The
Wisconsin brigade will reach New
Braunfels the second day and the rest
of the division the third day. Here
the BadgersNwill oppose the advance of
the others.
Will Reach Austin Sept. %.
The troops will march into Camp
Mabry at Austin on Sept. %. They
will remain there three days and then
start back again, arriving at San An
tonic on Oct. 8.
Troops taking part in the hike will
be the First, Second and Third Wis
consin infantry, First and Second Kan
sas infantry, Third, Fourth, Seventh
United States Field artillery, First ILL
nois Field artillery, Wisconsin battery
or artillery, Sixteenth United States
cavalry and Wisconsin troop, an en-
gineers' battalion, including Texas en-
gineers, Company A and Illinois com
pany A.
Wisconsin medical officers attached
to the field hospital and regimental
sanitary detachments have done
great deal toward upholding the repu-
tation of the state soldiery since the
brigade came to Texas.
Regular army officers are beginning
to realize that the medical department
of the Wisconsin guard at least can
stand on its own feet and conduct its
work without frequent inspections and
suggestions.