San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-25
Extensive Maneuvers in
Big Bend Country Get
Under Way.
PLANES PROVE USEFUL
High Officers Comment on
Splendid Condition Of
Soldiers.


forces on one side and cavalry and ar
<gillery of the browns on the other.
the "browns' at o'clock Monday
afternoon captured the Fisher ranch
and water supply, their first objec-
tive, and went into camp for the night.
The "white' patrols fell back in
orderly retreat upon their main forces
to the south.
Outpost engagements are expected
during the night.
Mondays action began a ten-d1y
maneuvcr period of the First Cavalry
division, which is considered one o:
the most important in the history of
the army.
The engagements Monday consisted
principally of an attempt on the par.
of the whites" TO hamper the south
ward movement of the browns" and
TO gather information.
The object of the browns" was to
capture the Fisher ranch and water
supply, thereby forcing the white
patrols back, and to threaten the line
of communications between the
whites" and their red allies, an
imaginary army approaching from the
south.
The thunder of the "15's" of tine
Eighty-second Field Artillery and the
staccatto reports of the machine guns
and automatic rifles furnished obseIy-
ers with real thrill.
The most spectacular fighting Of the
day was an uphill cavalry charge by
two troops of the Eighth Cavalry of
the browns" upon two troops -fhe
first white" cavalry; near the Fisher
ranch house.
High Officers Present.
1t was witnessed by Maj. Gen. E.
NJ. Lewis. commanding the Eighth
Corps area; Mai. Gen. Robert l..
Howe, commander of the First Cav
airy division: Col. Leon b. Cromer,
general staff; Maj. Gen. Ernest
Kinds, Brig. Gen. Paul Malone, Brig
Gen. Joseph Cashier and other high
ranking officers.
The attack was a complete surprise
The whites" had dismounted and
were attacking brown patrol from
~ steep hillside.
Meanwhile the advance column of
the browns" maneuvered around the.l
right flank and while the whites
were mounting their horses, charged
at gallop.
The umpire halted the fight before
actual damage was done.
Although it appeared that the
'browns" had captured or annihilat-
/. ed the whites the umpire only forced
the whites" back one-half mile, hold
ing that the browns" had been under
heavy machine gun fire prior TO the
attack.
Troops Of brown" cavalry. the Sec
ond Cavalry Brigade under command
of Brig. Gen. Joseph Cashier, LETT
Ryan. q small station 20 miles west
of Maria, at 80 O'Clock, marching
southeast.
4 squadron Of The First Cavalry
regiment, under command of Mai.
John {. Tillson. of the Whites" left
Maria shortly after dusk Sunday nigh:
and took up a position to the south
west for accommodating purposes.
Monday morning the main forces o:
the First Cavalry brigade. whites
under command of Col. Walter &
Short. moved off in the same direction.
Advance patrols of the whites
under Major Tillson, gained contact
with the browns" shortly before IL
o'clock, fromthat time on Major Till
SONS squadron constantly harasscd the
browns" forcing them to turn aside
to repulse him.
Delays Brown" Advance.
This action on the part Of the
"whites' delayed somewhat the ad-
vance of the browns" and it was not
until nearly 9 O'Clock that the
whites" had been driven entirely
from the Fisher ranch and well to the
south of the Marfa-Ruidoso road.
A troop of white" cavalry was
forced to make a hasty retreat over
~uayHn ground when attacked unexpec.-
eddy by troop of browns concealed
on a hillside.
According to the general scheme OF
the maneuvers. an imaginary red
force, has crossed the Rio Grande.
from the south and is attempting to
join the whites via the Marfa-Pre-
sidio road.
The main "white" force is supposed
to be camped well north of this road.
in an effort to hold back the brown"
until this juncture is effected.
The browns" on the other hand
are in complete control Of Fishers
ranch. the Marfa-Ruidoso road and
are threatening the "white-red" COM
munications to the south.
The air service played an important
part in Mondays maneuvers, planes
of the Twelfth Observation Squadron
under command of Mai. Leo G. HeE
ferman scouting for both sides.
Planes of the whites" took off al
Z 80 o'clock while those of the
browns" entered the maneuver fiela
at noon.
One of the most amusing incidents
of the day was the capture of a
drown" patrol which evidently had
become lost at SINNERS ranch.
An officer and three men had en-:
tered corral on the ranch when they
a were sighted by a white" patrol.
The three men surrendered to CAP |
tain Daniel of the Fifth Cavalry, but
the officer abandoned his horse and
took refuge in a cornfield.
Up to a late hour Monday he hal
H not SURRENDERED.
Will Attack Tuesday.
Division headquarters Monday aft |
ernoon was established at SINNERS
ranch and at o'clock orders were Is
sued for Tuesdays maneuvers whicr |
will consist of an attack by thel
A.hrowns" upon the whites in an eff
Hort to force them back, and cover the
H advance of the reds" from the south
Although the maneuvers under way |
lin the Big Bend district are the most
comprehensive in peace time in the