The Army's Mimic War

Details of the Fall Maneuvers at Fort Riley.

All Arms of Service to Join In.

Movements of the Troops Will Extend over an Area of Two Hundred and Twenty-five Square Miles-- Battlefield is on Historic Ground. Large Corps of Umpires.

The United States army will soon commence the greatest maneuvers in its history. The maneuvers will take place on the military reservation at Fort Riley. Kan., and on the farm land bordering the reservation, says the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. The movements of the troops will be conducted on a larger scale in many ways than they were last fall. There will be about twice as many troops participating in the maneuvers this year, and their movements will extend over an area of 225 square miles instead of being limited to nineteen square miles, as they were a year ago. 

The maneuvers will begin on Oct. 16 and will continue until Oct. 27. They6 will be participated in by troops representing each arm of the service, and besides the 1,500 troops that are stations regularly at Fort Riley, troops will come from Jefferson barracks, Mo.; Forts Leavenworth, Kan.; Sill and Reno, Okla.; Niobara and Robinson, Neb.; Douglas, Utah; Snelling, Minn.; Lincoln, N. D.; Myer, Va.; and Keogh, Mont.

The regular troops that have been designated to take part in the maneuvers are: First battalion of engineers; headquarters, band and First and Second squadrons, Fourth cavalry; First and Third squadrons, Eighth cavalry; headquarters, band and First and Third squadrons, Tenth cavalry; the Sixth, Seventh, Nineteenth, Twentieth, Twenty-fifth, Twenty-eight and Twenty-ninth batteries of field artillery; the Sixth, Twenty-second and Twenty-sixth regiments of infantry, with headquarters and band of each. These troops will all come from the various posts in the department of the Missouri.  The Second, Twelfth and Twenty-first regiments of infantry, which are stationed outside of the department, will take part, as will the First company of instruction, hospital corps, of Washington barracks, and a signal corps from Fort Myer, Va. The regular troops will number over 8,000.

Besides the regular troops there will be an army of national guard present as follows: Kansas, one brigade, consisting of two regiments of infantry and two batteries of field artillery; Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Arkansas, one regiment of infantry each; Colorado, one battalion of infantry' Nebraska, a signal corps of about sixty men. Nearly 5,000 national guards will participate in the maneuvers, and the total number of troops in the maneuver division will be close to 13,000. 

The camp site of the maneuver division last fall has been chosen for the location of the camp for this year's maneuver division. The camp will be on the famous Pawnee flats, just east of the military post. The site is a famous one for the reason that it was once occupied by a town that was the first capital of the territory of Kansas. The old state house, roofless and floorless and in a dilapidated condition, still stands, and this fall, when the big army is encamped about it, it will mark the center of the great camp. 

The new camp site will extend along the Kansas river for several miles. The troops will be encamped in regimental formation, and each one of these camps will have its regular system of streets. The commissary department has already arranged to supply the troops with fresh beef, fresh vegetables and fresh bread every day while they are encamped on the reservation. 

The corps of umpires that will give the decisions of the results of each day's maneuvers has been appointed by the war department. Colonel Arthur L. Wagner of the general staff of the army and adjutant general of the department of the lakes has been appointed chief umpire. Thirty-three officers of the regular army compose the corps of umpires. The corps will be divided and will occupy different positions with the contending forces of the blue and brown armies. In the sham fights the two armies will not be allowed to come any nearer together that 100 yards. The umpires will note the points of advantage one body gains over the other, and when the maneuver has been worked out and has progressed so far as necessary a signal will be given by the bief umpire that all movement and firing cease. The umpires will then go along all the lines of the two armies for the purpose of making note of the final result. Each evening the decision of that day's maneuver will be announced, so that the regular and national guard officers and the men of both organizations may profit by the day's lessons in maneuvers to follow. 

The maneuver problems will include problems of attack and defense of position in the field and fortified position, reconnaissance, advance and rear guard movements, use of pontoons, building roads and the convoy of wagon trains. Last fall the troops were given maneuver problems each day during the time they were at the post, but this year, in order that the officers and men may rest, the programme will provide that every other day be devoted to department athletic contests. These field day exercises will test many qualities necessary in actual war. The men who will participate in these field day sports will be picked from the winners of the monthly field day events at the various posts of the department of the Missouri.