Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 217, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 September 1910 — Militia Company Returned Saturday From Maneuvers at Army Post. [ARTICLE]

Militia Company Returned Saturday From Maneuvers at Army Post.

Forty soldiers composing the part of the local militia company that participated in the war maneuvers at Fort Benjamin Harrison returned home Saturday evening, after a rather strenuous ten da>s’ encampment. All seemed pleased with the camp, and during the hikes all withstood the hardships like veterans, even the recruits doing slendidly. Company M was unfortunate in respect to being in the junior battalion in the guard, occasioned by the fact that Major Harrison was not in camp and his place was taken by the senior captain. This placed M, G and A companies habitually in the reserve and they never got on the firing line in any of the maneuvers. Several who were sent out on patrols succeeded in getting to use up a part of the blank ammunition issued, but the main company from a point in the rear were hustled about through ravines and up and down hills and encouraged several times by what looked to be an opportunity to get on the front. Friday morning there was a twelve mile maneuver that was the most difficult experienced by the guardsmen. All the troops were placed under one commander, making a provisional division, delegated to save Indianapolis from an imaginary foe. After the city had been theoretically saved the division made an attack on a small outlined force that was defending the army post and swept them back in short order. With the expectation that the maneuver would require about all day a haversack ration was issued in the morning, but the move-

ment was completed by 1 o'clock and only a few to whom the cans of bacon were issued had opened them and cooked the contents in their mess pans. The fires were booiplng when the order for march came and much of the ration was wasted. The instruction at the camp this year was regarded as superior because all officers and through them all men were informed in advance what the movement was to be, over what ground it would take place and the interest each felt in doing his utmost to be on the side that the regular army umpires declared victorious was intense. Most of the soldiers expressed themselves as wishing that the encampment was to continue another ten days. No young man can spend an enlistment in the national guard and partake of the instruction at the maneuver camps and not be greatly improved thereby, having an experience that may prove very valuable at some future time, as well as giving him a practical education that alone is worth a great deal. The last call for peaches for this season today and Tuesday.

JOHN EGER.