Page:The history and achievements of the Fort Sheridan officers' training camps.djvu/210

 208 THE FORT SHERIDAN ASSOCIATION

and also continued into the most advanced stages of drill. Before undertaking the perfection of the former, however, they first, with the assistance of the Ohio engineers, laid out and constructed trenches and fortifications of the most modern type, patterned to conform with the latest advices from Europe. It was strenuous w^ork for hands and backs, but the finished network of trenches — advance, support, reserve and communicating, with outposts and dugouts appropriately placed, w^as a notable reward for all the trying exertion.

For work with the rifle, the infantry went north to the range and there, not only fired, but practiced the estimating of distances and use of the range- finder.

Practical w^ork on the range w^as supplemented by the study of "battle fire training" and "Rules of Land Warfare." Lectures by the instructors on American methods of warfare, continuing into the present day methods of foreign armie.s, served to establish a comprehensive understanding of the subject in the mind of the candidate.

Special machine gun instruction was given by Capt. James D. Melville, of the First Illinois Infantry.

There was additional practical training in road and field w^ork. One company, representing a battalion, regiment, or perhaps merely a company, w^ould go out to oppose another company, representing an equal body of men. To distinguish one side from the other, the members of one of the forces w^ould w^ear w^hite handkerchiefs around their hats or left arms, w^hile the other side w^ore no distinguishing mark. Points, Advance Parties, Supports, Reserves and Main Bodies would be properly instructed, and after one side had set off for parts unknown, the other unit, a reasonable length of time having elapsed, w^ould set out to find the enemy and strive to effect its capture. There w^as much exciting scout work, heated clashes, rifle snappings, and battles strenuously fought, w^ith victory claimed by both participating sides.

The spectacular culmination of the battle training took place in and opposing the labyrinth of trenches, w^hen all was dark and those not fighting w^ere endeavoring to study and slumber. The first shot was fired one night at about nine. A sentry in a forward observation post had seen a dim figure mov- ing in a mist south across the ravine. He fired. The shot snapped every rifle- man to attention. Nerves, formerly quivering, fairly hummed. Eyes strained. An indefinite line of figures rose in the mist. Five rifles cracked. The line abruptly faded. An officer in the trenches w^hispered a command — Swish! High in a tall tree a flare burst into dazzling light. The line in the field, for- merly indefinite, loomed as an extensive force of prone forms. Behind lay another. The first was 200 yards aw^ay. The attackers hugged the ground in agony at the exposure of the brightness. The light quivered. Up sprang the rear line, rushing forward. Trenches crackled with fire. Down sank the moving forms. The first line, now behind, sprang up, advancing. A new flare in another tree dazzled field and sky. Trench rifles volleyed. The new for- ward attacking line flopped to the ground and opened up with rapid flashes. Crouching figures ran haltingly back and forth along the line. Firing from

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