Page:The history and achievements of the Fort Sheridan officers' training camps.djvu/211

 THE FIRST OFFICERS' TRAINING CAMP

��both sides became intense. The attacking lines drew nearer. They were in the ravine. In the wire! Rifles spoke in humming roar. They were past the outposts! In the first line! In the — A bugle blew. The waxen warfare ceased. Grimy, muddy and dusty warriors excitedly grouped together and straggled home. One hundred verbal volleys throughout the night failed to decide which had w^on the honors — Reds or Blues.

In drill the infantry continued beyond the "School of the Battalion" into the study of the "Regiment." They also went on with vigorous extended and close order drill to perfect and enlarge upon the preliminary work of the first month.

Bayonet work was an important branch of infantry specialization which was brought to a point of perfection in all the companies. Some candidates, who had seen service overseas, assisted in this w^ork through lectures and the personal leading of drills. The finer points of the art of bayonet fighting w^ere taught on the field north of the trenches, w^here wire entanglements were placed to baffle, and brushwood dummies to resist, the attacks and thrusts of eager destroyers.

The second week of July found in Camp a man destined to fill the infan- try w^ith a thorough appreciation of "accuracy, precision and smack." Major Herman J. Koehler, for 3 1 years principal physical director and instructor of military gymnastics at West Point, had arrived. For two weeks he snapped various companies (and one or tw^o representatives from each battery and troop) through vigorous physical exercises and bayonet drill. His remarks on the "Field Physical Training of the Soldier", as voiced in a syllabus pre- pared for the War Department, were exceedingly valuable and to the point:

���THE "REDS" AGIN THE "BLUES'

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