THE BATTLE OF HOOK'S FARM 5
Category:
Extensions And Amplifications Of Little War
That, however, is theory; let us return to fact. Figure 8 gives the
disastrous consequences of Red's last move. Blue has moved, his guns
have slaughtered ten of Red's wretched foot, and a rush of nine Blue
cavalry and infantry mingles with Red's six surviving infantry about the
disputed gun. These infantry by the definition are isolated; there are
not three other Reds within a move of them. The view in this photograph
also is an extensive one, and the reader will note, as a painful
accessory, the sad spectacle of three Red prisoners receding to the
right. The melee about Red's lost gun works out, of course, at three
dead on each side, and three more Red prisoners.
Henceforth the battle moves swiftly to complete the disaster of Red.
Shaken and demoralised, that unfortunate general is now only for
retreat. His next move, of which I have no picture, is to retreat the
infantry he has so wantonly exposed back to the shelter of the church,
to withdraw the wreckage of his right into the cover of the cottage,
and--one last gleam of enterprise--to throw forward his left gun into
a position commanding Blue's right.
Blue then pounds Red's right with his gun to the right of the farm and
kills three men. He extends his other gun to the left of the farm, right
out among the trees, so as to get an effective fire next time upon the
tail of Red's gun. He also moves up sufficient men to take possession of
Red's lost gun. On the right Blue's gun engages Red's and kills one man.
All this the reader will see clearly in figure 9, and he will also note
a second batch of Red prisoners--this time they are infantry, going
rearward. Figure 9 is the last picture that is needed to tell the story
of the battle. Red's position is altogether hopeless. He has four men
left alive by his rightmost gun, and their only chance is to attempt to
save that by retreating with it. If they fire it, one or other will
certainly be killed at its tail in Blue's subsequent move, and then the
gun will be neither movable nor fireable. Red's left gun, with four men
only, is also in extreme peril, and will be immovable and helpless if
it loses another man.
Very properly Red decided upon retreat. His second gun had to be
abandoned after one move, but two of the men with it escaped over his
back line. Five of the infantry behind the church escaped, and his third
gun and its four cavalry got away on the extreme left-hand corner of
Red's position. Blue remained on the field, completely victorious, with
two captured guns and six prisoners.
There you have a scientific record of the worthy general's little
affair.
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EXTENSIONS AND AMPLIFICATIONS OF LITTLE WAR
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THE BATTLE OF HOOK'S FARM 4
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