Enemy Begins Its Move On New York.

New York Times 100 years ago today, August 12, 1912:
Red and Blue Armies Clash for First Battle of Extensive War Manoeuvres.
AVIATORS ACTIVE IN FIELD
Troops Have a Busy Sunday — Many Men Overcome by Heat — Gov. Dix a Camp Visitor.
Special to The New York Times.
    STRATFORD, Conn., Aug. 11— Before these dispatches are read by New Yorkers at breakfast the most extensive set of military manoeuvres ever planned by the War Department will be in full operation. The Red Army of invasion will be on its way to capture, if possible, the greatest city in the United States.
    To-day was one of more or less idleness in camp. The only activities were those of the aviation squadron and the wireless operators, which two branches of the Signal Corps expect to demonstrate that radiograms can be sent from aeroplanes to field headquarters at a distance of more than fifteen miles.
    But if to-day — one of intense heat by the way — was devoid of military activity, there was plenty of camp work to be done, for troops of both the Red and Blue forces were late arriving last night, and when they did arrive it was simultaneous with a drenching rain.
    The Twelfth New York Infantry did not make camp at Orange until early today. The wagon train proved troublesome, so that it was late before it was on the way. Lieut Col. Cornelius Vanderbilt, who had charge of the landing, way held up by a patrol on both sides on the Milford Turnpike, and had to prove his right to proceed.

Foss Arrives with Troops.
    Gov. Foss, commanding the First and Second Massachusetts Brigades, arrived with his troops to-day by train. They landed southeast of Derby and went into camp near there, where the Reds are concentrating a large force. The First Vermont Infantry detrained at Hawleyville late yesterday and marched to camp, where it was brigaded with the Fifth United States Infantry. The New Jersey brigade of three regiments reinforced the Blues and is somewhere in the hilly western part of the fighting area. The Second Maine Infantry joined Gen. Cowles's provisional brigade at Oxford, where the First and Second Connecticut pitched their tents yesterday. Practically all the Red Army is now in position for advance.
    Many of the units had trouble in reaching their camps last night. Troop D, First New York Cavalry, from Syracuse, took a train at midnight Friday and reached Bridgeport at midnight. Lieut Wise, Third Infantry, who had been detailed to guide it, missed connection, and the troop commander started out to find his camp. At 3 o'clock this morning he reached an infantry camp at Woodlawn and dismounted, his men not waiting to put up shelter tents, but rolling themselves in blankets and lying down just as a thunderstorm broke.
    After breakfast the troop again started to find brigade headquarters, and had nearly reached this camp when Col. Regan, Lieut. Col. Wolton, and Lieut Col. Sternberger of the New York Division headquarters found it and set it on the right road.

Aeroplane a Big Factor.
    Not more than 5,000 of the 20,000 men in the field are expected to take part in the preliminary battle to begin in the morning as soon as there is sufficient light. It is predicted that the bloodless though important struggle will be over by 2 o'clock in the afternoon at the latest.
    The aeroplane will figure in the battle from start to the finish if the weather conditions permit, and the indication tonight is for good weather.
    Lieut. Foulois will fly a machine fitted with wireless, and will also work the apparatus. The apparatus attached to the aeroplane was perfected by Lieut. Foulois, and on this afternoon his messages came clear as a bell from an altitude of more than 2,000 feet to a land station which, at times, was more than fifteen miles distant. The apparatus at Gen. Bliss's headquarters to which Foulois will flash his messages, is the most powerful field equipment in the possession of the Government and is the same outfit that was used on the Mexican border during the revolution which ended in the elevation to the Mexican Presidency of Francisco Madero.
    The flights this morning and again this afternoon brought great crowds to the headquarters camp of Gen. Bliss and Major Gen. O'Ryan, and Adjt. Gen. Verbeck of the New York Guard, all of whom have headquarters on the same field.
    Gov. Dix arrived late this afternoon in time to witness the second series of flights, and was present when Foulois, circling over the field at an altitude of between 1,000 and 1,500 feet, tried out the wireless outfit.

Fliers Nearly Hit a Fence.
    Lieuts. Milling and Geiger had a thrilling experience getting into the air with their Curtiss machine. The air was full of "holes," and the machine did not leave the ground as soon as it was expected to. The headquarters field is inclosed from the highway by a high stone fence. The machine went into the air less than 100 feet from the fence, and those who witnessed the ascension expected to see it crash head on against the stonework. As it was, the machine went over the fence, but the margin of safety was not more than six inches.
    Sergt. Beckwith Havens of the First Signal Company of Manhattan also made a fine flight this afternoon. His was the first flight ever made in this country by an aviator flying as a National Guardsman.
    As for the soldiers, not of the Signal Corps, they spent the day trying to keep cool. The day was sweltering and it was several degrees hotter under the tents than it was out in the open. It was said to-night that probably 100 guardsmen had been overcome by the heat during the day, but none of the cases is serious, and it is expected that the entire lot will be in line when the actual work begins tomorrow morning.
    While mass was being said in the camp of the Ninth Massachusetts Infantry from Boston fifteen soldiers were overcome; and were taken to the regimental hospital. Mass was said also in the Sixty-ninth New York camp, but as those soldiers were fortunate enough to find a shaded spot in which to worship no prostrations occurred.
    In another Massachusetts regiment, one battalion of which arrived at Derby this Afternoon, twenty-eight men were prostrated on the march to their camp near Orange. The men lay on the side of the road until ambulances arrived to take them, to their regimental hospital. No prostrations were reported from any of the New York camps. Four of the Manhattan regiments are encamped together near the little three-house town known as Tyler City, about five miles this side of New Haven, their position being the extreme eastern end of the Red invading army. These regiments are the Seventh, Twelfth, Sixty-ninth, and Seventy-first, under command of Brig. Gen. Dyer. Despite the fact that they are within 200 yards of a railroad station, they are so located as to be almost hidden from view from the main road; and so it was that few visitors found them to-day.
    Scores of automobilists looking for friends in the Seventh returned to New Haven or Bridgeport and reported being unable to find the regiment. Some of these parties passed through Tyler City, not knowing that they were then within a stone's throw of New York's most famous foot command.
    The New York and Brooklyn cavalrymen who are operating for the first time as a regiment were even harder to find than were the infantrymen. Their camp is on the Housatonic River and so well hidden that when a Squadron A or a Squadron C trooper does ride out into the open he has to ask some native how to get back to his regiment.
    Several accidents to soldiers were reported to-day. In the Seventh Regiment, Corporal William Bentley of the Mounted Patrol was badly injured early this morning on his return from patrol duty. It was dark and was raining hard. Bentley rode head on into one of the big automobile vans, which the Seventh has rented for transportation purposes. He was thrown from his horse and suffered severe contusions of the head and body. To-night he is reported recovering.
    Private Ambrose Donohue of the Ninth Massachusetts reported to his commanding officer late this afternoon suffering from several stab wounds. He said that he had been assaulted by three men who thought he had some money. He will go back to his home in Boston to-morrow.
    Gov. Dix arrived about 5 o'clock this afternoon. He came from his home in Thomson, N. Y., by automobile, and drove the machine himself. He was accompanied by Commander Eckford C. de Kay, his military aid, and Col. M. M. Dunspaugh of his staff. The Governor is the guest of Adjt. Gen. Verbeck, and will remain-in camp until Tuesday morning.
    Gen. Verbeck gave a dinner in honor of the Governor to-night, the guests being the officers of Gen. O'Ryan's and Gen. Verbeck's staffs. Among them were Col. Cornelius Vanderbilt, Lieut. Col. Romulus C. Walton, and Commander Russell Raynor of the naval militia. The Governor will witness to-morrow's battle.
    The turning-in-hour in all the camps to-night was 9 o'clock, for at 5 o'clock tomorrow morning the soldiers and troopers must be up and ready for the first day's fighting, which is to mark the advance of the Red Army under Gen. Smith in the direction of New York.