United States Military Academy at West Point in New York, United States. Artillery on a mounted area with buildings in background and view out over the Hudson River. United States Army cadets stand in line with rifles in their hands.
U.S. Army soldiers arrive at a training encampment by train. Soldiers in training each firing a pistol at targets on an open field. Groups of soldiers prone in a line firing rifles, then running across a field. The troops mount a wall obstacle. Again they lie prone and fire across a field. The troops are in training for mission to Veracruz Mexico following the Tampico Affair.
Mounted artillerymen execute various maneuvers with teams of horses pulling caissons and artillery pieces on a field at Fort Crook, Nebraska. They raise considerable clouds of dust during the maneuvers. Large units of cavalry practice formations and charge across the field brandishing sabers.
Contingent of U.S. cavalry arrive at a grove on training grounds of Fort Crook, Nebraska. They are mounted in formation. On their commander's order, the entire formation backs up and moves forward, again, in unison. The cavalrymen dismount. In another sequence, a small group of cavalry gallop from the distance, up a hill and stop short of the camera. Next scene shows dismounted cavalry lined up in front of stables. They mount their horses in unison, at a command. Their commander faces them, as three mounted buglers, behind him sound a bugle call. His horse paces about a bit as the bugles blow. In next sequence, several dismounted soldiers set up an artillery observation post, including a telescope on a tripod, in a field, as a mounted officer watches. An officer directs a cavalryman who sets a flag in the field. Back at the stables, mounted officers lead a group of soldiers pulling caissons and artillery pieces, with teams of horses. Dismounted soldiers are assembled with grazing horses, at the grove seen earlier. An officer arrives and issues an order. The soldiers mount and form up before moving out as a unit.
United States Army artillerymen arrive with a caisson and field piece, at a training observation post in a field at Fort Crook, Nebraska. They separate the gun from the caisson and begin to set it up. The next scene shows an artillery unit with teams of horses pulling caissons and field pieces. Scene reverts back to artillery observation post, where soldiers erect an observation ladder from their caisson,stabilized by guy wires. A soldier climbs it to observe from the top, with binoculars. More artillery is seen being pulled across the training fields. A horseman gallops across the field past the camera. He meets and officer standing by a flag and salutes after receiving an order, and gallops off.
U.S. Army cavalrymen arrive at a very steep embankment and ride their mounts down, one at a time. The slope is so steep that the horses must slide down. The riders must lean back to an extreme degree as they descend. Every horse and rider successfully accomplishes the test. The next scene shows cavalry riding rapidly toward a fence. They stop short and the cavalrymen make their horses lie down as they dismount.