The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-04-28

fortified position and three guns The former divided hts
forces attacking GandAa With halt Tue party Of tho
a hundred Of them were killed including their leader
their guns were captured and the whole party eKsia
On the goth Of February body OF six hundred Indians
down Guaymas, piunoereda small village about
nire miles distant aod carried en- several cattle and o.her
property No resistance being offered 70 them there was
no loss Of life.
Her Britannia Majesty ship Masiciene reached Mazataa
the 18th Of March.
Our Home DeSences -For,ihc atoms and
Artillery.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
Notifications, as means of hsrbor defence, have
been accepted by us as national necessity. In the
event Of a war with maritime Power, our forti6ca-
tons would alone be the safeguards of our large
seaports, and, in connection with the naval branch
of the service, be the means of protecting COM
merce and uphoding our ascendency on the seas.
Foresses can, however, be of no avail unless their
ornaments are properly manned and their MISSILES
Of destruction guided by intelligence All artillery
depends for its efficiency on the theoretical and
practical knowledge of the arterst serving It, and
this can only be acquired through study and expe-
rence. The use of firearms is 80 universal with Us,
that in case of emergency there be little diff
Guilty in enrolling hundreds of thousands Of excellent
marksmen, who need but the controlling influence
OF discipline to make them the best of soldiers II
is quite another matter with the handling Of the
heavy guns that briste In our fortresses. An occa
sional field battery, well served, may be found in
our large cities; but the information consequent
thereon besides being extremely limited, differs az
much from the efficient management of large ord
nance, as II does from the skilful welding of rifle
with the Mimic bullet
Tie questions then arise, is this knowledge to be
found in our army?-and If not, how can this de-
feet in our military system be corrected? In proof
that artillery is not thoroughly efficient such,
is only necessary to refer to recent memorials to
the Secretary of War and the Commanderin-C Chief,
recently circulated by artillery officers. How il,
hen our artillery to be made efficient and capable
of indefinite expansion in time of war; In the first
place IL should be reduced and formed into a corps.
The surplus to be converted into infantry. No oh
ection can he raised TO this conversion, for
til!ery regiments are practically nothing but in
fantry, and can never be anything else so long as
the demands on the army are so great and frequent
and its numerical force IL kept down 10 its present alb
surd minimum because of the ridiculous fears enter
tanned OF large standing army by our brave polit
clans Secondly, the corps of artillery both officers
and men, with the exception OF the light batteries
that should always be on active service), should
compose the personnel Of or more schools OF
practice. the officers TO be detailed for duty with
the light batteries in a certain fixed rotation.
Thirdly, the schools should teach the theory and
practice of gunnery in all its varied branches to ALL
officers and men. The best men, after several years
Of instruction and close examination, should be
lected for taking the charge OF ungarrsoned fort
u
would be required TO keep its armament &C., In pro-
per preservation. Fourthly, the corps Of artillery
to be made, by legislative enactment, ineligible for
active service except In actual war with civilized
Power, whether maritime or otherwise.
The consequences of this plan selfevident.
We would have in our army corps of educated
artllerists skilled in all the mysteries Of the art,
both theoretical and practical In case Of war, an
officer and half dozen men could Ia the briefest
period bring a company TO q state of efficiency. In
other words, volunteer company could be made
respectable artillery in few weeks after being mus
tered into the service, and, guided by the
thorough knowledge and skill Of the off,
GERS and artillerlsts, would prove TO I've
all that would be required In the defence
of ratification Besides, those In charge OF the
forts would now bring their Information into play,
and in their turn aid in the instruction of new e
vies. For example. suppose the corps to be
composed Of SO officers and 1000 men at the
schools exclusive Of the light batteres) about the
size Of one of the present regiments. To this add.
say 500 men at the ungarrisoned forts making
total OF 90 officers and 500 men. Each one Of
these men would be capable Of instructng ten re-
cruits and in the brief period OF three or ak weeks
our efficient artillery would amount to 900 men,
with supervising body Of so officers instructed In
all that science and experience could supply.
Contrast this with the present condition of the
artillery arm. With the exception Of the school OF
practice just formed at Fort Monroe and from which
we expect the best results, the four artillery regi-
ments are scattered over our extended frontiers,
doing duty ~ infantry. When required 10 perform
their legitimate duties in the defence of seaboard
their rank and file will have to be instructed in
these duties equally with the militia that will rally
a. the call Of the country The professional know
ledge Of the rank and file Is confined 10 SCOTS tao
tics and OF the artillery art 10 the mere
name that heads their muster rolls. This IL
all wrong We must some day expect TO be
engaged in war with a first class power, and
mere physical courage will not make Ms equal TO the
tremendous power Of scientific acquisition. We
must expect TO return their missiles Of death with
the same unerring certainty they sent TO US,
aud our knowledge and experience must provide the
expedients that are to counteract the results Of
turies of war and centuries Of practice. This can
never be done with present system Of artillery,
i'm name only. Our schools Of practice must .
cherished as grand promoters Of peace, aud In war
as one Of those gigantic elements Of strength that r.
TO make our shores invulnerabe. The demolition Of
one Of our fortresses the sacking Of OF sea
ports would cost the government more treasure, not
TO speak Of the loss of e than the most lavish ex
travagance q dozen schools of practice during
period Of half century. Then, what false economy
II IL 10 build fortrcsses at the expense OF millions
upon millions and not dollar expended TO provide
for their proper defence. While volunteers are being
made artillerists, under present system, steam
ers can cross and re-cross the and land upon
our shores the personnel and moferie for destruc
ton that have been accommodating for such contin-
pencies at enormous, but not less economical, ex-
pense. While we sit with folded hands crying
peace peace the storm may be even now brewing
that il 20 bring rs In collision with foreign foe
ain peace prepare for war" should not be an idle
oavino IN no noufbod bv vouuQ vapid orators but