Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-07-15
New Trial Granted to N1itch ell,

case they come this way The officers the loOkou
New Trial Granted to Mitchell
CHARLESTON, July ia new trial has been grant
ed to MITCHELL the porter of the steamer Marion charo
ed with abducting slave on the ground that the former
verdict had been corruptly obtained.
Bayonet Practice.
The correspondent of the London Times, who writes
from the Austrian headquarters says nothing has con-
WINGED him thoroughly of the Importance of rem
derng the Individual soldier so neatly perfect that the
smallest number possible may produce the greatest pos
sble effect theevents of the present Italian campaign
so far they affect the Austrian army. The great Sa
wing in money and in men, which may be made, where
one is drilled into such state of efficiency that he
do the work of two who only half drilled must
be of the last consequence to State engaged in war
The French Emperor seems to have been of this
when he attached to every barrack school for the eXe
else of the bayonet 1t is mistaken notion that this
weapon is to be superseded rendered useless by the
late invention in firearms On the contrary it seems
to have been in such high repute it at pres
ent Upon reading the of the current cam
pan it will be discovered that all the great battles have
been decided by desperate hand-tohand fighting The
bayonet has been the master weapon every encounter
and it is not wonderful that it should have proved most
successful in the hands of those who have been most
thoroughly trained in its use. The French infantry
have been taught to employ it, both for offence and de-
fence, the cavalry taught to the sword. 1t
may be sad that the cavalry are instructed to depend
upon the spur than the sword so charge of bay
onets depends for its success upon the weight and
impetus of the attacking column than upon the ndivd
ual skill Of its particular members. To extent
this is true But while nothing daunts the courage
of the combaant consciousness that he is not skill
ed in the use of his weapon nothing adds more to
the efficiency of whole column than the confidence of
each individual in his capacity to such weapon
either in attacking others defending himself There
symptoms that in future charges of bayOnet will be
affairs of altogether another description from what they
boIo hoop Tn tipooci
for the parties engaged to bayonets, before
the other gave way. There seemed to be something in
the very aspect of cold Steel that struck terror into the
hearts of the stoutest battaliOns Unlike the ancient
Romans and their adversaries, whether Gaus Cartha
gnians or Eperotes who fought handtohand with the
plum tor hours at time the modern soldier had become
accustomed to fire at distance, that though he might
stand before shower of balls he could not endure the
prick of the bayonet But complete change seems to
have taken place. especially in the French army and it
will doubt pervade all the services of Europe
Taught by their desperate close fighting with the Arabs
in Algeria, the French infantry now rely, each man,
upon their individual exertions They fight at close
quarters for hours with courage not known even to
the best troops of the Republic and Empire.
The object of the great Napoleon seemed to be- on all
occasions to sink the individual soldier in the
far possible. His aim to concentrate, upon some
point the greatest amount of fire attainabe When by
the aid of enormous batteries, he had overwhelmed
wing the CENTRE he directed huge of infantry
calculated-in general correctly-that if one point
carried the whole line would recoil. The tendency of
modern tactics is to duse the attacks and thus to put
each Individual more upon his mettle In the presence
Of the rhed cannon and the improved rifle, the solid
masses that formerly opposed the resistance Of
inertia to attacking foe, would melt away like frost
in the sum- Troops, instead of marching up to bat
terry with military step and in solid order take advan-
tage of every tree bush hllock throw themselves
the ground crawl upon their hands and pick out their
men, and if occasion serve form at given signal and
dash like lightning upon the opposing columns The
efficiency of each soldier u.s. therefore matter of the last
importance.
These features of war; pleased to see have
not been lost upon General Scott He Directs in his
late general ORDERS that the soldiers shall be systena
caly instructed in the use of the bayonet No man
living has much cause to put confidence in that
weapon as Gen. Scott. He all his battles with 1t
in Mexico, and at Chippewa and Lundys Lane, he saw
troops of little than six months standing re-
peatedly beat the veterans of Wellington, who had been
successful in the of it during the Pennsular war
that they vaingoriously called themselves the lnvnc-
bes" These two battles proved that people on earth
can contend with the Americans in the use of the bay
one provided only that they be thoroughly tried and
disciplined soldiers that it. They were the only oc-
casioDs which fair trial of strength was ever made
between the British and American strength, for it was
the only occasion on which both sides were fully trained
to their work On all Others large proportion OF the
American troops militia, and could not OF course
withstand charge made by veteran troops. But here
both sides were thoroughly up to their work-both
fought with the subborness of troops cOntendng Tor
honor-and the Americans beat the very best troops
England could boast of fairly at the point of the bayone
1t is great pity that our own volunteer companies
do rot pay attention to this subject. We should
think each of them might have school for bayoneI
practice connected with their drill There are books
which the officers could readily obtain-so we learn
and from which they could soon learn all that can De
taught by book. The position of the volunteers IS
very important one. We have no large standing army
but these volunteer corps, existing in every city, tow"
and village of the country, present force OF most orm
dabe dimensions, not thoroughly drilled perhaps Du
so near it to make excellent soldiers. Upon lhe
sudden outbreak of war; there is little doubt that they
would be called Immediately into service 1t is, thet
FORE of the last Importance that they should go to tne
field well instructed in the of the bayonet as tney
already in firing. Affairs in the meantime, are p
coming complicated in Europe. There is no knoWiD5
one day what may happen the next This war may
spread, and we may be dragged into it.
BULwER LYrToN-A London correspondent says: i
have just made inquiry in relation to the rumored nSa
ity of sir Edward Buwer Lytton, the celebrated move
ist 1t entirely unfounded his mind strong as ever
although his health is bad and his person is much actG
The defeat of the Derby Ministry boon to him. m ~
released him from the of Office lie looks cG Tn
and require rest at present he IS at MS seal Ill
WORTH in Hertfordshire
The Postmaster General has ordered OF IT, T.
! of New York. the Government contracIol Uno nort-
the stamped envelopes with which he supplies te
ment combining the new selfrullng lmpro! :aI with
These will be furnished as they may De
| those now in use at the simple cost OF lnanu n;oo
ahou five cents per hundred above the present prices