The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-05-20
I H E DISPATCH



NOTIFICATIONS IN raK Mons OF CoSnucr1xa p.,
TLss, ARISING from IsPRovEp ARas.-Tbere ha
been many curious specuatians a. TO the uod,f
cations which the Improvements 10 the art Of q.
ana tsc invention OF more destructive veapou
wculd produce 10 the method OF conduc,,nv hath,
between civilized nations possessing these ir
creased means of killing each other. A~r;ter ,
the last number OF the Edinburgh Rcy;ew ,hr
discourses upeu the subject:
IL is much easier 10 Je.eriba the.e ,m,ros.
'nsnts than 1T Is 10 estimate what their protab]
effects may be on the science OF war, when they Ar
brought to the test of actual experience, though
cannot be doubted but that very great changes
tue mar@usring OF troops and the mode OF fig b,
ing battles must result from .hem, and that th
6cnerai who first appreciates their effects will b
the master OF the situation, ~
AS battles have been hitherto fought, the usus
practice has been for the opposing armies 10 ar
range themselves in battle array at distances va
rytng from 600 to 1900 yards from one another-
AT Waterloo the armies were about 1900 yard
apart. At such distances musketry 70 was ont {
the question. ss was the fire. OF grape or any othe
except round shot from ield guus, and even tha
was 80 uncertain and ipnocuous against bodies q
men, that no decisive result could be obtaine
from II. 1t was necessary, therefore, that one G
the armies should cross the intervening space t
get at the other. This they could do In any for
nation that suited them, and the assailauts nd
vsneed to ~itnin 400 or 800 yards OF their oppo
nents. without suffering any serious damage A
troops can easiiy pass over loo yards in minute
with two or three minutes st the utmost from til
time OF the army coming under fire, they wer
upon their oppOusnts, ard either forced them Z
retire, or were beaten back, with loss that wa
wonderfully small considering what IL ought the
oreticsliy to be under such circumstances.
All this must now be altered. twill be impos
s'ble to range troops at less than 2, ,000 yards,
they would be able to shoot each other down will
their fles, even without reference to artillery
shells with time fuses, at that distance, will Ger
isinly be as destructive as graps.hot was in th
olden time at 500 yards, and 10 avoid their eff.ci
the men must lie down on the ground, or hid
themselves behind some uDdulaton of the coun
try. But battles are not won by cannonadiug
and the question still remains how armies ar
TO get at one another; for, even supposing that a
2c00 yards very little damage can be done by riff
practice, still, whenever column or body O
troops advances within 200 yards of q division
d. W mp to receive it, they will be torn to piece
during the tet minutes that must elapse befor
they can close, aud 1t will scarcely encourag,
,he to know that, if rerulsed. they must be f1
ten minutes more within the range of their enc
mics rifles.
One obvious suggestion for getting ever yor
ton AZ least of the difficulty, would be to advs nc
the men as skirmishers, ia such loose formation
that artillery would have little effect o
them, and even rife: practice be very harmless
considering the unsteadiness of aim incident to th
heat AID excitement of q battle field. Tbis.n doub
would be practicable mai seuyre ii there. were n
cavaisy in the field; but if infantry do advance fs
from their supports, aud in such loose formation
that they cannot collect and form squares at YER
short notice, it will require better and steadie
troops than We have seen toprevent thenselve
being ridden over and cut to pieces. Even ab
strscting the element OF cavalry from the question
it is evident that, as both armies can throw ou
ssirmishers, and IN that respect be equal, no de
cisive result can be expected from such mode o
fighting.
In the C7imea the generals seems to have fel
this, though the arms then employed were no
what they have since become, and their effec.
were no. appreciated as they now are. A, til,
Alma the allies rushed at the Russians the mo-
ment they came within range; Without mabenyr
ing and still less formation; and at lnkerman the
Russians, evidently dreading the passage OF th'
gulf in day stole upon the Brtieh in the dar
and the xht became haDd-t0-hand struggle -
This difficulty will frequently be felt 10 future, II
one army cannot steal on the other uuawares, tO
take 1t at a disadvantage. As far as We can al
present Judge, the fight probably will be between
the two artilleres till the one gains superiority
and Is then enabled to turn its attention TO The
infantry; and when once ii has decimaied them
and rendered them unsteady, one army VIII then
rush rapidly as possible at the other, ana
hard -to-hsud fsht decide the day. ln whatever
manner battles will in future be fought, 1t seems
evident that close formation aud heavy y
in antry drills out Of date, ard that light in-
isntry movements are essential not only to enable
the soldier to with tie gTeatest possible effect
the improved weapons which have been put into
his bands but also TO prevent Ills presenting such
target 20 the fire Of the enemy as bsitalions Ia
close formation and with SLOW movements must
10.
TIE MARCH OF The FRENCH ARMY OVER THE
ALPS, A. DESCRIBED Br AN EYE WIrNEss-A writer
T Iva fntl fnta
ing description of the French army met by him
crossing the Alps:
'.On the evening eff the 26,h, I crossed Mount
Cents and when l reached susa, found at that
town the advanced guard Of the French army
some 600 men-consisting of Chsseeurs dc Vim.
aud Infantry of the line-ready to be pushed
on by rail to Tarin. Tickets were only issued to
pa sse d gers for the o'c lcck evening train The
same day, as / recrossed Mount Gents, l met TIVE
of infantry; aud again, on the 18th,
raesed, at different stag OF the route, between
LsBdlesbourg, on the Savoy side of the mountain
and Cuos on the French frontier, not less than
900 trocps-isciudiDg three regiments OF light and
one of heavy cavalry, large body of Chassenrs
aud 10 brass field pieces three regiments Of infan
try were marching rapidly along the liue OF rail
within a few miles of each other, while others
gers being conveyed in the train.
II was struck with the dsproportion CT beth cav
airy and artillery TO the hole OF the above mcn
toned f1rce-as the .ad FROM St jean Marienne
where the railway terminates, TO the foot or the Ce
MS pass il excellent; 60 600 is paId TO be tbs numb
of troops about to be transported along tas route
The guns were all rifea. quite Low Gnd vary light
Drawn by four herses "Licn appeared to my eye g
wait little more blood. The cavalry were We'll
IEoGuted, and the infantry had the app srance Of
beiag admirably eificient, both In discipline snd
stYdy little ielows Aithons6 oa
as i he sad passed every hour CT BIS existence
10 the iield-hardy, skiIfui aud self relying. The
truth OF the matter is that scarcely day passes in
ris b1t
10 fence or to 90 through the sayonet exercise
with his comrades uatil his eye is qnickened, M
limbs strengthened, and he mss become thorough
master CT his weapon
TIE SEAT OF WAR-THE SLOW PROGRESS cF TIL
AUsTKIANs ExPLAIEKD.-Much surprised is ex-
pressed By many persons that the Aus!rians, alter
crossing the Ticino, should have made such slow
progress In their march of Invasion, when every
hour to them is so important. IL is atated in q
letter from Turin, that the Sardinians have blown
up the bridge at Bufsiora, feled trees across the
roads and cut the dyk kes, and Thus have oyerhoweC
the fields this side the TicBo. This, perhaps, viii
account for the delay Of the Austrians. Many o.
the roads across the plains OF Sardinia, now the
seat of war, arc, or were, lined with rows OF iuii
grown trees, and q very little labor would maferi.
ally obstruct the roads Er two or three days at
least. An extract from a letter from an Americau
tourist over the ground now being travelled by the
A Aus,rians, gives a good idea of the locality:
We left Milan this morning in carriage foI
Nevara, arriving here at O'Clock this afternoon
The road is good all the way being nearly straigh!
aud dead level with the exception Of one or two
slight and gradual ascents and descents. We
crossed on foot the magnificent granite bridge
over the Ticino at Buff.lora. This bridge is one
thousaud feet long, aud is the fiaest bridge ever
50 v away from city or town; IL has eleven arches
Of uniform size, and Is built of immense blocks Of
hewn granite, at o cost OF nearly 100000. Such
bridge could not be built for million of doliarl
in the United States. The parspets are OF hewn
granite in immense blocks, four feet high, twt
feet wide and six feet long; side walks on each
side Of solid blocks of granite, and double trais
ways Of the same ma terial for carriages. Indeed.
The bridge is perfect, and withal stsrnIy simple
that not dollar appears to have been expended
Tor mere ornament. Unless blown up by gunpow1
Ter, or thrown up by an earthquake, 1t would last
1ntil the end Of time.
Tho Ticino is . rapid, clear stream, running
b rough the plain, with here and there sand bars
Il the sides and In the centre of the river. In
travelling to.dsy We saw many bitches, through
which clear water was running, and Ia some places
be plain was overhown. An extensive system o
irrigation prevails in this part Of Italy, and the
A