The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-05-26
"Rihed Guns and Modern Tactics. /"

In an elaborate article on this subject.
the Edinburg Repiew comes to the conclu-
sion that there are two points of great i'm
portance to which the modern improve
ments in warfare clearly tend. One is
the advantage in coast offences.
st Is Clear" says the Revie,c, "that by such
rfod or inauce, many chanue aud harbor may
now be closed, which before these improvements
1t was almost impossible to defend. Assuming.
for instance, q channel mile mile aLd bali
wide, il the range Of guns in . battery on shore
lie two Two and half miller, = vessel passing ct
the rate Of ten miles an hour, will be for half an
hour under the fire OF the battery, aud In that
time, anything that 10 built OF wood might be
utterly destroyed. An iron plated vessel might
possibly be able to pass; but We are still very far
from such set Of iron plated transports az i,
likely to be formidable, AID one two invulnera.
bes passing ought scarcely 10 be feared, II proper
precautions are taken, Tor IN that they would
only DO caught in trap But ~ the question
whether or not they can be made invuinerabIe
still remains to be decided, it 10 hardly worth
while specializing upon 1t, while, on the other
hand, it 10 very certain that batteries on shore
can be ptade practically unassaiiabIe Guns for
instance, placed In esrthworks and spaced very
widely apart, present . target to . vessel 10,
more than Que foot or eigh teen inches in diameter
60 that the chances are more than Que hundred 20
one that they cannot be bit from the able md
moving platform Of vessels deck, even n ppos-
lug the guns and the aim to be perfect
When the position Of the battery is such that
earth 10 not available, wrought iron 10 far more
easily and cbeaply available to protect guns on
shore than il is on board ship. Casema tes NAV
be constructed with wrought iron embrasures
iuto which nusket ball will hardly b. able 10
penetrate past the muxzie OF the gun. and against
which both shells aad shot will ta.l 10 sp,ipters
without doing any harm; and more than this by a
proper application OF wrought iron, mariello tow
ers may be built In shallow seas, which thouub
not more than 100 or l20 feet 10 diameter. vonId
be able 10 bring force Of from twelve to twenty
guus to bear on any passing ject with such se.
curity from injury and advantage Of position az 70
render IL dangerous for even the best iron Mated
vessels TO approach with their range
Another point to which these improvements
clearly tend. Is to render ths skiifui though nm
disciplined civilian mar ksmar moro nearly IN atrh
than he has ever been before, for the best disci.
plnsd soldier, at least in defensive war Hitherto
the superiority Of one body OF soldiers over apo
ther has consisted principally 10 the solidity Of
their formation, and the steadiness with which
they could change their formation and Advance
and retire under fire. No body of yoinntsers az
niltiamen could for one moment comonre with
regular soldiers IN this respect, but al med with
the new rides, swarm il nearly q match for q h.,
ta'ioo, except a. polluted out above, where csvsl-
~ are hheiy TO Interfere; but even this dificuItv
might easily be obviated in defensive war nv rsr
tain mechanical eontrivauces. The invention Of
&c ,s ds rise" stopped the victorious cavalry
OF the Turks from marching from one end of no.
rope, and centipede can be made, easily trans.
ported and easily placed, which would ston A..
cavalry 10 the world. IL IL also evident thu. ,hs
rew rifles ought to render = very siisht insrsnshS
'nent nearly tmpregusbis. All that IL r,onir.d
would 10 ditch and embark msut sufYici.n,Is
deep to cover snsctualiy the defsudsrs and 20 en.
BE them to move about under shelter 90 that vIth
"ot regular zap the approach 10 ie ought 10 h.
dangerous Ia the extreme ~
We need scarcely say that there 10 no
country which will derive more benefit from
such results Of modern improvements in
warfare than the United States, which de-
penas 90 largely on its militia for defence.
ONE Of The results, however, which has been
, introduced by the steam revolt ton il mot
~ agreeable. The experience OF the Criues