Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-05-18
Information Respecting the
Uaea NJ ArfVIlerV

Light Artillery, says Gibbons ArGllerisfs
Manual prepared for the United States serv
ice, has now become an indispensable arm
in all armies, and il is brought TO such per-
fection that no troops, however brave and
well disciplined, can do without it. Ma.
poleon said, even before the many recent
improvements were introduced, that no
body Of infantry, without the help of artil-
lery, could march one thousand or one
thousand two hundred yards against bat
tery of sixteen well. placed aud well served
pieces without being destroyed.
ARTILLERY becomes of SO much more i'm
porfance when placed with raw..and undis,
ciplined troops, when the batteries, well
posted and served, will atone, in some
measure, for the DEFICIENCIES Of the rest of
troops. lfIfAtl
In this case, the capacity of General is
exhibited bY bis knowing how to place upon
the point of attack, the few good troops at
his disposal and protect the others with
powerful batteries, which the enemy would
in vain attempt TO carry. But in order to
succeed with such means, the genius Of the
chief must be capable of atoning for the
moral inferiority of his troops, and his
artillery possesses marked superiority over
that of the enemy. ...... p
Probably there never has been battle
fought in which this fact was more apparent
teries Of Washington, Bragg aud Sherman,
performed such signal service, aud atoned so
well for the absence of large well.dsci.
plined force. Artillery may be also made to
supply the want of a cavalry force as well
as to arrest a charge of cavalry, which can
produce but little effect when made under
the fire of a we'll posted and well served
batteries.
When serving with troops of the very best
kind, artillery, although very important, is
an arm the use of which can not be dispensed
with in battles of any size. Posted along
the front of the line, 1t serves to maintain the
combat 10 spare the rest of the troops, to
support their movements, and to make an
opening for them to act. A portion OF it
held in reserve appearing at decisive mo-
ment produces by its rapid and terrible effect
the most important results.
In fiat, open couHtry, with numerous
roads, field artillery is of the most impor-
tsnce, as by its mobility and power of con-
ceDtration, it neutraizes the Importance and
effect of the fixed positions of an enemy, and
atones for the want of them on ones own
siGe. Its Importance is diminished in a
broken or mountainous country, where war
is reduced to attacks on fixed positions; but
even in this kind of war; where infantry
play the most important part, it is still of the
greatest use in forcing difficult passages, set.
ting fire to towns, and batteripg down houses
and other Obstacles
The principal advantages of the fire artil-
lery over that of infantry, are: that the
striking OF the shot aud shell gives means
of correcting the FIRE not possessed of small
aTms. The dust thrown up by a shot striking
may be seen at distance OF more than a
thousand yards. The moral effect due to
the power of artillery is increased by the
noise OF the explosions, which can be heard
in the midst of the most active firing of small
arms
Artillery is used against troops, either de-
ployed or in squares, by forming openings
preparatory to charge of cavalry. 1t also
repulses the enemy's columns Of attack,
throwing them into disorder. Artillery is of
the greatest use in attacking posts and in
treDehments; and city which would resist
troops without artillery, would quickly yield,
after receiving few shot and shell.
:, Shells act by percussion and explosion
both, but the firing with them is much less
accurate than solid shot. The noise, how
ever, made by them, and the fear of seeing
them burst, add much TO their moral effect.
They act effectively against cavalry in COL
umn or in several lines, by frightening the
horses and demoralzing the men.
The quantity of artillery attached to an
army is determined by the nature of the
theater of the war, the kind of troops, their
cbaTacter relative to that of the enemy, the
character of the war, the size of the pieces
and their mobility. 1t varies usually from
one to three pieces to one thousand men.
The latter number has been adopted iu our
service, two per one thousand for service
with the troops, and the third held in reserve.
The number of guns should be double that
of the howiizers, aud for a defensive war,
from one fourth to one.fifth of the pieces
slOuld he twelve. DoIIud der INNS a nd fvUap ~
four or twenty three pOunder howitzers. For
an offensive war, from one. seventh to one.
eighth only should be of these calibers, other
wise the batteries would not have sufficient
mobility. As q general rule, the number of
the artillery troops should be about one.
half that of the cavalry though, as regards
this, no fixed rule can be laid down, since
artillery frequently supplies the place of
cavalry.