Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1861-02-08
Our State Defences.

Our State Defences.
In these perilous and trying times,
when the clouds of war are impending
over our beloved Old Common wealth,
the considerations Of the best means Of de-
fence and of protection, become question,
of most absorbing interest. Men we do not
lack. Ability to command armies in the
Geid and to direct the operations of cam
paign, will not be wanting when the hour
Of trial comes. What then do we most lack
on the score Of preparation for the full and
efficient defence of the Country The an
swer is obvious. Arms and munitions OF
War. A friend Of ours, Of military tastes,
and who is we'll read up in the military
science Of the day, suggests that the only
regular standing force Virginia will need in
any emergency likely to arise, should con-
sist of four regiments Of Artillery and three
Of Cavalry.
The Artillery and Cavalry arm should al
ways be we'll differed, and by constant ex-
crcise and drill, keptup to the highest point
of efficiency. Those two being the right
arm Of the military strength of any coun-
try, can only obtain the highest efficiency by
constant drill and practice. Hence the sug-
gestion, that the regular standing force Of
Virginia should consist of these two arms
only. The volunteer regiment and compa.
MES of infantry and rifemen already or.
ganized, would form nucleus around which
to rally the militia Of the State upon any
s udden emergency.
The militia should be armed with rifles
aud minnie muskets, and be taught to use
them. The tactics of this last class should
be OF the simplest character. Instead of
evolutions Of complicated nature, Difficult,
to perform, hard to learn, and when learn.
ed, and when executed, of doubtful efficien.
cy, or entirely useless in the face of an
enemy-instead we say, of this, teach them
the loading with dispatch and accuracy
day or night-their pieces to fire " accu-
racy and above all, to form correcs esti.
mates, (by the eye) Of the distance of objects
to be fred at. Teach them, also, the habit
of self reliance, that the individual Soldier,
instead of being part of mere machine
is being Of brain and will and muscle
The intelligent, self-reliant exercise Of
which several attributes in his own person,
may turn the tide of victory on stricken
field. The Augusta riAemen at Guilford
kept the field long after every regular sol
der had left it, though they knew nothing
of the system of Ba ION Steuben At Buena
Vista the volunteers kept the field, and
snatched the victory out of the jaws of de-
feat, when regular soldiers and regular Off
GERS thought the defeat of our arms inevita-
BILE. 1t seems to us that our State authori-
ties should at once, and regardless of the
cost, procure arms of the very best kind,
sufficient to arm the militia Of the whole
Commonwealth; and our militia law should
be so amended and remodeled, as to ensure
the Efficient organization of the whole body
Of the able bodied men 10 the State, between
the ages of Is and IS as the active militia.
and the organization Of all persons between
the ages of Is and Is years, and between
IS and IS years, as home Guards, to pro-
tect the country when the active militia
may be called into service.