Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-09-27
Gil A r. X s VILE.
Friday, September 9th, 1854.


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BeS- The recent movement of Confede-
rate troops upon Kentucky has added
greatly to the extent Of territory to be de-
Tended, and, in that proportion, demands
anincreuse of force From the Atlantic to
the western limits OF Missouri, the enemy
is in arms and threatening our borders, and
his navy, which we have not the force to
encounter at sea, is seeking to make a de-
scent upon every vulnerable point on our
seaboard from the Chesapeake Bay to t.le
mouth Of the Mississippi With such a
line of frontier to defend, the strength Of
the Confederate States must be taxed to the
utmost if they would successfully resist
the enemy and shorten the period of this
unnatural war. No people have ever ac-
complished more, in a shorter period, than
has been done by the South to meet the
exigencies of the present trying occasion
but the progress yet made seems to point
out how much remains to be done and the
way to do it, The same righteous cause
which invoked our first gigantic efforts
calls for their continued renewal, and the
zeal which that cause inspired should be-
come more intense as dangers thicken
around us. We have powerful and gal
liant army already in the field, but it can
not overcome impossibilities nor should
it be expected that, unaided, it can beat
back the vandal hordes arrayed against it
and supported by all the appliances of a
prosperous and long established govern
ment--a navy,'a standing army, wealth of
material and Enclosed ports. But we have
a powerful army in reserve, and to this we
must look for prompt and efficient aid
Danger, duty and patriotism unite in the
call for volunteers, and every man, of suit
able age, should enroll himself, at once, and
report for service. Every one who has a
rife or shotgun is armed and efficiently
armed but if he prefer musket, the
cheapest and best way to get it is to dis
arm a Yankee. 1t is a mistake to suppose
that no frcarm but the musket prepares the
soldier for the field of battle. In the fight
at Springfield, Mo, the double barrelled
shotgun was the most effective weapon,
aad even the enemy bore testimony to its
deadly effect. But if any man doubt this.
ana is afraid to risk it, let him hand over
his gun to SOME one who is willing to fight
with it; and in this way our force can be
greatly increased, at a. time when aid is so
greatly needed.
If those who have shot-guns and rifles
will volunteer and 60, at once, into service.
they can be organized into separate corps
and assigned such service as is best suited
to the arms they bear-sharp-
shooting and skirmishing-leaving to the
musket and bayonet the heavier work of
charging the enemy in hand to hand
fight. The want of muskets is no suflici-
ent excuse for not enlisting as longas shot
guns and rifles can be obtained, and even
if men, armed with the latter are not
quite so effective, they can be learning the
duties of the camp and field and serving
their country, in no triffing degree, while
waiting to be better armed-if indeed,
there is any better arm for light infantry.
The long-range, fancy guns have value
attached to them which is, to a great ex-
tent, fictitious, and impart to the soldier
Il sense of security from danger which is
unlounded in fact They are inaccurate at
almost any distance, require cleaning after
three or four fires, and, at the distances
which usually separate the combatants, are
not near as efficient as the double barrelled
shotgun, or the smooth bored musketwith
a mixed load of ball and buckshot This
is the opinion of many experienced militia.
ny men, and there is not commander in
the army who would object to companies
because they were armed with suclrguns as
they are in the habit of hunting with. All
that is necessary is to separate the rifles
from the shot-guns and assign to each the
service to which it is best adapted, and
when thus organized, no portion of the AR
my can inhict deadlier blow upon the en-
envy Then bring these guns into play
They are worthless while stacked behind
the door; but in the hands of the right
sort Of men they will tell, with signal eff
feet, upon our enemies, and if promptly
brought out, can not fail to hasten the ter
mination of the struggle
nsn- The news from Western Virginia is