Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-10-15
NUMBER LIS

II
/ +so-- though well drilled and certainly brave
/ Isl1 ~ were para lyzed at the audacity e the
l,sa sIsls.L VINO dashed across river and charged
cifsIl. - ler . eHtrenchments without firing shot.
Ihose Of our volunteers who trn m thsir nosss se
tie o1 A4ns soek uusket are-in error for Asif AZ
- z psst' elo1es, and are as fac t1sGpoas as
to'I - = eSsssett one can soon become accustomed
/ IL =. -' ~ eney shoot as well as any other.
''Ihe improved arms, which are'so eagerly souQht
after, hdUe not as get done ilqt eysiop vkicA fhe
popular impression gives them credits for and orlr
hintloeked and donble-barreled shot nm troous In
/ Missouri have proved themselves mors than a
lnaech M LOT al me modern improvements" upon the
other side. It is all humbug about he s6ootfuz
pf men az half mile. Our dense forests viii aiS
| ways compel conflict in the small fields AZ short
distance, and then cold steel must test the qav Of
TIE opposing legions. The baitails a. posdraacs
would suit the writer very well, for our supedority
would at once be settled Men, who, like our sod
iers, have left homes and families, Perilng their
entire fortunes their lives and future fame. not
~ 1e Conquered and II mo quarter should bepre-
Claimed, the hrengs who ili the ranks frlan aeces-
sity would never stand the test Of cold steel
Victory or Death Il not their battle cry, and
though good sOl3iers every Dtherr respect t1ng 70
dig trenches build f0Etifcst0Ls fight when there
lB reasonable chance Of escaping unhurt, thsy wiz
IeTef stand cold steel and desparte fight. 4AGd3
from the fact that they have mes the same indace-
Ilent, which Southern men have in lighting for
COOL headed people, who count the cost OF every
tllng. When it comes to the point that for few
collars month and the glory of dying for the
Union our TQgamg1fa rebel seCeSherS" come agSinst
taen July prepared for anything thaz may turn ap,
the cool calculating Northerner win prefer 20 give
way, rather than court grim death upOa such
slender Investment. If the gain Of cOnqueriBg the
rebels was great thsn the case Rli7tb be dlhsrens,
Int, when fighting IN, 8 bad cause; and no future
prospects oi reward are held out hey ''E nat sl1a
tls bdg5ne IL Is, therefore, very important fea-
t1re Of The war that cur troops should learn the
hayOHet ezegcsa an all is vsFlEtiea. These as well
50 the hriug can more readily be taught in the com
pany drilis As general thing only two comPa-
MES are habituasei to the skirmish drill the right
and left companies. This is wrong and every com
paBy should be instructed Ia everv Increment. The
character Of the country 30 amirably adapted for
skirmishing that whole regiments can be daplOyed
with advantage.
WITH companies as fnil as ours generally are, tas
hest plan for thoroughly impaTti1g knowledge 10
the meR, is for the officers 10 divide the company
into fOur parts ard each to take charge Of ORs.--
Ia handling them il small bodies the men viii learn
much more rapidly at the start, and can then be
merged into the full company for battalion drills
Care should he taken 10 get through with one SUBJ
jhct at time and not 20 Oh the recruits brain with
tJo many subjects at once, ecnfusing him and pre-
venting him from understanding any. The course
or study as laid d0wa in Hai,dee viii naturally be
adopted. The Commanding officer Of the regiment
slOulu lMeQlaley AFTER going INTO camp inltiAte
bis school for the company officers, as well that
of the enon-commissiOned ofeers under the Adjutant
aad Sergeant Msj0r. Very few Of the officers WI
ever go regularly through the tactics unless thus
invited to DO so, and the benefit viii be great to
both field and company officers. Practice with pre-
cRpt combined, is always best, The best method
for al Instructors from the Colonel down, is 70
follow exsetly the text and illustrate at the same
time. The company drills are only the initiat0Ty
steps to prepare the recruit for battalion move
Hhents, which are most important, as being those
which are generally used in battle Perfect silenee
must be maintained in the ranks at all times Both
i'm company and battalion movements the essentials
tp be acquired prompt moving Of the entire body,
aaif one m2n,at the word Of command; regularity OF
step and eugth thereof and marching with regular
font Ia line ef battle. The latter Is the most din
cult Of s for our volunteers 70 acquire. The move
nlents which officers will most often ind themselves
called upon to use in actual service, and therefore
most necessary to be practcsd, viii be "by the
right or left suk f'sn line OF battle wheeling by
tile right or LEFT Of companies into columns" "by
the right OF left Of companies to the front or rear
into column" wheeling from column into Hne"
s6sad Of column to right or left changing front Of
line Of battle forming close column by line Of dys-
ion upon centre at half distance and forming square,
OF course all battslons are expected to learn the
whole system of tactics, but for actual service it
would be better for commanders TO practice these
movements first If men win be inattentiye and
awkward. there should be no hesitstiOn the pars
oil the officers in dispensing with their attendance,
and keep iea n squad drill until they are t to 60
back into the company again. Battalion movements
are entirely too important to be disorganized BY the
awkward squad