New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-11
ACCURACY OF INFANTRY FIRE.

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ACCURACY OF INFANTRY FIRE.
Civilians are continually surprised at reading
that in every battle which has been either
hotly contested or long continued, SO small a
number of combatants have been killed or dis
abled. 1t seems to be the popular idea that
every cannon shot must kill its dozens, or that
every rifle shot must be fatal. But the noun
tains of shot and shell which are now being
manufactured, of themselves explode such an
idea. If but the half Of them Occasioned
wounds or DEATH war would be an infinitely
more murderOus. business than it ever has been
II has been ascertained by the best Prussian
military authority, that during the long contln-
ued wars of Napoleon, it required mans
own weight in lead to be expended in disabling
q single individual by infantry, and ten times
his weight in iron when discharged by artillery.
The most conclusive evidence exists estab-
fishing the truth of this statement. The details
of all of Napoleon's battles have been investi-
gated; the quantity of ammunition used by each
bclligerent ascertained; comparisons instituted
as to the weight of metal fired and the mum.
Der of men disabled; and the result of this
most elaborate examination is stated above. 1t
constitutes a table of mortality on the battle
field whose trustwOrthiness at least when no other
arms are taken into account than those in use
thirty years ago, cannot be impeached. On the
morning of the battle of VittOria, every British
infantry soldier had in bis cartOuch-box GO ball
cartridges, altogether 100000 rounds. In
addition to these, 1900, 900 more were issued
by the field train to the troops. As near as
could be ascertaned, 1876, 900 of these cart.
ridges we're consumed in the action. On that
occasion the British encountered an army of
90, 600 men, into whose ranks this astonishing
number Of balls was fired, while 80 pieces Of
artillery fired 70 rounds each of shot or shell,
a total Of ESQ rounds. Only 5000 of the
enemy were killed and wounded, showing that
only one musket shot in 459 took effect, and
counting the artillery, there was not on that
occasion, above one musket ball in 800 which
was not utterly thrown away. On one occa-
sion in 1851, patrolling party at the Cape of
Good Hope expended $4,000 ball cartridges in
killing and disabling % native sayages, or 5000
rounds TO each KaIir.
No European military authority estimates
less than 5000 cartridges as necessary to be
expended for every man disabled. Some go
even as high IA 10000. When the French at
tackled Algiers in 1890, they consumed 10000
cartridges in two weeks, aud occasiOned a
comparatively small amount Of slaughter.
Coming down still later, the French Army in
the Crimea expended 25,OO0,OOO cartridges
without having disabled q, 600 Russians. Yet
on this occasion they used the Mimic ball ex
clusiyely, a missile which is alleged 10 have
doubled the effectiveness of the musket Of Ma
poleons time. Even in our own experience
the strangcst discrepancies are dlscoycrabe.
AT the battle Of ChurubuscO the Americans dis
abled a Mexican for every l25 cartridges fred,
while il required 500 Mexican shots to disable
an American. No such sharp shooting as tins
is on record in European experience; but,
striking as it is, when compared with such
standard, it ia not equal 10 the magnificent
firing made by the Americans at Bunker Hal.
Judging by the Rebel account of the capture of
Col Mulligan at Lexington, that gallant OFF,
GER though fighting fSe days behind mtrench-
ments, must have expended many thousand
cartridges for every disabled Rebel, though de-
lyered from rned muskets.
Military men find no difficulty in accounting
for the small effect produced by the expendi-
ture of such vast amounts Of ammunition.
Governments have sought to discover the cause,
as well as to lessen expenses in the supply Of
the ammunition itself, Us in the business Of
Transporting it from place to place. 1t consists
in rapid firing, erroneous estimate Of distances,
long ranges, and insufficient target practice.
All these indispensable elements are taught to
every European recruit, in schools of practice
established for the purpose of making infantry
fire effective. As to rapdity of firing, it is
held that tho werd rapid, in that connection,
ought 10 be expunged from the soldiers vO-
cabulary. With proper aim and elaboration,
four to FIVE rounds may be fired in two min
utes. so far from urging men to FIRE rapidly,
they should be urgently cautioned against it.
Ii is this excessive haste which causes much
of the useless expenditure of cartridges. Col.
Wilcox of the United States Army says that
the want of accuracy of fire has ever been a
reproach to infantry. lie rectes many causes
as conspiring to render it ineilective--excessiye
rapidly, The excitement incident to the strife,
the difficulty of aiming properly in consequence
of the dust and smoke, the necessity of firing
BY command, the uEsteadiness resulting from
the pressure Of dles to the right or left, or in
front aud rear. To these he adds firing beyond
tho efiecfirn rnnne nf the mnsknt