Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-11-04
nelnsinns NJ. To Rnronet Wounds.

The popular idea of soldiers in bayouet
charge struggling hand to hand and face to
face, with fixed bayonets, is likely to be
exploded, like many other delusions. We
find by referring to Guthries Commentaries
on Army Surgery, that these struggles never
occur. We quote from that eminent au.
tbority:
A great delusion is cherished in Great
Britain on the subject of the bayonet-a sort
Of monomania very gratifying to the national
vanity, but not quite in accordance with
matter of fact. Opposing regiments, when
formed in line, and charging with fixed bayo-
nets, never meet and struggle hand to baud
and foot TO loot and this for the very best
possible reason, ehat one side turns round
and runs away as soon as the others come
close enough to do mischief; doubtless con
siderpg that discretion is the better part of
valor.
small parties ofmen may lave personal con-
hicts after an affair has been decided, or iu
the subsequent scnffle, if they eau not get
cut of the way fast enough. The battle Of
MAZDA is usually referred TO as a remarkable
instance of bayonet fight; nevertheless the
sufferers, whether killed or wounded, French
or English suffered from bullets, not bayo-
nets The late Sir James Kemp commanded
the brigade supposed to have done this fear,
but he has assured us that no charge with
the bayonet took place, the French being
killed in line by the fire of musketry; fact
which bas of late received a remarkable COO
| firmatiOn in the published correspondence Of
| King Joseph B0naparte in which General
Rtgnier, writing to him on the subject, says
The First and Forty-second Regiments
charged with the bayonet until they came
within fifteen PAGES of the enemy, when they
turned, et priTent Ia frtaIe. The second line,
compose d OF Polish troops, mad already done
| the same.'
Wounds from bayonets were not less rare
| in the Peninsusr War. 1t may be that all
those who were bayOneted were killed, yet
their bodies were seldom found. A certain
fighting regiment had the misfortune, one
very misty morning, to have a large number
of men carried off by charge of Polish
| Lancers, many being also killed. The con-
mabdiDg officer concluded they must all be
| killed, for his men possessed exactly the
same spirit as a part of the French In
| peTial Guard at Waterloo. "They might be
killed, but they could not by any possibility
be taken prisoners" He returned them all
dead accordingly. A few days afterward
| tbey resppeared, to the astOnishmeut OF
| every body, having been swept off by the
| cavalry, and had made their escape in the re-
| treat of the French Army through the
| "OOuos uC lCBlulSnb llOLn Iuhb ud1 OO'
tained the ludicrous name of the Resur'
recton Men,"
The siege of Sebastopol has furnished
many opportunities for partial hand TO, hanC
bay yoDet contests, in which many have beer
killed and wounded on all sides, but do no
learn that in any engagements which hay
taken place regiments advanced against eacl
other in line and really crossed bayonets a
body; although individual bravery @
smaller parties was frequently manifeste
there as well as in the war in the Peninsuls