Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-10-03
The kayOnet.
The Richmond Wig says !:

Before the war began, an eminent Yang
keang Priest stated to d Southern gentleman
that the Celestial Generals. couceding the
supremacy of Southern marksmen, had deter
mined to make almost exclusive use of the
bayonet The plan was to draw the fire OF
the Southern troops and then charge upon
them before they could load again. When
the test came, it was found that the boot was
on the other leg. We have the authority of
Russell of the London Times that the Yang
keangs made not single charge with the
bayonet during the whole day at Manassas.
Our troops, on the other hand, captured
many batteries at the point of the bayouet.
Hence Mr. McClelan's determination to make
battle at long taw with rifed cannon.
A story has gone the rounds of the papers
that Wheat's Tigers" charged the Yaug-
keangs with bowie-kniyes, only, and the ter
ribe effect of this charge has been depicted
in vivid colors by the Yang-keang writers-
Be the story true or false, the belief that the
Celestials will not stand cold steel is fixed
immoyably in every Southern mind. We all
believe in the bayonet. 1t is the king of
weapons. 1t has always been the boast of
the British bayonet. How terrible is the
bayonet in the hands of the French Zouaves
may be learned from the following statement
made at the time OF the Italian war, by
correspondent of the Journal des De5dts =
The officers who command our brave volun-
teers would do well to take the lesson incul-
Gated by this correspondent to heart, and
instead OF waiting at Manassas for several
thousand more ield-pieces, go right to work
with the bayouet and the Arkansas tooth
pick. The correspondent of the DebatS, refer
ring to the battle of Solferino, says: The
divisions of Sibia and Jellachich, count
ing not less than 10000 men, covered by
deep canal, protected by a height, and
1afaDiaI nv u hat xUhich h..d hoo a1,
rably placed Fortified, in word, as strong
ly as the Yang keangs are at Arlington
''were completely overwhelmed by three bat
talions of zDuavcs"
The statement of Major, who was taken
prisoner, explains this seeming miracle. We
canDoi Understand j % said he; 1--WE were
sure that our position was inpregnable; but
when we saw these men ran up towards our
guns then sweeping them" {the Zouaves)
witt grape, leap into the canal, climb the
bank, and then charge upon us without fir
ing shot, our battalions trembled like
flock of sheep attacked by wolf. Nothing
controlled them-neither orders nor threats
they ran. And still these soldiers are
brave and disciplined. They would stand all
day under fire without fiinching; but this sort
of attack-this beginning with the bayonet
terrified them. As | said, | do not under
stand it at all
The intensity OF the panic occaSloned by
the Zouaye charge may be gathered from the
further assertion by the Dcb1ts correspondent,
that sat this same battle on the 3lst, soldiers
were seen to fall on their knees, with the
muzzles of their muskets in the ground, and
to remain there as if paralyzed."
II the Austrians at Solferino resembled the
Yankees at Bull Run let Southern soldiers
in future profit by the example OF the French
Zouaves. The bayonet is the thing after all