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

( oHAngobo PC Leoe.
- Duty OF the Soldier.
/ -s For the Nashville Union ard American. - !. 4.
| The recruit having finished his breakfast has
usually hour Of leisure time, in which to read or
J otherwise amuse himself, before company drill
When the signal is given for drill, Il should always
find him IL readiness % tlzll in Ills thoughts
sh0ubi tien be dirCeed sHtiEeiy 70 the day before
him. as without strict attention to the Instructions
he viii never -ttain proficiency. great many Of
1 the company evolutiCns are cniy useful in giving
perfect freedom CT motisn and teaching the use of
the gun. These are really the great poins to be at
tained In aeti0n the greatest eelerity IN loading
and firing is required, well as that mobility Of
/ mind and body, which enables the commanders at
once TO place the troops into the best Positions
Constant practice will teach these requisites, and
therefore il is imperative, that the recruit should
give his whole attention to the instruction Of the
drill masters. The issue Of bat le may be dn1ined
tss eUoltioAS 81 a SiRgs battalion, Any Regiment
may be called upon at critical moment to perform
| some movement which decides the fate Of the day.
If from nattention Of the ers, or the ineompe-
tency of the officers the necessary instruction has
not been impaired to the body confusion viii arise
&C most inoppOrtune period, and the fate of q ns
| ton might be decided BY the negligence Of few
men in the simplest rules. Let each man therefore
reflect what may be the consequences Of his neglect
and when on duty let him give every thought 20 its
proper fulfilment. e.-
After the recruit has advanced in his knOwledge,
4 70 De out OF the 'AWKWAfQ eluau, the use OF
| the musket shoull first claim his attention.
Rapidity of firing and certainty Of aim should be
most attended to; therefore, the firing By le should
be most frequently taught. The regularity OF pre-
cision which mark cress parade and drills in the
/ camp will not and can not be observed upon the
/ battle field The rattle of small arms ard thunder
Of artillery are preyenuyes Of many commands, and
therefore the firing at will By each man in the line
is of necessity adopted. The faster that each one
can load and fire, with a proper elevation of his
4 fnar will he he IN foo
another thing must not be lost sight Of Afser the
/ first discharge the smoke viii conceal the object
| fired at ard there can be mors aiming along the
barrels. At the first glance then, the recruit should
determine the proper elevation at which subseduent
frings should be made, and eooIness is the char
aeteristie Of the true soldier, must be taken
not TO fire too hurredIy. volunteers apt to do
sending The balls hundred feet oUsT the heads of tie
eleRg. This war is one which viii be determined
by the discipline, co0lness and endurance of the
! armies It viii be long one, and therefore our
efforts should be directed TO those points which will
tend to make it shorter, By eORqaaing peace. 1t
should be the study of the recruit to FIRE rapidly
and at the same time with that proper deiberation
which will make it effective. Therefore the prae-
tiee should be frequent in throwing the piece up to
Eaim, . and by taking some object at two hundred
yards distant and directing the piece upon it st an
elevation of four feet from the ground, he will
soon acquire 8 precision Of aim, which
will astonish him. This practice will enable him.
after proper l0adings, to IRE at least twice per
minute, and to strike nearly every time at
the distance of leo yards. Every man has played
marbles when a boy, and by following the rules Of
"plumping' he can, readily learn to be fine shot
10 is dOxe By tie eye, calculating the distance ntut
lively, and subjeeting the movements Of the muscles
to an instantaneous direction of the will Thus the
sportsman often fires his gun from the hip. not
only at standing but at moving ebjects, with the
most uneFring precision. The writer has some
little reputation as shot, and gives as the rules for
good shooting, steadlness OF nerve, clearness Of
sight, and constant practices By the latter, one
may soon learn to throw the qua up to the shoulder
and fire at the word one, hitting mans hat at Ice
yards. Another point Of similarity between play
ing marbles and firing is often neglected Both eyes
sh0uld Invariably be kept open. Look at The Object b
be fred at, and, after proper practice H.e piece toiH
mechanically be pointed at t. No good shot shuts
either eye nor in the rapid firing takes any aim.
Like pistol shooting. and shooting upon the wing,
the obecs is looked at sn the motion rapid and ner
FOus brings the piece IS Quick as thought to bear
upon it. If commander v ishes to make himself
famous and at the same time terrible to his enemies
no easier plan can be adopted than that OF making
his regiment really shHI-SkOoters," The
estimate is that bal in saYen hundred is ehec-
tive at 500 yards. If, then, cOmmsni Ter should
study this point and make hisregiment SO efficient
az to deliver ball out Of 20 in the proper place.
il would make each man equal to ten in ordinary
battles. The writer can see no reason why, with
the materials afforded by the South, regiment
might not be drilled which could NOW down whole
ranks at eyerykfre. By the combinations required
being strictly carried out cooncss qaickness clear
of sight, and rapid nervous action, regiment
might soon gain that fame which would make an
ensmy shrink with horror and terror when found
in opposing ranks. -E
The HessiAHs, who comprise a great portion Of
the N0rther2 army fighting for pay, and for the
most part totally unaequsinted with the use Of
fire arms. Neither will they learn their use. Many
are splendid profcients with the spade or the axe,
and could readily build railroad or level forest,
but gunnery will always be to them an unknown
science. Any one who has seen squad of these
''grey ybacks' in q Northern gun store, and watched
their uncouth attitudes and awkward handling Of
fire arms, will readily agree that such material VIII
never become accustomed 70 that freedom Of use
which eharaeterizss the Southern people.
Having then, the advantage which Is given to us
by knowledge of fire arms our youth indu gis z in
the sports of the field from very early age let us
retain it by proper study. In learning the firing
however, the bayOnet exercise must not be lost
sight Of 1t, than any thing else, deveepes the
muscles and teaches the perfect use Of the wea-
pom. There Is no instance upon record where
cavalry have broken squire of infantry armed
with good bayonets and a foot soldier, well
drilled in the bayonet exercise Is at any time
more thana match for a mounted trooper Cold
steel is always the best weapon to depend upOn and
as this war msy yet drift into one, wherein no
quarter Is given or asked Judging from the cold
blooded and atrOcious proclamation of a number OF
the Federal Generals, thorough proficiency in bay
netinQ will enable to carry everything before us.
1t should be Remembered that in none of the bat.
ties which have been fought, has charge of bay
enets ever been met. Aor, on issl Fedora side his
campaign, has any charge BEEN attempted. At Manas
sas the writer knows, for he saw about every move
ment that was made that no charge was made by
the Federals at any time, and when our columns
charged bayonets, they lDsTe unable 70 catch any Of
TIE fleet g7guasTs upon the point thereof The rapid
movements Of the double quick and the run are
therefore essential to enable our .orces to do SER
vice. when the charge is OrdSred-for nztion of
soldiers, the Southern people. at the inception Of
this war, were the most ridiculous walkers A
march of 6lor miles in the hot sun was sufficient
TO render them hOTs du eOHb1t. Il is very lneum-
bent upon the officers remedy this by their drills
which By testing their powers Of enduranee, viii
harden the men, and and make them hold out upon
the longest marches. AS almost everything depend
upon rapidity Of motion, constant drills |
should teach the double quick and the Iun. A /
charge of bay0nets at ru1 is one Of th3 /
most terrible and panic bringing sight; that an ene-
my could behold such indeed is sometimes its effect
t1at large columns will scatter like sheep before
vast interior force. One Of the incidents Of the /
Italian war was the successful charge Of he French
Zouaves, $500 strong, upon body OF Austrisns
en0 IN ptsrn behind afrou-