The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1861-08-12
MaskeA Batteries.

ern Missosrj, and estern Illinois.
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Mask a. Batteries.
The s'rsw bead and bloody bones" Of this
oampaign thss far has been tho ma.ked bat.
tories Of the enemy. Yen hear OF the horri.
bic things 10 every report Of skirmish or .
battle; and upon every proposed line Of march
anil on tho site Of every prospective battle,
W Grs warned that these terrible and treech.
srous engines OF death are "thick 90 leaves
10 VAlsmbrosa." Their mysserious terror,
have awcd the hsarts Of oil home staying
people into kind Of chronic dreadful 90.
prehension, and our soldiers start to the wars
IN nsrvoos dread Of falling into the opening
jaws OF some monster masked battery. On
oil hands Il would seem to Be regarded that
: masked battery il . nov inysn.ion Of the
Devil - special token Of bis favor and
high appreoiasion Of the rebel chivalry.
NOV, - matter Of fact, this great horror
y no new thing under shs sun, and seed no.
ereats any such dreadful fears. Maske bat.
sar'ss Are - ancient 10 the artillery service
comparatively - ambushss in tho general
movements Of armies. Masked batteries are
s'nply batteries located in such vay @ to
% concealed from open view and common
observation, behind screen Of brush wood.
srosod point Of timber, or 10 justins rock,
and, in some Gases, temporary structures an
parensly for ordinary purposes Of sncanp.
Dsos are erected TO screen these batteries
froa view and to give the impression Of
sasssy to the enemy. The masked battery
which 6rcd into Sob enok,s railroad train Wa
sisply few cannon hassily placed 10 Posi-
ton behind the brushw wood. The mssked
Dssssry which opened iss deadly 6rs upon
General Piercs's command was . more for.
nidabls and artistic a6air, end those 10 the
woods and on the side hills at Bulpe Run
ana hanassas we're sonstru oted With still
more srtful concealmsnts. The rebels make
greater nse OF strsssgens and pitfalls,
masked batteries, spies and snakes than any
people, ancient or modern, savage or civil
'sed, and hence It 10 Ne hear m ore Of masked
batteries 10 this var than 10 any war known
TO history. But the reason Why they are 20
elective and terrible must be looked for in
shs fact that our army has no scouts, no
spies, 90 reconnoisance, no means Of ascer
tanning the number Of the enemy, their pur.
poses, position, or means OF attack. ar de-.
fence. Schenck marched bic forces at rail
road speed into the Ere Of masked battery;
Pierce marched right square up against an
other, aud, for oil that appears, our army
vas ~ ignorant Of the position and defences
st Bull's Run and Manassas a. blind mutes.
when our leaders shall be impressed with
the importance Of accurate informant in
regard to the position and purposes OF the
enemy, and find the means for obtaining il,
NAKED batteries will lose their terrors.-
Inc success OF every General, famous in bis.
tory. 70 due more to his accurate koo~ledes
OF tho movements OF the enemy than to any
other sieeis circumstances. Braddock marched
o the bead Of his army blindfold into the
enemies 'anbash and inmortslissd bis incau.
neas tsmerisy In the phrase "BrAddock,s dc.
Feat" Washington there learned a lesson
which enabled hin to nahe the unex peo,ed
Attacks 90 the enemy and tho timely rstrsats
which again and sgain gave hin victory. and
saved his army from destruction and 6oally
crowned tho great struggle ofthe Revelation
With the brilliant ssceess Of Yorktown. La,
our modern generals profit BY the example.