Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-05-30
About Artillery.

went to battle like legions of erect arma- dilles, and punched at each other with iron pointed sticks to discover penetrable joints through which death might find q passage, artillery has gone on Ievolutlonlzlng the old method of fighting until the whole issue of war, other things being equal, may be said to depend on the relative artllleristlc facilities possessed by the respective com batants Nobody is more convinced ot this than the present Emperor, who pnt perhaps even more faith Ill big guns than his famous uncle did. And nobody IS more fully assured that the French Emperor has known how to profit by the conviction m question than the English government, which has been making such efforts to otl- set his terrible rihed cannon with the Arm strong gun and iron walls. A splendid illustration of the effect of artillery in re- placing small arms and dispensing with hand hand conflicts, was recently allor- ded at Fort Sumter Silently, ant even slowly, measured by the impatience of the besieging army, the works of that con summate engineer, Gen Beauregard, prog ressed on the several sides of the solid and defiant structure Silently he went on re solving in his head the problem of its cap ture. And when at last the solution was intellectually complete, and it's several cle- ments ready for practical demonstration, that moment the fort was doomed, and the attempt by Major Anderson to defend it, if he understood the relative strength of his position, was sheer act of supefeogation.
 In regard to field artillery, we meet with some interesting information, concisely con veycd, in Gibbons Altllerisrs Manual, prepared for the United State service:
 OEIGlN-Gustavus Adol phus seem, to have originated the field or light artillery, using very small calibers, ]6l0 to lO22.
 Frederick the Great improved the system, enlarged the calibcr, and introduced horse artillery into his armies l14O to l1S6.
 When first used in the French service, no system of maneuvers was adoptcd; the ar tillery was transported by contact, and the teams being required only in time of war, no opportunity was afforded for the neces sary instructions; the tcamsters who were employed often abandoned the pieces in times of danger, on account ofwhich large number of cannoncers were employed and provided with bricoies, to move the peices on the field of battle in case of necessity, a means now seldom resorted to.
 Napoleon, in 1891, having created his corps of drivers, field artillery became much more perfect, and was maneuvered with more ease and boldness, especially after the adoption of regular system of instruction under Gen. Foy. Grbeauval introduced the battery formation.
 The maneuverS, first based upon the move mcnt of infantry were afterwards establish de on the principles of cavalry drill,
 UsE.-Light artillery has now become an indispensable arm in all armies anl it is brought to such perfection that no troops, however brave and well disciplined, can do without it, Napoleon said even before the many recent improvements were lntrodnc- ell, that no body of infantry without the help of artillery, could march 1000 or 1900 yards against battery of sixteen well placed and well-served pieces, without being destroyed.
 Artillery becomes of so much more impor- tance when placed with raw and undiSci pincd troops; when the batteries. we'll posted and served, will atone, in some measure, for the deficiencies of the rest of the troops. In this case. the capacity of a general is exhibited by his knowing how to place, upon the point of attack, the few good troops at his disposal, and protect the others with powerful batteries, which the enemy would in vain attempt to carry. But in order to succeed with such means, the eenious of the chief must be capable of atoning for the moral inferiorty of his troops, and his artillery possess q marked superiority over that of the enemy. Prob ably there never has been a battle fought in which this fact was rendered more ap- parent than it was at Beuna Vista, where the batteries of Washington, Bragg and Sherman, performed such signal service, and atoncd so well for the absence of a large, well disciplined force Artillery may be also made to supply the want of a cavalry force, as we'll as to arrest charge of cavalry, which can produce but little et- feet when made under the fire ot well-posted and we'll served batteries.
 When serving with troops of the very best kind, artillery, although very lmpor- tant, is an arm the use of which can not be dispensed with in battles of any size. Posted along the front of the line, it serves 10 maintain tue combat; 10 spare tho rest of the troops; to support their movements, and to make an opening for them to act. A portion of 1t, held in reserve, appearing at decisive moment, produces by its rapid and terrible effect, the most, important le- suits.
 Iii flat, open country, with numerous roads, field artillery is of the most impor' tance, as by its nobility and power of con, centration, it neutralizes the importance and effect of the fixed positions of an enemy, and stones for the want of them on ones own side,
 Its importance is diminished in broken or mountainous country, where war IS re- duced to attacks on fixed positions; but in this kind of war, where infantry play the most important part it is still the great est use in forcing difficult passages, setting fire to towns and batterng down houses oi other obstacles.
 The principal advantages of the fire o artillery over that of infantry, re-that the striking of the shot and shell gives [ means of correcting the fire, not possessed by small arms. The dust thrown by { shot striking may be seen at distance Q more than 1000 yards. the moral elfec to the power of artillery is increased by the noise of the explosions, which canle heard in the midst of the most active firing o small arms.
 Artillery is used against troops, cithe deploved or in squares, by forming openings
 preparatory to d charge of cavalry. It alsC r.pulscs the enemy's columns of attaci throwing them into disorder.
 The efficiency of the fire is, under smila
 circumstances, in proportion to the calber and for this reason, battery of l2-poun
 ders produces greater effect than one o
 smaller pieces. The new 12-pounder being l oolonl,taJ to thrOw shells os well oc Sh ot