Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-08-14
CAVALRY AND FLYING ARTILLERY.

Gen. Mcclellan tells US that this is to be "a war
of artillery" The reason is obvious. He has lost
all confidence in the sodierly qualities of his troops
both as to their courage, ability and discipline
His reliance, therefore, is placed in the inanimate
means of destruction, which science and skill can
erect and put in operation. With equal numbers,
in an open field, he has seen enough, and despairs
In this at least he shows his dlscernment He will
make the fight if he can, one of entertainments, en-
cheering and cannon ball. With their choice of
location, with the long time they have had for pre-
paration and the erection of immense field works,
and with the vast amount of artillery and ammuni-
ton at their command, this certainly seems their
safest mode of warfare and their best chance of hold
ing Washington.
The strong points Of our army are just the reverse
Of those Of the enemy. We are comparatively de-
fcient in both artillery and ammunition for sieging
Our forte is the pluck dash, daring, and deadly aim
of our troops The bayonet the rife and the sabre,
are our arms. How then is the fight to be manaS-
cd? Evidently an open field fight is to our advan-
tage. But, if it can't be got we must take the other
alternative
And here let us reiterate our remark, made some
six or eight weeks ago. We have urged, again and
again, that our army should be provided with an
adequate corps of cavalry The horse is the natural
ton in the world that could enlist from its militia
such body of accomplished riders, woodsnen and
sportsmen as these Confederate States Here is
the material for the best cavalry in the world And
this is the very arm in which is greatest natural
advantage over our enemy. Cavalry, to any amount,
almost, could have been had at any time, for the
asking. Had we had only five thousand cavalry at
Manassas, Washington would now have been in our
possession. The enemy would have been captured
and slain not by the hundred but by tens Of thou
sands Philadelphia would have been the first halt
Of tho rounno If tho;r for,as
But for the want Of these five thousand horse, our
great victory has been almost Ruthless save in its
moral effect and in the capture of certain plumber.
The enemy is not broken. His power is the same
as before the cattle. Another great battle must be
fought and for the lack of these five thousand of
horse at Manassas, probably at least a thousand
brave and valuable men must perish on our side,
before Washington falls. .tsy.s y.
And even should Washington fall, after this great
sacrifice, without heavy body of cavalry to finish
the work in capture or slaughter who can tell how
point in Napoleon's battles was, that when he de-
feated an enemy, he never rallied again-he was
destroyed. This is the work for cavalry
But even upon the field, we believe that cavalry
could be Of immense use against such troops a. zee
haze to encounter They are not trained troops
They are mere raw Yankee volunteers, standing in
fear of horse, and in terror Of sabre. Let them
get at all disorganized for short time while in bat
tie and let body Of horse be thrown promptly up
on them and they will inevitably be scattered like
chat before the wind Their skins would crawl at
the very tramp Of the charge and the shocE of the
collision would paralyze every nerve
We sincerely trust that if again, in the next i'm.
pending conflict, under the providence of God our
arms should prove victorious, an adequate force Of
horse shall be there to render it more than bar
rem victory -CRarleston Mercury