Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-05-16
Practical Warfare.

Practical Warfare.
A complete revolution has been effected
In the army exercises in Europe within ter
years, aud few of our citizen soldiery seen
to be aware of the fact Every soldie
and citizen should now make himself &C
quainted with field exercies, by shooting
at targets at various distances, from 20(
up to 1000 yards. while, performing rap
i'd evolutions. All our citizen soldiers re
quire considerable severe drillingin the field
so as to become quick and accurate marks
men.
The first thing necessary for soldier is
a trusty rifle. It should be easily and con
veniently charged, and its fire should be
certain and effective. 1t should be capa
BILE of destroying an enemy at the distance
of l 200 yards with its bullet, and it should
be effective in hand-to-hand combat with
a sword or bayonet attached to it. A
soldier should, therefore, know what bis
rifle can do, and what be can do with it nj
certain distances. If be is ignorant ol
these, let him be taught before sending him
to fight
The rife-muskets in our regular army
have their grooves with twist of one turn
in SIX feet, and decreasing from breech to
muzzle. This makes the cartridge little
stiff to leave the muzzle, but its shooting is
more accurate on this account. The ball
has three grooves around the cylindrical
part and no wedge or capsule is used in
side. The weight of the ball is 73O grains,
the charge or powder is 20 grains. The
barrel of the rifle is 40 inches, long and en-
entire with bayonet, 1885 inches. The
army rihe-not the rihedmusketis 50 inch
es long; with bayonet the weapon is 7l.s
inches long. The total weight of the RI
fle-musket is 900; that of the rifle, with
bayonet, 1898 pounds.
The United States rifles are fired with
out patches. The rifle and riae-muskets
of our army compare favorabIy with those
of the Europeans. They are like those of
England; the latter were adopted from
American models. No target practice in
our army has, however, been ever reported
to equal to that of the Swiss, English,
Austrian or French soldiers.
A board met at West Point, four years
ago, to test breech-Ioading rifles. They
experimental quite number, subjecting
them to target firing. A Shapes rife
was fired ls times in so seconds; but Col.
Bnruside's was considered the best. A
second Board met in 1858, and again de-
cided in. favor of Burnside's, but did not
recommend it. Colts revolving rifle is
like his pistol, in the principle Of its con-
stuction. 1t has seven grooves of uniform
depth and increasing twist. There are
very few breech- loading rifles in the army !;
they are not so accurate as those which
load at the muzzle, are they are more COM
plex in construction.
Shooting schools have been established
in all the European armies, and at West
Point the cadets are also regularly instruct
ed in firing at the target, but only at short
distances. In England the shooting school
is at Hythe. The term in it occupies two
and half months. Detachments of the
regiments succeed each other there during
the entire year. In France the term of
practice occupies four months. Practical
instruction is given to the soldiers in esti-
mating distances by the eye, and in rapid
accurate firing. Such an establishment
should be commenced in New York at
once.
It has peen said that ssthe battles of the
American Revolution were gained by the
tide." The British soldiers were not then
instructed to shoot at mark; but those
days are all past forever. At the battle of
Vittoria, in Spain, 800 balls were fired for
every man that was killed. At the battle
of Cherubusco, in Mexico, 1875 American
balls were fired for every Mexican that was
killed; this was better firing than that of
the enemy, who fired 800 balls for every
man killed on our side. This, however,
will not do now. In England party of 80
skirmishers cen destroy a battery oil light
artillery, at 800 yards distance, in one min
ute. ai iae -a.aJ
In the olden times, the solid columns
and the desperate charge generally won the
battle; but light, active troops, spread over
an extended field with good rifles, would
soon slaughter the best drilled columns in
the world, armed with smooth bored mus
kets and handled in the old-fashioned
pasteboard style. Modern tactics require a
more extended field for maneuvering, hence
greater care is necessary in handling the
soldiers, and more intelligence on the part
of the soldiers is necessary for taking up
proper positions, to save themselves and
harass the enemy to the greatest advantage.
Formerly the position of an army could be
approached within 800 yards without ex-
periencing injury from the infantry fire.
With the modern rifles, they could not ap-
proach nearer than 1000 yards. Cavalry
must now keep at a respectable distance
till they can dash in under cover of the
smoke, or be preceded with rifemen and
artillery.-ScientJ6c american.
SNATcHrNa A Krss.-A correspondent
of the Cincinnati Commercial relates the
following incident that occurred while the
Eighth Regiment was on its way from this