The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1861-06-05
Interesting Information Respect
ing the Use Of Artillery.

Light Artillery, says Gibbons ArhHsrfs'
Manuel, prepared for the United States service
has now become an indispensable arm in al
armies, and it is brought to such perfection
that no troops, however brave and well disci
plined, can do without il Napoleon said
even before the many recent improvement
were introduced, that no body OF infan ry
i without the beip OF artillery, could march on
thousand or one thousand two hundred yard
against battery oil six'een well placed ant
well served pieces with ut being destroyed.
Artillery b comes o. so much more impor
tance when paced with raw and undici pl Het
troops, when the batteries, well posted ant
served, will atone in measure, for the def
IcieDcies Of the troops.
j In this case the capacity Of a General is ex
hibi'ed by his knowing how TO place upon thu
point OF attack, the lew good troops ai his dis
/ posal, and protect the others with powerful bat
teries which the enemy would in vain attemp
to carry. But in order to succeed with sucf
means, the genius Of the chief must be capable
Of atoning for the moral inferiority oil BIZ
troops AMI his artillery passes marked supe
riority over that OF the enemy.
| Probably there never has been a battle
fought in which this TACT was more apparent
than it was at Buena Vista, where the batter
les of Washington, Bragg and Sherm-n per-
formed such signal service, and atoned 20 wei
for the absence OF large, well disciplined
force. Artillery may be made to supply the
want OF cavalry force, as well as to arrest
charge Of cavalry. which can produce but little
effect VIII. n made under the fire OF well pos.
ted and well served battery.
When serving with troops of the very bes
kind, artillery, although very important, is ar
arm he use OF which can not be dispensed
with ia battles-of any size. Posted along the
front of the line, it serves to maintain the com.
bat, 10 spare the rest Of the troops to supper,
their movements, and to make an opening for
them to act portion of 1t held in reserve,
appearing at decisive moment, produces, by
its rapid and terrible effect, the most important
results.
In a fiat, open country. with numerous roads
| field artillery is OF the most importance. as by
its mobility and power Of concentration, it neu
tralizes the Importance and effect Of the fixed
positions OF the enemy, and atones for the
want Of them on ones own side It's impor
| tance is diminished in broken or mountainous
country, where war is reduced to attacks on
| fixed positions; but even in This kind OF war,
here infantry play the most important part.
il is still OF the greatest use In forcing difficult
passages letting fire TO towns and btteiing
down houses and o'h,r obstacles.
| The principal advantages Of the fire Of artil
leiy over that of n'antry, are, that the stri
king of the shot and shell gives a means Of cor.
rectng the fire not possessed by small arms -
The dust throwa up by shot striking may he
fseen at a distance of thousand yards. The
moral effect due to the power of artillery is in
creased by The noise OF the explosions, which
ho ord in tho YOiHsf of fha mos ant;
firing OF small arms ..,..
! Artillery is used against troops either de.
ployed or in squares, by forming openings pre-
paratory to q charge Of cavalry. 1t also Iepul-
ses the enemy's column Of attack .ihrawing
them in'o disorder. Artillery is Of the great
est nse in attacking posts and intrenchments;
and city which would resist troops without
artillery, would quickly yield, after receiving a
few shot and shell.
Shells act by percussion and explosion both,
but the firing with them is much less accurate
than solid shot. The noise, however, made by
them, and the fear of seeing them burst. add
much to their moral effect. They act effect
lively against cavalry in column or in several
lines by frightening the horses and demoral
zng the mem.
The quantity Of artillery attached to an ar
nv IS determined by the nature Of the theater
Of the war, the kind of troops, their cl arac;er
re elatiye to that OF the enemy, the character OF
the war, the rize OF the pieces and their mobil-
ity. 1t varies usually from one tc three pieces
to one thousand men. The latter number has
been adopted in our service, two per one thou
sand for service with the troops, and third held
in reserve.
The number of guns should be double that
Of the owitzers, and for defensive war, from
one fourth to, one fifth Of the pieces should be
twelve FOUNDER guns and twenty four or TWEEN.
tv-three FOUNDER howzers For an offensive
war, from one seventh to one eighth only
should be of these calibers. otherwise the bat
teries would not have sufficient mobility. AS
a general rule, the number Of the artillery
troops should be about one halt that of the
cavrlry; though, as regards this. no fixed rule
can be laid down, Since artillery frequently
supplies the place Of cavalry.