New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-03-03

the old smootb-bore musket wss . better weapon
than the rae-especi.lly against cavalry. The great
advantages OF the new arms sre accuracy and hong
tunps; but We have bought these advantages ct tie
COS. Of other precious qualities especially in ANAL
arms. namely. fat trajectory and greater pene n
lion NJ the shorter distances. To drive the eoemy
from position, We must absolutely march upon HIM,
tackle ith him body 70 body, il be does not turn
10 the rigltaboui it s therefore, for the decisive
moment. tho instant Of the final shock, that We mus
be provided with the most crushing means OF resist
spce and destruction.
IL its utmost perfection the range OF the me
,OcO yards and upward, that ID, when It has User
perfectly constructed in every part Of its mntltud'u
ous ssssntias-abovs all the barrel, the bullet, ADJ
the alimportapt "slgits," whose accuracy OF grad
uaion and position are certainly not things to u
taken for granted" snd which the s'ig' test acc'
dent sy put out Of order. There is scarcely rue
in which allowance has not 70 be made for INCORRECT
Auditing: the mere difference Of ammunition will ne
ce,situts On alteration in sighting Who can do Thu
in tho crash of battle
The ride requires vast deal Of intelligence tact
and stesdiness of eye in the soldier. IL ID certain
tina, st present the rife 10 superior to the eye snd
hand Of The soldier-in other words his training l.
not equal 10 the perfection Of his weapon. Sure and
terrible in prsciced and steady hands, 1t IS certain
that pine cen, weuteths Of cannot use 1t with
perfect ease and precision Its trajectory or path OF ts
bullet, il very high At the great distances the bul-
let plupv.s and the Dangerous space" ia reduced
70 few yards Thus, at about 900 yards an error
Of abon, l6 feet 10 sghfug-and Ut $40 yards like
error Of about 80 feet. would miss ts'get 10 feel
high and Of course, 60 clear over The heads OF cav
airy. Within the pJirtblank range, say 25o psces
The solcisr is exposed 70 the same variations-ths
trajectory 10 still sufficiently elevated to permit q
man. and even man and horse 10 advance with i'm
puuiry if the mnn stops bis horses neck
throushou. half that di-noe, that H. l25
posing the rifle to be held horizontally. Of c'arSt
all {, is can be obvated by skilled and well-sralned
soldiers-knowipg the ditance and adjusting accord
,npIy-but this il precisely the point Of the utmost
difficulty in the use of the rife.
Now with the old smoo,h-bore, within the distance
of the ,ies po'nt.blank, matters were very dIfrr~pt
10 aiming horizontally, that is, night NJ Tue ore"ss
the enemy was hit in the thighs and the hit rl'c' IS
yely ssceuded to the belly, the waist, and the stom-
ach NJ the respective Distances Of 2Uo, 1870, and 40
races. In fact, ut short distances tie jectoy was
asr; the ball met man who happ~ned 10 he IN tre
line Of fire. the trajectory Of the rifle can never be
an,. owing 70 the diminished initial velocity " The
bull.t by friction in the barrel. II we eoud make
the bullet spn without the loss IF force by friction,
the ease would be altered but that is impossible, and
we nus, bit, if We hi ALL by rigidly add skilliuIy
complyinp it'll the rules Of firing every particular.
Moreover it Is obvious tiat good judgment Of dis-
lance is ale lu,ey necessary TO be rtemani to enable
him TO make the requisite "eeYsion' by his sights.
Al great distances, IN error OF few yoris viii save
line Of cavalry as well W. infantry, and who can
EXPECT not {, err BY ) or yards in go
Riaed cannon. have the enormous range 81 iron'
600 to s. OgJ PAGER with AN accuracy never siained
by the smoo;L.boe cannon; bu', peclrely Ike rinei
upsll arms. tie iuiti., vel city Of the projeeuie il
compsrvely weak, and, consequently, the tr-lec-
tory is very high. Agin, at great distes the Dali
does not rcochrt; il buries itself with plunge; the
only dangerous point ia that which ittouches. II we
fred ia war ~ on the target ground, this gun would
pr,duce friYhtful resuts. 1t is very different III
practice At tho distance Of 900 PAGES the apparent
u
il 10 barely II ches. To distinguish st this distance
y very good sight is required, . most exceptions
Al g,, indeed; and even then the air must be clear
there murt he TO mist, no vapor, no duet. But, "
,~rceive the object does not infer the knowledge
the ,pot where it is, within 100 yards And had w
rified cannon which could always make a bullsey
at OoO PAGES the probability Of hitting al those OK
CO, sive distances would not cease to be extreme
smai, sincs tho Of few PAGES renders tn,
proicctile powerless. OF course the probability in
crea.es with the szs and depth Of the object and tb.
10, indeed the important feature Of the new cannon
x may be affirmed thnt Vt great distances firing or
isolated men Or depoy cd lines lie tantamount 10 hrins
nj updom I, 10 seldom that the ground PreserIts n
sufficiently even surface to permit cannon TO Tire fur
Their than The rife when firing effectively ~ yards
At this distance slopes and obstacles often concea
fiom sight not only single man. but entire bodies d
troops or we are unable to get thst inclination Of hs
axis Of the piece which 10 20 essential 10 insure gooc
results. W course We Gun show boards riddled Will
bullets ut 800 aud 600 yards, and from this fact the
unnihilstion Of cavalry has been predicted but sucl
practice, in cold blood with cool head, at measured
distances LACKS the experience Of the battle hed, anf
with Magenta aud Soferno before us, the battle elt
has demonstrated Tho exAggera,ions that mystfy TIN
peaceful frequenters of the target ground. La on
word We must reverse all the conditions Vi the tar
yet ground in calculating the performance OF tn
mark smnn on the field of battle.
Nor is this aliif tho probability Of touching fror
sfar trvops in position whose distance is not aecu
ra,ely known, is very small, what will it be whe
tn, 81 troops ARE in motion The c'nstant chany~r
place will nrcesstate new Judging Of dis,xvco
fm every shot more or lees, new sdjas,meutHof til
sights and the consequent aim.