New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-18


adopted II with striking success. Some we've
hundred privaes, non-cOmniasioned oncers, thd o.
fcers, are annually trained in mnske'ry IL lyme
as many more will be trained at fleetwoo" and ID a
few wears every British soldier will lie thoroughly
instructed in the theory and practice CT mushery,
and thus be enabled efficiently TO use the superior
weanon noy placed in bis bands-the rife. ii viii
be abundantly proved in the sequel that without Ill
struction. without training, the rife will prove
worse arm in the hands Of the soldier than the
snooth-bore musket of old, with which England
and France won their victories. O.
In the British and French Army tie nuskefiy in
slrncf,cn of the soldiers is conducted by regular
staff, placed under the responsibility of tbe command
ing officer, who must give his personal sUpernen-
dence to the drill and practice of the conranes and
every officer of the regiment must render himself
familiar with tie theory and practice Of musketry
attending the drill and practice in all lie parts and
requirements
Al thcregulations Of The British service in mug
kerry instruction are borrowed from the French, but
they are more sringentiy applied by the English,
with the view of securing individual proficiency. H.
deed, whereas in France, at present, only the Chss-
instructors, every battalion Of the Brtsh Army j. 60
provided, aud the annual training is most vigorously
enforced.
At the French School of Musketry ou'- or,tsrs are
instructed, whereas at Uyfh- ,ra p,r,i,,ood ho,b
iiN"'e' anu 0''' :, are trained together, with OIL
'io"' "'' ..u,agts; the officer at once applies biz
'wis dye, learns the method Of instruction, works
IL. ofi is 4Yf lt
without certain experiences which prove that, II he
necessarily eSces the private iii certain points, he IL
only second 10 him in oheIs-a powerful motive 'or
that kind foIbearance essential TO good officer.
The teachers, according TO the Hyde system, do not
adlres, their pupils as soldiers, but rather rs men,
They know that The brain and the mind ere the
rudder Of man-that man shoots in fact, with his
mud-his bodily members being merely the servants
of that mind when they trained into subsection to
it. They strive to interest and " enlist the mind OF
the soldier, and 20 make the whole men obcdient TO
their instruction.
The whole instruction Of musletry is divided into
two parts-" Preliminary Drili and Practice.
Under the first is compred instruction in: THE
CLEANING Of Arms; 2-Theore,cal Principles; 3
Aiming Drill; I-Position Drill; 5-snsppng Caps;
Blank Firing; Judging Distance Drin S-The
Manufacture of Cartridges. The Practice consists
Of: Firing Singy; Firing by Files; 3-Firing
ia Voleys; Firing in Skirmishing Order; 5
judging Distance Practice at Unknown Distances
6--Fring without using tie Back-Sight Of the Rife.
Under the head " cleaning Of arms great
amount Of military aud scientific knowledge il com
pretended. The soldier is taught the name, and
uses Of the different parts Of the lock and rife, and
the rules for cleaning and keeping them in proper
order. Too much pains cannot be taken 10 impress
upon tie minds Of the men the necessity Of preserv
ng their rifles at all times in The bighet condition.
aud the mpossibiity Of producing accurate shooting
with them when dirty As there are no less than
$50 different parts in the rile-each with its distinct
name and function-it is obvious that some effort OF
will and memory is required 10 retain them. Yet
this is required of the British soldier, and no nom
commissioned officer or private is allowed TO
move his lock from the stock and take il TO pieces
until he lie thoroughly acquainted with sll the in
struc,ions in detail and has been officially certified
by tue oflcer-istructor TO be capable Of doing
curately and efficiently.
The lectures on theoretical subjects are illustrated
by diagrams and by models The are catecbzed
on these topics, and thus become intelligent shots.
IL is not enough that man should be merely good
shot II is not enough that lie Is able 70 hit his
mark: he must know why he hts or mieses IL.
The instructor explains to the soldier the construc-
ton Of his barrel and the Of s peculiar
shape with reference TO aiming. lie informs him Of
the laws which influence the bullet in its fight
through the air; and that in consequence Of these
laws. if he were to direct the axis Of his piece
sraight upon any object, be wonld never strike the
very point at which it directed even at the dis
tanee of one yard. He thus percoives the absolute
necessity for ee vationthat it, directing the muz-
zo Of the rife above the object or point to be bit.
Indeed, the immense difference between the instruc-
ton in shooting of the present day aud the teaching
IL there were any Of former days, may be summed
ND in one word" elevation" Hence, the soldier il
shown how elevation is obtained, and tie absolute
necessity for it.
AZ to aiming it is necessary that the soldier
should have dstinct view Of the object be wishes
20 strike, that he should be capable Of forming an
alignment from his eye through the bottom Of the
notch of his bach-sght, TO tue tip Of the foresight
and the object. ], appears that just in proportion TO
the impression made his brain, is his power TO
strike. If we take out soldier on II cloudy, dull
day and place him 800 yarde from figure dressed in
a brown great-coat, with dark back ground, then
give him twenty rounds, and let him fire, and coun
the number of bits and afterward, if we take the
same man ont on a clear day, and let the object be
dressed in white smocs frock, placed in front Of