East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-03-04


mishers or sharp-shooters in modern
armies, for what had previously been
called hght.troops differed very little
in their duties, arms, and equipments
from the troops of the line. The next
great war tina: took place after the Amer
lean Revolution, was that of the French
Revolution. France, with her army dis
organized, was attacked on all sides by
the hest disciplined troops in Europe
To defend herself she sent forth million
Of undrilled "coascrits" who, supplying
the want Of knowledge by their ardor,
"threw themselves" says British writer,
Sin swarms on the Aanks Of the Austrian
columns. These, unaccustomed to this
novel species Of attack whsn they looked
for regular battle, fell into confusion and
retreated before an undisciplined rabble."
The French, after their raw recruits had
become steady veterans, had the good
sense to remember the advantage which
they had gained from their "tirailleurs;;"
and in all the actions, clouds of skirmish-
ers advancing almost Independently Of
each other, and relying only upon good
sense and bravery, would venture even
inside of the enemy's lines, and throw
disorder and confusion into his ranks by
their concealed and destructive FIRE; thus
preparing the way for their massive col
umns of attack. 1t was long before
other European armies, controlled by men
attached to routine and precedents
adopted this valuable arm of the service.
A curious episode of the Peninsular war
illustrates very forcibly the blindness
which prejudice creates, aud which, ac-
cording to Col. Mitchell, afliicts pecu-
liarly British Military Boards. 1hFi
The officers in command of the Eng
lish army in the Peninsula having OBJ
served the great advantage which the
French derived from their corps of skir-
mishers, requested the formation Of
similar corps. The request was granted,
bnt in spite Of the remonstrances Of few
men of sense, it vas decided at the Horse
Guards, that no uniform would do but the
genuine British scarlet with white trim
mings, the most unconcealable colors in
the world! What was the result? The
French 'tiai7leuvs, clothed in dark green,
were effectualy hid by every bush, and
completely invisible when scattered out
in the extensive vineyards and cornfields
of Spain. The unfortunate British rife
men, on the contrary, could find conceal
ment no where. for there would always
peep out a confounded little patch of the
unlucky scarlet to serve as target for
French bullet. This corps was almost
entirely destroyed before the blunder wss
rectiied.
The skirmishers employedin the French
service were generally armed with light
musket; those who used the rifle, owing
to the objections previously mentioned,
did not derive any benefit from that
weapon. But as the troops to which
they were opposed were no better in this
respect, the inefficiency Of these arms
was not much felt. The conquest Of
Algeria was destined to lead the way for
a complete revolution, both in the tactics
and the equipment Of light troops.
The French armies in Africa found
themselves opposed to an enemy whose
power had been much miscalculated. The
different tribes of the Regency could
bring into the field one hundred thou
sand horsemen. 1t is true that they were
divided in interests and seldom acted in
concert; but upon many battlefield
the French were vastly out-numbered by
the Arabs. Nor were the latter foes to
be despised, as experience soon taught.
They were as brave as the lion of their
native desert. They were more than half
civilized, and had their manufactures of
small arms, cannon, and powder; they
were splendid horsemen, used to riding
from infancy, and mounted upon the
finest and fieetest horses in the world
They were warlike race, accustomed to
90 armed at all times, and to encounter
the dangers of the chase and
the battlefield. More than all, they were
enaamed by religious enthusiasm, and
considered the French but as Christian
dogs, inferior in every respect to the sons
of "El Islam." sm
The French soldiers drilled by the
Prussian system, improved upon, IL is
true, re-enacted, Notwithstanding the aid
of their skirmishers, the part Of the
British regulars at Lexington and Con
cord. The fierce Bedouins of the desert
concealed behind every obstacle, poured
a converging fire into the serricd columns
of the French; and however bad marks
men they might be, they could not fail
to hit some one when they had such large
masses to shoot at. The French were
unable to return the fire with any effect,
for either the Arabs kept themselves con
cealed, or else they we're scattered in
such open order, that so uncertain wea-
pom as the musket stood little chance Of
doing any execution. Had the Arabs
been on foot, skirmishcrs might have
been thrown out to dislodgc them from
their positions, and to pursue them. This
was tried; but the instruction Of skir-
mishers was imperfect at that time, and
as soon as they were deployod, the Moor
ish cavalry, on their feet barbs, would
dash upon them like whirlwind, with
furious onset, and with cleaning yata-
CHAN and scimetar, sweep them like chaff
before the gale OF course the FIRE Of
the administers, aimed with muskets'
had no effect upon these rapidly moving