Delaware State journal and statesman., 1863-09-25

Our readers have probably seen the state
ment tlut the rebels fight Sin coulmn" and GU
army 'in line" The latter is n double line 0
soldiers, which stretches along the position
chosen for attack or defence, and which de
neuds for success upon the skilfnl Management
u the Ulcers aud the intelligence of the men
rather than upon weight nnd brute force, as ii
the columns. The column is a compact body
presenting narrow front, but with many rank
one behind the other, which is hurled en- mass
upon the foe, or which solidly awaits his advan
ces With such bodies Of men the rebels, oil
various occasions, have sought to overwhelm oui
scemins week lines. The battle of Gettysburg
presents instances Of such attempts, aud they
have excited attention ia England, where til,
line of formation is observed in battle, agains
the practice Of the rest Of Europe. We quote
from the Weekly ReDieie Of July 18th. After des
chbing the position OF Gen. Meade, the ReUieI
says:
By this mode of formation he obtained the
maximum OF force to resist these desperate as
sluIts in dense column which the Confederate
general adopted, but which, although admirable
against unsteady troops, are most ruinous an d
mpolitic when dealing with highly disciplined
opponents. The hnlle of Gettysburg teaches
oucr more what the result of Inkerman conclu-
ayey settled in Europe, that the British line Of
battle Of Two feet deep, where the troops can be
to defeat with enormous slaughter massive
columns Of assault. Not only are the Federal
Infantry armed with the best rifles, but their
artillery is perhaps second to that of no army In
the world. The effect Of rnpdly-seryed bat
Ieres pmyng upon columns consisting Of bat
ialions advancing closely behind each other and
each battalion formed in mass Of Elk or ten
deep can be easily imagined. The Confederate
columns advance swiftly with yells to strike
lta fan ur1 nbu .1Tt lr1 ll.ns.
lonenla been of any other breed than that noble
Augu Saxon race, which never shows its great.
est qualities except on the battlefield, they
would have broken nud fled. As it was, they
Stood, aud poured such mass Of fire upon the
foe that he was driven back, Florida brigade
being actually, it is said, so crushed by the storm
Of shot that the survivors ran On their hands
and knees into the Federal lines and yielded
themselves as prisoners.
Some extracts from Kinglakes account Of the
battle VI Alma, will further Illustrate the differ
elce between the two methods OF fighting
After the rupture OF the peace of Amiens, sir
Arthur Wellesley, being then in India, became
'nguAry changed, growing very day more and
more emac.aled anu seemingly more aud more
sad lie liued and was like a man dying
without any knowing bodily Illness the prey OF
consuming thought. At length he suddenly
announced his resolve 10 60 back to England;
and when he Was asked why he said, al observe
that in Europe the French are fighting in
column, and carrying everything before them
and ! am sure that ought TO go home directly
because know that men can fight in line"
From that simple yet mighty faith he never
sWervud for, always eneOuntering the massive
columns of infantry, he always was ready to
meet them with his slender column OF two deep.
With what result the world knows.
Long years have passed since the close Of those
great wars, and now, once more in Europe there
was going to be waged yet again the old strife
Of line against column.
Looking down q smooth, gentle, green slope,
checkered red with the slaughtered soldery who
had stormed the redoubt, the front-rank men of
the great Vladimir column were free to gaze upon
two tattalions of English Guards, far apart the
Que from the other, but each carefully drawn up
line and now that they saw more closely, and
without the distraction Of artillery. they had
more than ever grounds for their wonder at the
kind OF array in which the English soldierly
were undertaking to assail them. ave were all
astonlshod," says Ctodnsiewiez, yet we wrote
Of what we saw when the English line
was much less close 10 the foe than the
Guarls were. 1--WE were all nstunished at the
extraordinary hrmupss with which the red.jackets
lad crossed the river and opened heavy fire in
hue ulol the redoubt This was the most ex-
uaofdnary thing TO US, as we had never be-
lore seen troops fight in lines of two deep, nor
DID we think it possible for men to be found with
sufficient frmness of moral to be able to attack,
III this apparently weak formation our massive
co'umns-' But soon the men of the column
began to zee that though the scarlet line was
slender it was very rigid and exact.
lhe Guards when thus threatened by the great
'hllmr column. were marching TO meet Rus
sian force on their right Their left was entire
unprotected, and consisted of file Of two
men at the end Of their double lne.-Towards
'hls unprotected narrow flank Prince Gorts-
uaSoI directed the great Vladimir column, with
orders to charge. Mr. Kuslake says;-
Then, mud by as far a test as war could apply
mere was tried the strength of the line forum
ton, the quality Of the English soldier. Colonel
nool first halted, and then caused the left sub
gNlson OF the left company to wheel-to wheel
uaeA III such way as to form, with the rest of
lle battalion an obtuse angle The maunuvre
was executed by Colonel Percy (he was wounded
gs NJ This time under the directions of Colonel
hamilton, the officer in command OF the left
WIG In this way whilst he still faced the
column which he had originally undertaken to
attack, Colonel Hood showed another front. n
small bnt smooth, comely front, to the mass
Nh'cl was coming upon his flank. His nance
HIs instantly brought The Vladimir to halt (;
anl 10 those who-wilhout being near enough to
@ lsar Tue giving aud the repeating of the orders
sull were able to see Colonel Hood thus chang
lg part Of his front and stoppinga mighty
Vo'umn by making bend in his line, it seemed
ai wai lie was handling his fine, slender English
uAle with singular grace with the gentle.
lVss ana grace of the skiliful sWorlsman when,
inllug' all the while, he parties an angry thrust.
iu rue midst Of lis pride and vast strength OF
numbers, the Vladimir found itself checked
my found itself grayely engaged with half a
a0mpahy Of our Guardsmpn and the minds OF
ese Two score Of islanders were SO little inclined
70 bend under the weight of the column. tbal
Ivy Kept their perfect array. Their fire was
uea'ly for it was poured into n close mass oil
,Nug men. 1t was at the work Of ''fle firing
'ult Tie battalion now labored.
ng'i inter oil, if only the irmness of the slen
4s' Hhensh line should chance to endure, there
''' holhng except the almost ehimercal even
" through charge home with the bayonet whicl
,l Souu give TO the columns the ascendency due I,
'lelr vast weight and numbers for the fire from
hNralghtencd narrow front, could comparative
10 little harm, whilst the fire of the battalion
hue was carrying havoc into the liyinl
1ssvs' ns' sun, neither column nor line gave way
"a 'le other hand, neither column nor linl
lO'el forward Fast rooted as yet to the ground
@ ne eroaning masses of the Russians and th
hosearet strings of Guardsmen stood receivin
'nI delivering their FIRE.
Tue English method of array put griey
ous stress upon the soldiery Of Continenta
masses, It's pressure is not less hard upon tn
i,ui OIL a general who has the suffering column
s, ns charge 1t not only shocks him by th
s"' VI great slaughter Of his people oscurrin
sulal spaces of giound it not only force
,{, Pon nlin a sense of being outhanked but some
,t .aes even seems, oppresses him with a belle
c sN he IS overwhelmed by mighty numbers