Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1863-09-26
Waste Of Ammunition.

The following is extracted from Il recently
published book of campaign sketches in
Virginia and Maryland, be Captain George
+. Moves:
The great di,proportion Of our battles
between the number of ball cartridges dis
charged and the number of killed and
wounded was due mainly to the want Of
presence of mind in our raw troops; but
the very limited investigation | have been
enabled To make has convinced me that
our troops take much better aim and con
scqUcn;ly waste lar less ammunition than is
usual in European warfare
During the wars the French Revolution
ard the Empire-NapoIeon's warS-accord-
ing to Gasscmli Il French general ofartillcry,
the infantry fired 5000 cartridges for every
enemy killcd or wounded. PiohCrt admits
the same thing. Decker. ii PruSsian general,
and one of the best military writers in
Germany, estimated that not less than 10000
cartridges are burned for every enemy killed
or wounded.
At the battle of Victoria the English are
supposed to have killed or wounded one Of
the enemy for every 500 balls fired. An
English officer states that at the battle OF
Chcrubusco the McXicans Killed or wounded
IN American for every 500 balls fired, and
that the Americans killed or wounded a
Mexican for every l25 balls fed.
The heroic kosccrans, in his account of
the bloodily-contcsted battle of Murirccs-
boro', declares, "Of II. $50 rebels struck 10y
our missiles, it is estimated that 10000
rounds of artillery hit 72s men, and 200,0O0
rounds of musketry hit Il, S33 men, aycrag-
ing 81 cannon shot, to hit one man, and lIj
muskct shots to hit one man.
In the battle OF GAINESVILLE there could not
have been expended more than 100000
cartridges, and the enemy admit loss Of
more than 1000 men, thus averaging 100
musket shots 10 each of the rebel killed or
wounded. of course all such statements
only approximate the actual ratio, but it
was sufficiently clear that, great aS Is the
waste of ammunition by our army, it is not
only equaicd, but cXcellcd by those OF
Europe.
One trouble is that our own men, in going
into battle. are weighed down, overloaded
with ammunition, having To stuit their
pockets as well rs their cartridge-1oNes,
with the sixty or eighty rounds ordered,
OF course very much of this is thrown away
and wasted but this is only triiiing evil
compared with the encouragement thus
given to the too prevalent idea among the
liiNu iiul NC VINO lilNN lllt SlNAAtNN HNHi'N'
of rounds in battle is the best soldier. |
have heard men boasting of their achieve
ments in this regard, and the result of such
an idea is hurried loading and discharge
without any regard to aim, a wasting upon
tees and foliage of ammunition which, ii
used at all, should he used So as TO defeat
the enemy. | was struck with remark
made 10y rebel prisoner to his capt0rs
I'VE never carry more .han forty rounds
into action, aud usually eXpend about ten"
There is altogether too much of this Wild
reckless firing, the men discharging their
pieces before bringing them fairly down to
a level, and utterly regardless of taking
aim. OF course there are periods when
heavy, mpid and continuous volleys are
necessary; still il would he well ii every
man could be drilled as sharpshootcr,
taught to shoot slowly, and always take
aim, either AT the enemy or his supposed
locality.
"ln the five battles Of the late Italian
campaign IL was estimated that about = per
cent of the French aud Sardnians, aud l0t
per cent of their enemies, the Austrlans,
were either killed or wounded. In the
battles spoken of In these sketches our loss
Mas not lar from 10 per cent. ot the whole
numlfrs engagcd. While certain divisions
and hrira,l,s Lost one third of their numbe. F;
aud ia the i,ariai, bloody hghi ui ualnos
vile two of our regiments losI more than