, 1863-01-22
GEN. TURCIIlN's LECTURE.



ed his lecture on +" "3lilitary Science" to IN |
intelligent and grotified audience, ut Bryan
Hall.
When the General appeared upon the plat
form he was greeted with prolonged applause.
He began his address by remarking that
military science was d very complicated one.>
It required great patience and study to obtain
4 thorough knowledge Of this science, yet 1t
washIgh1y necessary to nation.. Those M
nations who had neglected. 1t were sure to
suffer in consequence. In organizing m army,
scription exists. In Germany, the Landwehr
system, by which every citizen is obliged to
be III service a certain number Of years.. In
England enrolling, OF rather cnticing in the
regular and volunteering Of Tho English yco.
manry. If NC sha1l b. obliged to DRIFT heaT1-
" the system will not work smoothly. If
Congress, Mt the outset Ind established some
thing like French conscriptton, our
old regiments would be illled up
very lnpidlly: # is better to flll up
ono old regiment than organlze two nsw , oaes;
divisions manGuyrc like bnttalions: u.
regiment is veil drilled, there can oe no Hit at
to its heroic deeds. Two battalions Of the
st Of e x,a"sn tne patte s
ciplined battalions In the hands Of good
general may be inyincible.
The manual Of arms Is nothing, but the bay
onct exercise is all. In order 10 rout m enc.
my completely you must charge. 4 musket
With bnyo9ct In 9nskllfa1 m' lands is worse
weapon In skilful hands, but In the hands OF
man unacqualntcl Will. 1t and nervous, It Is
worth very little. The Iaellciency IN drill
generally ls one Of the reasons Of such cnor.
NOUS 1osscs US Otlr troops sustain. There Is no
midway; either nobody hurt or general
slaughter.
Tic speaker alluded to the necessity Of cor
rect topography and the Importance Of mill
tnry statistics md. geography, without which
strategy is nothing but q speculation On the
map, aild Illustrated this point from the cam
paIEns Of Russia and France.
II seemed strange tint Mt the commence
mcnt of the struggle our lcadcrs so dreadfully
-Mi,dcrcstimated the resources Of the South.
Plans should always be nude Of !: magnitude
always TO 6c mosi sliilful, md then adapt your
means 10 frustlAtc Him.
The science ofnrtlllery embraces almost oil
positive science; the Investigation OF the fab
| rlcation and action Of powder; tho prcpara.
| ton Of the Allnys for brass and iron for cast
cannon and projectilcs; the construction Of
carriages; the determination Of elevation !;
Net9ut VI C!hlSce, l4o pAl+1po4lc AuE ~ pso"
be efficient must be drilled with infntry
brjg,,lcs and divisions There must bc har-
mony between the movement Of Infantry and
artillery. Infantry not accustomed to act
with artillery look upon Il Us something indc'
Two cannon at oncc, having not more than
45,Cco troops In the fight, While at Marrng.o,
pieces Of artlllcry,> all told. Winch
artillery officers understand their bust
ness it is Il terrible thing In a fight:
gun, and some admirers 60 so far as to prefer
It to any other gun in al1 cases. This is
wrong. With improved projectilcs the rifed
guns may be invaluable for long distances
and for precise work, for instance to dismount
the encmy's cannon on the field position, o.
great objection is that their projectilcs do moi
r:cochct, and the round shel1 for firing
with large angle Of elevation and the
; round shot for ricochet cannot he cquallee
by tho rificl cannon. It would be better i
our field batteries consisting Of eight insteat
poleonic 12-ponnders, which throw both sho
and shcll, and two 24pounder howitzcrs
Horse artillery would be Of immense service
il added to our cavalry; mounted riaeme1
and horse artillery are the troops to defea
the raids Of the rebels and guerilla parties,
|
sciences, but whatever the architectural beau
ties aud so1idity Of the permanent stFuctur
! may be, the position Of the points at whicl
| they arc built, and the tracing Of their lines
nl1ist be founded on strategy and tactics. For
tresses cannot stop daring army, and ther
is no fortress that cannot be taken. Sebasto
pol was-not formidable fortress Tho re
nowncd Malakoff and Redan~werc tcmporar
breastworks. The whole Cri,ncan war wa
nothing but the monstrons besieging Of on
J | army b. the other, both Of them having thci
| communications free.
; Temporary fortified camps must be se!ecte
properly, otherwise the enemy will detac
t eome troops to demonstrate against thel1
| and with his main forces WILL pass by.
t Gen. Mcclellan, leaving enough men to d
{ fend the Notifications at Washington, b.
!. taken his main army on the road to Ricl
!. ,nond through Fredericksburg, the enen1
shot, to get back and make stand on Il
l. main road to Richmond.
.,,s me aseta-er ctossa %eH EoSa oaa@HsT 1a!ssf
him. He must be yerscd in military sclenc
:, and have practical experience lie must be
h. 1isciplinarian, mn iauxor:.ble judge and b
Is name protector. BE must know how to re:
III the maps, to apreciatc at oncc the topograpl
70 Of the battle ground. 4 military genius on
y baltic field is i'm inspired being Where col
- mon men SEQ nothing but clump Of trct
u he sees the victory there; he covets th
ground; he orders many cyolutions und ,
~ t:eks on distant points TO induce the cneE
to to send away Ills reserves from IL
y and scizcs il; lc supports them with his b
t. teries. That military glance and tho inspi
rs tiou Of genius are rare gifts, coveted By mar
az | possessed by few.