The new South. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1862-1867, 1863-04-18
Voll, No. 50, PORT ROYAL, S. c. SATURDAY. Al

Indeed. this we ,pon could only lie used by detailing
one hundred of the best ard steadiest marksmen
f ON ,ch regiment, rs sharpshooteis, to be thor
ouchly instructed in the use of the fited nlnsket.
In addition to these facts it is we'll known that
good, smooth-bored musket may be used with eff
feet and kept in trusty order by cdsamon soldier
throughout an arduous and long campaign, whilst
the riied musket is very susceptible gf injury and
disorder, and no ordinary soldier will give that
attention to its care that is necessary to it adj
yantageous employment unless heb specially
charged with the duty and instrucss in the use
of his weapon. After the necessary instruction has
been impaired to these light troops, fhe work Of
the general officer begins in Handling his
men. He will study the Typographical the field,
taking up every consideration or conception of ac-
cident, and cover his men from tlielefect of the
fire from the encmy's sharpshooters and rifed ar
tillery as far rs possible until the action becomes
close and the smooth-bOred arm can be used with
the greatest effect.
Major Willard, in concluding his; preliminary
treatise, makes use Of the following lifting and
suggestive remarks
s.An army will no longer, as in former times,
encamp On bivouac within two theux.nd or three
thousand yards of the enemy's outis,sts, without
exposixg itself 10 the dangers of being shellcd.
sWithall the defects in the new arms, caused by
the great curve of their trajectories; an army can
not now do without them lit would kn!aeai.a N
postiOn OF inierioiity to its adversary, perfectly
unsustainable. Its battalions would be destroyed;
its skirnishers decimated ut ranges where its own
bulls and bullets would not take effect, without
considering the necessity 1t would be under, of
separating its lines and placing its reserves at Tar
greater distances than the enemy.
cit would BE- equally an error to fall into the
other extreme, and discard entirely smooth-bored
arms from our army. result towards which we
have been tending for several years past. The
utility of the rifetl muske:s with the elevating
sights is exhibited in perfection, when placed In
the hands of thoroughly instructed Sight troops
or skirmishers. In this character of soldiers our
army Is certainly deficient but it is subject of suf
ficient Importance to demand immediate attention.
At least one regiment in each brigade should be
speciay instructed in the duties of light infantry;
and in the new regular regiments of our army, one
of the three battaliOns should be similarly desig
mated these troops should be armed with the
most approved rifled arms thoroughly instructed
in the theory of firing and use Of the weapon. az
Yeh as in all that relates to the duties OF skirish-
ers and light troops in campaign.
1he,remainder OF the infantry and the cavalry
should be armed with the smooth-bored arms.
The infantry should have the buck and ball car
fridge, "a ball and three buckshOt.) The eleyating
portion of the sight should be Immediately aban-
doned on arms intended for infantry troops not
skrmishers, fol reasons heretofore mentioned.
1t is believed that the experience of our armies
within the last two years, has not sustained the
generally entertained opinion that pur army should
be entirely armed with rihed muskets, but on the
contrary. grave doubts of the advantage claimed
for the weapons have entered the minds of many,
while some OF our best officers, who have had.ev-
cry advantage upon which to form an opinion,
are convinced that we are laying aside manifest ad
rantagcs in discarding the smooth-bored musket
with the buck and ball cartridge.
aBattles must be fought and won as in times
mast; decisive victories cannot be gained by firing
at long ranges; at short ranges the buck and ball
cartridge is certainly more eectiye and it is sus-
ceptible of proof that it is grave error to adopt
for an army, rifed, to the entire exclusion of the
smooth-Eored arms"