The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-04-29
Valuable Hints on the Coming Battles.

taIiaJLt HIhts Oh khe OOhlhS BATTLES
Arebel Capt of Mississippi company
in the army of Tennessee, writing to
the Atlanta Register, throws out some
excellent suggestion on this important
matter which we hope will go the
rounds of the press
have tried to write an article and
have failed; now l ask you to write it
and insert it in your valuable paper,
and sign it as coming from company
commander of the aboye brigade, ask
ing the cooperation of all the company
commanders of the army Of Tennessee
on the following points Teaching the
men in battle to aim their pieces with
more accuracy, and the great impor-
lance Of being cool sTHl collected, and
wait until the enemy are within easy
range. Exhort them all to act together
in the next battle, and go into it with
that idea prominent in their minds,
and try for once to impress it upon the
minds of each man to deliver his piece
as if he was firing at target. feel
the greatest necessity for this, and | am
confident that if we can get even one
yolley fired in this way we can whip
any number the enemy can bring
against Us.
Ifyou were never in a battle you
would not guess that there were half
the random shots fired that there are.
Why, sir, have seen whole regiments
and brigade deliver their fire when |
was sure that they did not even wound
a single man. Such firing, besides vast
ing the ammunition, does not init
m,date Il Q enemy at all on the other
hand it makes them feel that there is
but little danger, consequently he is
more bold and discovers his fire more
accurately Besides, ifmen are allow
ed to make those random discharges it
seems to become a habit, and they be
como sosexcited at it that they would'of
ten srmiss a nan at ten PAGES than they
would hit him Just in that way bat
ties are often lost, while the company
if he would only stop it,
and show them that they were doing no
good, they would soon become collect
ed, and after they once knew their fol-
" would Of their own accord fire dclib-
erately, and probably save the day after
it had been comparatively lost
Why, sir, in battle you often see com
pany commanders charging around
with their swords hourishing above
their heads, crying out, GIVE it to them
boys, give it to theml' manilesting
in themselves, and creating in others,
all the excitement possible. Now n sec
ond thought would show to their better
Judgment that they were doing more
harm than good, for men become so ex- /
cited under such circumstances that
they would miss an elephant at ten
steps You often see the above buster
ing around when the enemy are at least
off at a distance of one thousand yards, /
and TO hear the roar of musketry and
the excited commanders, you would F..
think they would soon come to n hand /
to hand contest What is it that ex-
cites man in battle2 Why, it is the /.
danger If you shoot at a man once |
no Is very much excited; shoot at him /
a hundred times and miss him every /
time, and all his fear and excitement is /
gone; but reserve your fire until you /
can do some execution, and when they |
come fire into them, cut his clothes, /
wound his neighbor kill the second /
man from him and let him see it, and I /
tell you seventy-ive Yankees out of /
every hundred viii break and run, and .
then a charge, with our internal yell, I
and the day is ours
Another very important point, after
we have whipped and routed the enc
my Let Us all resolve to keep each and
every man in his place, ready 10 follow
up our advantage and secure the fruits
IF the victory; not such things as we
can get from the dead and wounded
bat first Of all, prisoners, and then his
artillery, wagon trains, &c.
Oh let Us do it by ali means we can
10 it and let Us all determine to act
and the result will be mot as
{ was at Chickamauga, and the army
catered over the battle field, pillaging
he dead and wounded), but a victory
ueh as never was known to our arms,