The Placer herald., 1864-11-12
Atlanta correspond'ce of Cincinnati Comm 'rcia''
The New Systcm Of Defen.ive Warfare'''
Intrenching and FOrtifylng.

IntrenChtnE ana FOFSuyAuS'
Among the many notifications and new
features Of warfare that have been introduced
during the present struggle, the one most
noticeable and most revo|u,ionizing in Its
tendency, is the practice becoming 80 uni
versal on both sides, Of intrenchtnq ana Jor-
tifying. To one who had made military en-
gineerng a study, it is perfectly astonishing
TO notice how skillful all the liue officers
and even the priva,es, have become in laying
out and constructing defensive works. For'
merly, no works were attempted until regu-
lar engineer officers could survey and stake
out the grounds; then pioneer parties and
regular fatigue parties would do tho work.
This required days and sometimes weeks, to
construct anything like efficient defenses.
Now, every officer and man is an engineer;
and every regiment and company has Its
pioneer party. If command halls in line
for thirty minutes, good defensive works are
constructed. If a company is sent out on
picket, the inevitable pick and spade 90 with
them, as certainly as the musket; and within
a few minutes from the time the post is as
signed, the picket is well intrenched. If ono
army moves to attack the other, the army
that is on the defensive will construct good
protecting works, while the attacking party
is deployed and getting ready to assault.
The result is that the attacking party on
either side always encounters efficient breast
works, that more than double the fighting
strength of the party being attacked. "Open
field fighting" has almost passed into history.
1t OILY occurs now when the party attacked
is either surprised or tlanked. Experience
has abundanlly shown that no General can
afford, very often, TO storm well-manned
breastworks; for although he may carry his
point, yet he does il an enormous sacrifice
of life, and a sacrifice generally greatly dis
proportion ed to the injury he ntlicts. The
General who is most expert in flank move-
ments is the one who will get control of the
most territory. These facts present an as
pect Of our struggle not altogether agreeable
to contemplate. While thanking an army
will compel it to change position, yet it gen
orally leaves it intact. An army may be
flanked thousand times, and be an army
still. Had Johnston met us in open field,
and fought us near Dalton OF Resaca, We
would probably have destroyed his army ere
this. But he reached Atlanta with his army
whole lie kept it carefully behind sub
s'ata works, which compelled Sherman to
drive him back by succession Of the most
skiful flank movements ever made. Hood
took command of the rebel army at Atlanta,
and not till after his sore experience of July
2Oth, 22d and 23th, when he lost from 5000
to 10000 men, would he acknowledge the
new feature of battle tactcs-the potency Of
the spade and pick.
Every regiment now carries its entrench
ing tools, and they are cared for with the
same ,enacity as the arms, and all become
expert in their use. The unpleasant aspect
of this new feature of warfare is the great
advantage it gives to the party which is act
ing on the defensive, and will enable the
rebels to hold out much longer than they
otherwise could BY these tactics Lees and
Hoods armies are still intact, and much hard
fighting and heavy warfare will still be ne
cessary to effect their destruction.