Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1864-02-15
. f5v Historical facts about War.

We take the following article from that
excellent Journal, the Augusta (Gal
Chronicle & Sentinel.
! All history goes to prove the truth Of
the aphorism of the Bible that the battle
Is not always to the strengthening
the most numerous. From the earliest
records of history to the present day ,fhe
smaller number has won at least three
battles out of four. Success in war de-
Ponds on efficient organization. and
steady discipline, courage and endurance
IN both soldiers and officers. Few men
have ever possessed the capacity to es-
tabllsh these things in a large army.
The Roman Legion consisted of about
5000 men. 4 consular army was two
lLegions, or about $4,000 men. This
plumber was sometimes increased by
their allies and slaves. to twenty thou
sand. With this force they conquered
the world. A French corps. d'armee
compoSes about 20, 900 men, and vet
Napoleon was in the habit of saying, that
he could not find even a Marshall who
could handle that number. No officer,
in this country, has ever fought . battle
with as many as 900 600 men under his
Ecommand.
The fact is those half million armies
are usually the victims, if not Of the
cannon, Of pestilence, famine and mutiny.
Organization" the right man in the
place" at the right time, and properly
equipped organization is the soul, the
life and strength of an army, and it is
a thing that money, the sinews of war;
cannot buy at once on any large scale.
tits not in the market. Time, brain
and skill are necessary to create it. Let
US see if the facts Of history do not sus-
tain US in these views:
The Athenmns, with 10000 men, de-
feated a Persian army of 80 900 at Mara
thOn, and witbsanot more than three times
that number won the battles of Platea
and Salamis, and drove five millions of
invaders from their soil.
acknowledgements Asia with one~third
the number Of the forces that opposed
him.
When the Swiss Cantons determined
to strike for their independence, with
| 500 men they defeated 30, 900 Austrians,
under the Arch Duke of Austria, at Nor
garten. With an equally disproportion-
ate force they fought sixty pitched bait
e ties and maintained their independence.
When Edward of England invaded
Scotland, with loo, 900 men, he was met
ana defeated at B~annockburn by Bruce
= at the head of SO, o00 halt-armed High.
. landers.
D In A. d. 1900, Macmillan Of Germany,
i Louis XII of France, Ferdinand of Sna;n
and Pope julius Ii, formed the infamous
d league of Cambray, for the destruction
of Venice. With heroic resolve. Venice
h took the field against the powerful com
C pination. superior forcam:s.s. -.
emu rravU operpowered MIR, but Pow
dence is ever on the side of the rightl l.
ID Discord and dlssension broke out among
the. C~onfederates, their armies were de
le teated and Venice was preserved.
The little city of Leyden withstooC
r The whole power of Spain, at the tim'
= the most warlke nation in Europe.
IN The Prince of Orange, at the head 0
= several small provinces of Holland, no
one of them larger than a Virginia coun
ty, maintained their independence agains
h the most powerful monarch in Europe
and defeated armies that were often thre
times as numerous as his own, and com
OF manded by John of Austria and Alexan
OF or der Farnes, the greatest military leader
nc of the age.
But why multiply instances? Dot
- not our own revolution teach the sam
~ lesson? No one can doubt the histori
cal truth. The success Of a gallar
- 30 struggle on the side of right and iustfc
against wrong and oppression, is afmos
~ inevitable. A virtuous and a galfar
III people in a good cause never failed.
~ We are right, and do not f%alter, we mu.
- succeed-weak as we may appear, an
80 as strong as the Federal government ma
~ seem. Let US then rest assured that tn
- battle is not with the strong, but to tt
~ vigirant, the active and the brave VIII
~ fight for right.