The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1864-06-16
The Bayonct Charge.

The magnificent charge Of Hancock,
BY which he captured . whole division
Of Lees army, and that the "Stone walr'
Division, was made with the bayouet
alone. Oar troops advanced through the
woods in silence; not gun was fred, and
when at last they rushed to the attack,
they did not stop to tire, but charged at
once with the bayonct This Is not the
6rst time that the bayonet has been found
in the hands Of men of the free States
q weapon fatal 70 the rebels. Wha-e-e.
it has been used by our commanders, it
has been shown that for Northern troops
it is the best weapon. The foe may beat
them with musketry; he is our superior,
perhars, in woods firing; though in the
battles Of Thursday aud Friday, which
began this csmpaigu, he was defeated
even in this, his strongest point of fight
ing. Lee, taught by S.onewall Jacks on,
knew how to mass his troops against parts
Of our line With marvellous rapidity, and
to use the column Of attack, the favorite
of Napoleon, and Of the r ,ssians in the
Crimea, according to Mr.. Kiuglake. B1t
the "lopg thin line" Of bsyouets they
could never stand against; and wherever,
10 crisis of the battle, our Generals Lav e
found themselves on such ground as to
be ableto order a bayonct charge, the
rebel troops have iuvariaby given way.
The boyonet has always been held the
severest test of excellence in troops
Men who can make charge in good Or
der, aud drive the enemy, aud who can
Themselves "stand' charge, are held to
be perfect in courage aud 10 discipline
Now it is notorious that 10 this respect
the troops OF the free States have on fifty
fields proved themselves superior to those
Of the slave States Nor is this difficult
to account for; it is the etf ct Of higher
culture, the fruit Of our free schools, and
Of tho honorable position OF workingmen
ia the North, where labor is rewarded aud
respected instead Of being enslaved aud
degraded. The most intelligent men are
capable Of the best discipline, aud in the
word discipline is incl .drd every soldier.
y quality, because all go to make up that.
The greatest Generals have been fond
est of the bayonet. 1t was wellington i
fsvorite weapon. Taylor, 10 Mexico,
used to say to his volunteers: The bay.
o"e., my jolly boys, the bayouet's the
thing" and we have often heard the
same opiu:on from the best officers of ou.
present armies. The lsmented General
Rice used to say that If New England
men could be deprived Of cartridges AM d
trained to depend upon the bsyonei alone
10 actual battle, they coa,d march from
one end to the other Of the Continent. -
lie knew wher Of IL spoke; for he used
the bayoaet wherever he could. and was
never so certain Of success as When lead.
ing q charge. As ao instance Of whs,
discipline and courage can effect with
men: In charge Of the 44th N. York
At Malvern Hill, Genersl-then Colonel
Rice h ,ised his men four times upde,
the FIRE Of the enemy, aud as carefully
"sligned" them as thoug they had beer
on dress parade. He ehsrgeda = brigad,
Of rebels, took their colors, and more
prisoners than he brought men of his
own alive out Of the charge It was his
opinion, sud We have the same from 9th
ers, that the moral effect Of firm and
steady chs, ge 10 irresistible BY the enc
my, who r,use break. Et
In the West, 1t the battle Of Mil
Spring, il We mistake not, Colonel wal
in siwilsr msnBer, observed, in the hsa,
of battle, coolly putting bis regimen
through the manual of arms, 10 order I,
restore their eoupssurs, los. in the excite
J meat Of the tight. Such examples Q