The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-05-20
Valuable Hints for Soldiers.

A rebel captain of Mississippi compa-
ny, in the army of Tennessee, writing to
the Atlanta Appeal, throws out some ex-
cellent suggestions for soldiers that are
worthy of being remembered. His state
ment regarding the waste of ammunition
in battle is confirmed by every man we
ever met who had been engaged. He says:
I have tried to write an article and have fail
ed now l ask you to write it and insert it in
your valuable paper, and sign it as coming from
a company commander of the above brigade,
asking 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 importance of being cool and collect
ed, 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 prom
inent in their minds, and try for once to i'm
press it upon the mind of each man to deliver
his piece as if he was firing at target. feel
the greatest necessity tor this, and l am conf
dent that if we can get even one volley fired in
this way we can whip any number the enemy
can bring against US.
If you were never in battle YOU would not
guess there were half the random shots fired
that there are. Why, sir, have seen whole
regiments and brigades deliver their fire when
l was sure that they did not even wound sin
gle man. Such firing, besides wasting the am
munition, does not intimidate the enemy at
all on the other hand it makes them feel that
there Is little danger, consequently he is more
bold and delivers his fire more accurately. Be-
sides if men are allowed to make those ran
dom discharges it seems to become habit, and
they become so excited at it that they would
offn mic mar of ON fhar, fHaxv
would hit him. Just in that way battles are
often lost, while the company commander, if
he would only stop it and show them that they
were doing no good, they would soon become
collected, and after they once knew their folly
would of their own accord fire deliberately,
and probably save the day after it had been
comparatively lost.
Why, sir, in the battle you often see com
pany commanders charging around. with their
swords fourishing above their heads. CRYING
out, ''Give it to them, boys, give it to them I"
manifesting in themselves, and creating in
Others. all the excitement possible Now a
second thought would show to their better
judgment that they were doing more harm
than good, for men become so excited under
such circumstances that they would miss an
elephant at ten steps. You often see the above
clustering around when the enemy are at least
Oft at distance of one thousand wards, and to
hear the roar OF musketry and the excited
commanders, you would think they would
soon come to hand to hand contest. What
Is 1t that eXcltes man in battle? Why, it
the danger. If you shoot at man once he is
very much excited; shoot at him hundred
times and miss him every time. and ali 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 tell you seventy,
five Yankees out of every one hundred viii
break and run, and then a charge, with our III
fernal yell, and the day is ours.
Another very important point, after we nave
whipped and routed the enemy. Let US all re-