Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-12-07

Changes in the system Of Warfare

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many for good-bEoushin lie train no greater enAostS
than those 70 which the military art Was suI'osd II
giving /. lie iul development and preparing Toe that
stage Of perfection which has attained in cur day
The movement BY which the Revolution bad suF-
planted the cavalry by the infantry arm Of the ser
vice. or. as Theirs says BY which i bad suPPSnted
the L. yhty nobility BY the people iissf had received
from that Revolution, which but the out6urst Of
the middle classes, is lass aud perfselng impulse
Add hence ID left TO that great political eommotion
70 accomplish revolution in the system Of warfare, a.
q vas destined to achieve one in the minds Of men.
Great vars occur SmOrg nations bat rarely, aud when
they do take place, they confined 10 nations men
and events OF elgourtent geatnesa Tina true caAae-
ter of q var is not limited TO the Sommosons which
rive rise 70 Il; for than the devastating wars Of the
uomadIe tribes which oVssran southern Europe
or those Of tas eOnqEerOIs Of AliA, might BE-
look upon as great Safa A var becomes
great a. it il oOndoOssd the p'e pies OF tesnee
and poser OF eosbiaAsiOa, Hhieh pa suppOsos an
sOslgsso and skiv resistance agalOst The eoEqasroh
The psss Of hlstosy tf1rs 10 P0ssFi3 many sgEliag
pa,nts pheh veil deserve 10 sFsss is atiaAlahstps~
eisy 80 10 s fsmois periods, shs8 Ne sss ,as STses
~ % tso Soasa GsDsEalaIaov0s itssly 'hseasA GAa
fr5Toksg .ho uosklis Gaul,O battle -hsa he eloss'
90, hoe saddss he ehSases bic ns.hss shes 10.
ssan or in E1iruL desliog pi,h Romans las hi@-
self We zoe him then SEisuJ,iug the appliances Of
skHpl combinations 10 accomplish the obi OF his
campaign.
Ia the middle ages We .6ud no such evidences
NJ skrful combinations The eye Wesriss over
broken &c sns Of blood, in which the human heart
cur6s is usual plfs1ns. We behold strange con-
Elpg Of heroes aid Of eraVens OF virtues aud OF
wees, bu, NO vainly see for sCe ~ or . Hannibal
Hsrs no. Only do grsa, disappear from she scsne
but the srt Of warts forgotten and unknown Through
out this uubr,k waste We may fall upon great
oiisrtan ike Oharlsmsgne, bu.Ws do no. meet with
sayo grsas captain. Ia tina. age Of individual power,
poetry ITSELF the o. anna Of the times assumes TIE
CHARACTER Of the tvs1ts which t records and it cele-
brates the deeds Of the kagdily PAladins WArrrg in
tberame Of Christ sganss the Sarsceus Warirg in the
rams o. A,hOmI. This Is the age of ohiVary, the
character Of which Is Pl,inly indicated by the
That IL, il ia the age OF the horseman clad in Grmor
hSatag sword In hard In the measure Of bis tkn and
bis physoI power. Asd yet this slate Of thirgs is
saldsrly changed by the pFOgrsss Of European so
osty
Commerce snd industry, gathering 10 the cities
large populations Who become brave from the instincts
eel lsfei c. gave birth {, the foo. soldier that H.
TO lae ilf.auy Toe Ssi4s defending their mountain
homes tho cit Esns Of The Italian ois,s and the Ger
ans b5aini their Vall the Di'oh behind their dykeP
0 uslinto the infantry, ani givs t an importance
Which vent on steadily increasing. great discovery
10 10 the progress OF European soosty-thN of eI
posiv5 ma,srials-pOseru'ly contributed towards the
SIN, phsuomenon. The amor beoams no. or ly rdieu
IL A a. h,,.f.
Gu posder. From tfai moment, tbs sSld or dVesis
hu.e Of his pOndsrOus rslPent aid intelligence aud
collected courage sSpPIant mere brutal physical force
For the same reasons ths Ohes whose walls presented
. threatening and uuoeuth asf'c, st once changed
their form snd apPesaros These sails die cared TO
make wsy Tor sghlI eleys Ell bsstiOns with angular
and fquAre lrons, which ultimately served a. = mOd,l
70, the unsurpassed medsrn fertilization.
No only in this, bat in the org AZ EuiOn Of armies
themselves, had the changes bssn going on. NO,WiIh
sanding he developments VII oh the infantry had IN
de- gone s oJmpr cd more than half Of she troops
collect d on blt;l -asld, the cavalry forming h2
other bl. Artillery vas very sOans- 10 the prOpOl-
ton Of piece to thousand men, and very ficul. to
move.
The order Of bals such SEQ il in the days
Of Hannibal and Of CeW--,ha, is, the ialAn!Ty was
aEsys in The centre she cavalry upon the Wipg', aud
the artillery (uppyrg the engines aud bat.ering rams
Of the sneient on she 'front.' WtseVer may have been
the character cf the ground The artillery would frat
Open, then the cavalry on the wings would charge
whatever vas opposed to it, and il il held the AdVan-
tsgs, il would tall back upon the centre. where the
loot soldiers we're engaged aud aacEog the in'autIJ
Of the enemy on he ,nk in the rear, would 6asJ
defeat them This il the history OF all battles in the
days o. Gustayus AdolpAus Of Turepne and of oOnde
Such Wfre the battles Of Lu u, Of RocrOy, Of the
Do e. Ho~ din.ren. In DAYS. The cavalry is no
lorgei posted on the Wnga lhe infantry 10 the cen
ire nor the artillery IN irort Each arm Of the service
ia posted according to bs character OF the ground
the infantry in irregular ground. the e"ahy in the
Plains and artillery 10 any place Waers il may be
used With advantage.
At the present. me th infantry makes up lhsiOur
ia Of the combatants, snd It 10 the main stay Of
the army. Lis accompanied By cavalry 10 clear lie
way, BY sraIerJ TO support Is and if heGvJ bodies Of
cavalry indsrusry bed IN reserve 1t Is to strike
decisive boss.
Frederick the Great up TO the battle o. HolEiis
had mad, q Of tie sIoIsut system OF organ zsdOn,
- ia was but at Lsdlhen snd at ROsbsoa that be
Ehanesd completely The ar. Of war in subordiuatirg
the vlrous arms Of the s.Vee to the viTJiug ohArse
Ter Of The gtouJd Il thea that be Introduced bis
6vcrile tactics Of eOneeptairg HIS attack ganss one
Virg iths oppaairg army; whence arose those ia
nous 81 eussloI g on lie Oblqus order, which rang
tbrouzhou. The IS osnlrry. But IL VAS left to ths
great political oommotion, called the French ReVOu-
top, to Ssveop TO lie ullesl eGsnt the art of var
and to introduce those features of warfare which TO
this day We have observed
l. was lefi for that master mind who by chance
sJrsng Cd at Fou' oa--h0 who hal en- bred in the
schools OF tie old e. pls to s,artls the world with
new and dszz ing theOss the success ut aud repeated
applications OF Ehiea well aigd Uade hi1 the master
,f tha uniyerss.