The Shasta courier., 1865-12-09
Military science--the Old and New.

Military scIence--the Old and New.
The present system of tactics-that is, the
rapid over the slow-is but return to the
old style of combat and we find that as the
change of fashion is but repetition of the
old, SO in military affairs there is in the use
OF the bayonet return to the hand-to hand
conflict of ancient days. 1t is quite strange
to note how the science of war has been con-
trolled, and even shaped, by the notions and
prejudices of men. There has not been
great mind in military service for the last
eighteen centuries, who has not left his mark
on his age. One important fact has been
established by the experience of ages, what
ever may be the reaches of military science
personal strength and physical power will
turn the scale. The only exceptions to this
rule are found in the campaigns of Caesar
with the Gauls. For instance, the ancient
Athenians were considered match with the
Persians at one to ten and at Marathon ten
thousand of the former routed one hundred
thousand of the latter in pitched battle yet
one Spartan, owing to his superiority of
nerve and vigor, was equal to six Athenians,
as the latter in time learned to their cost In
ancient days tolerable substitute for artillery
was found in chariots of war, which were as
fearful then as a battery would be at present.
Alexander the Great, carrying out his ia
theirs system, got new idea in the famous
Macedonian Phalanx. This was body of
veterans, whose march was in close column
of wedge shape, and whose charge at the
close of an action was irresistible. With
thirty Il ousand of such troops, aided by
levies among the conquered, Alexander sub.
dued one half of Asia, and penetrated to what
is now British India. In three battles the
Persian Empire was destroyed, and in one of
these actions three hundred thousand were
said to have been slain. After this era, the
Phalanx fell into disuse. The use of ele-
plants, so common in India, even to a late
day, never got in vogue in other nations
Pyrrhus. the EpirOte, in his invasion of Italy,
at first terrified the Romans with squadron
of these animals, whose charge of ivory bayo.
nets had never been heard of before. ~wice
the invaders triumphed, though at such ex-
pense of blood that their leader remarked
that one more such victory would ruin him.
At the next battle the Romans assailed the
elephants with fre-balls, whose blaze drove
the excited beasts Cpon the masters, and the
result was their entire defeat This we find
finely hit off in one of Macaulay's lays of
ancient Rome:
"And Appenines' gray vulture
Shall have a noble feast,
On the fat and ON the eyes
Of the huge earth-shaking beast"
The ancient Greeks advanced to the charge
with solemn steps, chanting their war song.
The sling was used by skirmishers, but
regulars flung their rjavelins. and then trusted
to the we'll nerved arm and heavy sword.
The Romans, who affected the craces but
little omitted the war song and saved their
breath for the encounter-like the Greeks
the javelin (PAilum) and the broad sword
were their main weapons, while the buckler
covered the body. In attacking walled
towns, the troops marched in close column,
with their shields over their heads, like the
she'll of a tortoise. This protected them while
sapping the wall. How often does one meet
in Caesars Commentaries the term .testudine
facto."
With the javelin and broad sword, and
with complement of cavalry, Rome con-
quered the largest part of the known world.
This seems wonderful, when one realizes that
all was done without the discharge of mus
ket or even the snap Of percussion cap,
that never breach was made by siege guns,
nor town shelled, and that one of the
most perplexing features of modern surgery
was not even dreamed of-we refer to gun
shot wounds. The horrors of ancient war.
fare transcend all estimate-generally no
quarter was asked or given. " Vac pictis"
became Roman proverb. Hence the amaz
ing slaughter which accompanied the victo.
ries of Marius and Caesar. Prisoners, when
suffered to live, were sold into slavery, and
in later days were slaughtered in gladiatorial
shows, even thousands being pitted against
each other in the Coliseum on q single occa
sion, and butchered to make Roman hol-
iday."
There were no military hospitals, and the
wounded were left to perish. As their wounds
were cuts instead of shots, they generally
bled to death. And as the labor of burial
was omitted, the wolf, the kite and the yul
ture flushed the work.
"The kite knows we'll the loud. stern sv.n
That bids the Romans close.
The legiOnaries of ancient Rome were the
most vigorous troops the world has ever seen.
Their labors would astonish even ono of
Napoleon's Old Guard. Each man was his
own chaplain, surgeon, and we might al.
most add, commissary. Besides helmet.
greaves and cuirass of heavy brass. he bore
a mixed up burden of food and camn stuff of
sixty pounds-in addition to this, the plum
was as heavy as musket, to say nothing of
the massive sword. The secret Of the success
OF Roman arms was discipline, and the very
name OF an army, exeycifus," shows what
its character must have been.
We cannot wonder that such troous be.
came the terror Of the world,-snd vet we
believe that even without artillery or mus
ketry-but simply with the bavonet. The