Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-10-29
BREECH-LoADERS AND CANAL
RY CHARGES.

Since the Prussian war has shown the
in rapidisy Of fire derived
from our bresch-loadsrs, (Which are far
better than the Prussian,) experiments
have been made by distinguished French
Generals as to the possibility OF successful
cavalry charges against an equal number
Of wsll.pos,ed infantry, armed with ore'ch
loading muskets. A target was placed
a, six hundred and twenty-eight yards
5000 me,res,) representing the space oceu-
pied by = squadron Of eighty cavalry and
. squadron Of horse was to make charge
400 metres psI, (but not upon) the intan-
try while the infantry fred at the target
with ball. The charge wal made in the
best time possible, it is said-thirty-two
seconds-but during that period the infan-
try fred $40 shots, and put 100 bullets
into the target. That is to say, while the
cavalry could ride at the top Of their
speed a quarter Of . mile, the infantry
could fire with their breech.loadsrs four
balls I each man; two Of which hit a tar
get half as far of again Al they were when
they started. At that rate, with equal
numbers on each side, the chargers would
have all their saddles t,oieo emptied before
they could reach the foe.
Some of the great blunders of Napoleon
were his great cavalry charges upon I'M
broken infantry; but in his day the highest
boast Of the infantry was, that when per-
fectly cool they could stand and FIRE twice
in q minute. From seven to eigh. shots
in a minute can now be fred from breeeh-
leaders without any change OF position,
and, therefore. without half the danger Of
firing wild of the mark. The result IL,
tina. while a very small body Of infantry
remains unbroken, they can prevent the
possibility Of a successful cavalry charge
It is only when all is panic and disorder
or whilst q column Of troops 10 n mo-
ton, that cavalry can in the future
operate to grea, advantage. The tactics
introduced into our cavalry late in the
war must now be considered the most
effective, while such a charge ~ that Of
the Light Brigade" At Balaklava. must
be accounted more mad than ever. There
were six hundred and thirty men in the
brigade. They had more than a mile te
traverse, instead Of quarter Of q mile,
and there were six battallions Of infantry
with cavalry, and thirty heavy guns, in
from, Of them. and sharpshoo,ers and light
field pieces on their flank. That one hun
dred and fifty (nsar ons-quarser Of them
should have run such a g~uantlst and back,
only shows tina, desperate madnss, by It'll
very uns1pec,edneas may escape annihila'
ton once where it would be certain and
complete destruction if attempted a Sec
oud tims. Such 4 charge will never ngair
be made. II ten times that number were
to attempt the sams feat on an enemy
armed with breaeh-loadsrs, it is hardly
possible that so many survivors would re-
main.
It is probable that the British officers
who visited our battle6elds learned more
Of what can and cannot DO accomplished
by cavalry than shsir Crimean expert
msn,s had taught them. a. they, FORUM
atsly, at least, learned it at less cost.
Courage i, an admirable quality, but it il
not everything, even in war, and igno-
q Of difficulties and dangers, though
often producing effects that appear similar
for the mopens, destroy confidently that
confidence in officers which alone pro-
ducss the highes, effect in q campaign.
Should any Of these cavalry regiment,
just sent out to Canada svsr attempt q
Balaklava charge upon . body OF men
armed with United States breeeh-loaders,
the charge on the cotton bale, At New Or
leans would DO . srife to it. We have
nothing to learn from these regiments, but
il their officers are NO better posted than
they were = short time ago. they have
much to learn from Us.