The Shasta courier., 1866-07-21
SHASTA COURIER.
The Rifle aad Bayonet.

"Nhty NCdio dSo II was SUN a SdiiNh'
proverb that the true weapon Of the British
soldier was the bayonet. The meaning
however of the maxim, was this-that the
soldier then had no other weapon to rely
upon. He carried musket, but he could
not trust to this instrument for sending a
bullet to its mark. As machine for pro.
pelling balls with anything like accuracy OF
direction or range, the old firelock was almost
useless; indeed the reader may recolect
the testimony given before a Committee by
Sergeant of the Guards, who said that if a
man took no aim at all with his musket. the
bullet might perhaps hit the target, but that
it could not possibly do so by force of adjust
ment and level. AT that time, therefore
scientific shooting was avowedly confined tc
one or two regiments in the army, which
were equipped with special weapons and
specially instructed in the art of using them.
Gradually, However, and in some degree
from the influence of French example, we
began to think that the difference between a
musketeer and g rifeman was distinction
which it was unwise to maintain, and that
every soldier who carried a musket might as
well have the best musket procurable, and
be taught to turn it to the best account. At
first the old principle SO far prevailed that
we contented ourselves with increasing the
strength of the select reg giments of the army,
and making each of the two rifle corps equiv
alent to four ordinary battaflions. But in
the end this distinction would be dropped
altogether. and every soldier in the line be-
came. in all but costume, rif1eman. When
the bayonct was the soldiers weapon it was
natural that he should hasten TO employ it ;
In other words, that he should get as quickly
as possible to close quarters with the enemy,
and decide the contest by.a charge. These
tactics, too, were always believed-at any
rate by ourselves-to be peculiarly suitable
to our national qualities, and peculiarly con
ducive to success. 1t is at close quarters
that battles are most commonly decided. and
whichever army was Superior in that kind
of practice was likely to be superior altogeth
er. The troops who were best at the bayo,
net would probably have the best of the day
1t was not often, as experienced officers said
that bayonets were actually crossed, but still
the bayonet charge decided the affair for
when it was made with obvious resolution by
soldiers fitted for their work, the, opposing
line broke and turned before the shock of
The collision These are the tactics now
thought to be superseded by the new prac-
tice of musketry. The bayonet is no longer
the special weapon of the British soldier
He now carries a rifle that will deal death at
q thousand yards, and the fact is carefully
impressed up his mind. 1t is natural, there
fore, to suppose that he will rely upon his
new arm, and try long range shooting. in
stead of closing instinctively upon his enemy
as in times past. His famous rifle is of no
use to him if he is to treat it like the old
musket and neglect it for the bayonet.
Here, however, we must ask whether q
change Of tactic, substituting long range
shooting for bayonet charges. may not be a
necessary incident of the improvement Of
firearms We are assured by military au-
thorties that battles viii be decided by
actual collision as before, whatever may be
done by rifles and cannon before the final
shock. Not only is this Col. McMurdo's
opinion, but it was intimated by Sir Charles
Russell in the late debates. Sir Charles
appealed to the experience of the American
war to show that riie-shooting though the
Americans have natural aptitude for the
art-did not decide battles, but, on the con-
trary, led to extraordinary carnage without
any proportionate results. Federals and
Confederates fired away at each other from
long distances. till both sides were so weak
ened us to be unequal to the shock of per-
sonal conflict, and so the battle was drawn,
though each army had paid the price of a
victory. No serious affair, it is said. was
decided by fine shooting. and we are led to
the conclusion that the old fashioned tactics
of the bayonet would have been more effec-
tual than the new science Col McMurdo,
indeed, is not unprepared to revert at once
to the Oldest system of forming rifemen into
select corps. He does not pretend to depre-
ciate arms of long range and extraordinary
precision in skilled hands, but these arms
and this practice may be left, he thinks, to
picked regiments. The great body of an
army. the 81 main battle" as it used to be
called, will have little need of such weapons
or such discipline. The real conflict will
still be decided at close quarters-if not by
hand to hand fighting. at any rate by voleys
delivered at such short ranges as to call for
no extraordinary skill.-Londoa Times,
april II.
HoRRIBLE.-At Grass Valley, on the
Fourth, two veterans, named Smith and
Dean, were engaged as gunners in firing a
salute at sunrise, and were ramming home
the cartridge, when the man whose duty il
was to keep the vent closed, removed his
thumb, AID the gun twelve pounder-was
prematurely discharged Both of Deans
hands were blown off, and his face and breast
xr-nr hnr rrrh 1 i.