The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-08-02
From the London Times.1
Breeeh-LOading Rifes---An Important Military
Lesson.

The great lesson to be learned by
Germany is the irresistible superiority of
Brech-loading Rifles in action The
Austrian army in Bohemia was supposed
to be numerically stronger than the
Prussian, it contained far larger pro-
portion of veteran soldiers and probably
of scientific officers, it was commanded
by man second in reputation to no
General in Europe. 1t was fighting on
the defensive for a cause which, as a
gainst the invaders, is good one, and
in country of which the population is
loyal to the House of Hapsburg, and
yet it has been driven back, with loss
estimated by the Prussians at 1000 or
1000 men, and is now said to be great
ly dispirited by the series of reverses
which it has sustained. 1t was for
some time supposed that strategical
reasons of an unexplained and mys-
terious nature might have induced Mar
shall Benedek to fall back, point by
point, towards a position selected by
himselftor general engagement. This
supposition is no longer tenable. 1t is
altogether incredible that such a resis-
tance as was offered by the Austrians
at Skaliez, Trautenau Muchengraz was
feint after all, or that Gitschin was al
| lowed to be stormed, and Prince Fred
erick Charles to effect junction with
the Crown Prince, in ihe hope of draw
ing the enemy to the battle ground be-
tween Koiggratz and Jnsephstadt,
where nothing but a decisive victory
could avail Austria, and where crush
ing defeat might open to the Prussians
a way to Vienna. In these sanguinary
conflicts, the Austrian troops fought OBJ
stinately and well but they were fair
beaten, and they were beaten, according
to all the accounts that have reached us,
| by the more rapid fire of the Prussian
infantry. From first to last, it is the
Needle-gun that has apparently carried
the day; and the Necdle-gun is simply
a breech-loading rifle of very different
quality. In principle, as we'll as IN con-
struction,,it is not to he compared with
several breechloading rifles manufac-
tured by English makers but, imper-
feet as it is, it has proved quite good
enough to secure victory for the Prus
slams i'll almost every encounter. If we
refer to the letter Of our correspondent
at the head quarters OF the First Prus-
sian army, we find ample proofs of its
extraordinary effect. 1t was this which
mainly enabled the Ptussians TO force
the passage of the bridge over the lser
at Podoll, between Tarnau and Mucheh-
gratz. The Austrians had occupied the
village through which the road passes
toward the bridge, and commanded all
the approaches from windows and bar
ricades thrown up across the street.
But the Prussian rifieman g fired about
three times before the Austrians, armed
only with mnzzle-loading rifles, We're
able to reply" This more than COM
pensated for any disadvantage in num-
bers or position, and the Austrians
seemed to have been completely over
matched. "In the streets, the Austrian
soldiers, huddled together and encuDt-
bered acith heaoy ranerooks, ', ere unable
to load with ease, and could return no
adequate fire to that of the Prussians,
while these, from the advantage of
better arm, poured their quick volleys
into an almost defenceless crowd" 1t
was the same at the railway bridge, a.
bout 200 yards distant, where a like
struggle was going on simultaneously.
"Here too" says our correspondent,
&C the needle-gun showed its advantage
over the old fashioned weapons of the
Austrians, for the latter fell in the pro-
portion of six to one Prussian." At
last the former retreated, leaving most,
if not all their killed and wounded on
the field, and it was found that not on
lv was the number of Austrian dead
much greater, but that in the hospitals
'sthe proportion of wounded Austrians
to wounded Prussians was five to one"
they are no more than any one untet-
tered by military prejudices would have
anticipated. There may be still some
to whether a Breech-loander shoots as
hard ''-in other words, carries quite
as far-as a muzzle loader, but the bet
ter opinion is that If held straight 1T is
fullv equal to it's awkward rival in this
respect, while no one ever venturcd to
doubt that it does much greater rxecu-
lion. Now battle strongly resembles
a battue, with this difference that cool
ness and selfpossesion are far rarer and
of far more Importance. 1t sportsmen
are often furried by the difficulty of
loading fast enough while birds are get
ting up on all sides, how can young sol
diers he expected to keep their heads
clear and and their hands steady III pro-
cess of ramming down while they are
themselves under fire?
Without experience, however, no re-
inform involving considerable expense l.
likeJy to find favor with heads OF DE
partments in this country. 1t is on
this ground that we have invited atten-
ton to the experiments which have late
ly been tried on the largest scale i'll
real warfare, and we now most earnest
Iy represent the urgent ne necessity hst ,ot OF
month that Marshal Benedek encour-
aged his troops to despise the alleged
superiority of Prussian firearms, and to
RELY on the bayonet, and we already
see the consequence. Every one knows
that bayonets are seldom actually cross
ed when they are crossed, it 10y no
means follows that those who carry the
worst rifles will give the most vigorous
tbruSt and hefora they are crossed 1T Is