The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-03-16

as am limited in your colums | must
close hoping that some ablcr man ere this
has answered you. with love and good
to all me | close LIBERTY.
The BReeeh-LoaSaing taIGIe fn Ae-
GfOn.
The brilliant success Of the Prussians
in the recent war in Germany has been
largely attributed to the superiority Of
their armament over that Of the Austrians.
1t was said that the Prussian infantry with
their needle. guns were able to pour such
an accurate FIRE upon the opposing forces
that the steadicst and best disciplined
troops in the world could not have held
out against it, Although this opinion Is.
no doubt, 10 certain extent correct. those
who entertain it will be surprised By the
statistical statements which recently ap-
peared IN u kInssian journal 10 the follow
ing effect the first army under Prince
Frederick Charles. the second army under
the Crown Prince, and the army Of the
Main upder General Won Falkcns,ein, all
combined, carried about 2GS, 900 rifles
During the whole campaign these three
armies spent only $4,000 cartridges in
elusive Of the ammunition spoiled and
wasted an average Of only seven cart
ridges per mugket-and here it is 10 be
taken into account that the army of the
AIain, which had 10000 infantry, used
"a average of eleven cartridges per mus
ket. while The FIRST aud second armies
which operated against the Austrians, and
which counted log, 900 aud 1l9, 600 iu-
fantry respectively, spent cnly an average
Of six.
To be sure these troops were not all
equally engaged, but even single battal-
ions show surprisingly small consump-
ton Of ammunition In the severe eu.
gagements Of NAchad, SkaIisz, and Traute-
uau, one battalion fred away twenty-three
thousand and two twenty-five thousand
cartridges each, which shows, the hattal.
ION being one tho. sand men strong, TN az.
eragc OF twenty-five to twen,y-three cart
ridges per musket. aud this was the heav.
lest average during the whole campaign
The Prus,ian Journal above referred Il
goes on to draw from thqse STATISTICAL facts
! the conclusion that the success of theii
arms was not owing solely To the eficien.
cy of the ncedlc-gun but TO the genius oi
the commanders aud the strict discipline
az we'll az the moral superiority vi the
Prussian soldier.
This conclusion is undoubtedly legiti
mate The inconsideraple waste of am
muDi,ion proves beyond question that the
Prussian infantry did not permit itself I,
be seduced by the facility with which i
could fire a great many shots in shor
time, into throwing away its fire when i
could be of no effect. 1t proves, there
fore, that the superiority OF Prussian dis
ciplinc was commensurate to the superi
ority of the Prussan armament. L
proves the groundlessness Of the assump
tion hat breech-loading arms put into the
hands OF young soldiers win lead only t,
much noise aud an cxirayagant waste o
powder, for an overwhelming majority o
the Prussian soldiers had never been un
der fire before, but their strict discipline
made up for their lack of experience.
But it does not prove that the abilit,
of executing rapid fire with the brecch
loading gun gives to the infantry soldie
is not Of the highest Importance. Will,
the Prussian infantry was sparing its fir
when it would have been without or 0
little effect, it never failed TO make all tn,
great qualities of the needle-gun tell u
the decisive moment. Whenever it foun,
itself fairly face to face with the enem
it poured upon him such hail-storm Q
bullets as produced great results in
: comparatively short space of time. A
such moments the superiority of tn
breech- loading arm demonstrated itsel
in so terrible manner that the cnem
could not hold out against it, and th
stand-up fights, line against line, were
therefore, very short. While thus o
such occasions the needle-gun discharge
a comparatively large number of carl
ridges in very short space of time, tn
conflicts were quickly decided, and til
aggregate quantity of ammunition sper
was small in proportion to, the result
achieved.
All the objections which have bee
: urged against the arming of infantry wit
breech- loading. guns have thus been ovel
ruled by the discipline and intelligence (
!, the Prussian troops, in whose hands th
needle gun has proved to be not only th
most formidable, but also the most ecoI
omicai Weapon Detroit Post.