Vicksburg weekly herald., 1870-08-06

The needle gun Is TO Europe
what the masked batteries we're TO
US in the late war, q fearful mys-
terry and a humbug. It was the
man back Of the needle gun who
won for Prussia her great victo.
ries, and they were won in spite OF
the needle gun.
The cool precision Of a we'll
trained man is worth more in the
hour of peril to a Government
than all the inventions of Yankee.
dom. The deadliest instrument
known to the world is the bayo-
net, that will not repeat, nor carry
beyond the arm that uses it. If
infantry can be so trained as to
use the bayonet, that infantry is
irresistible.
This was our trouble during the
late war. Our men threw away
their ammunition. So soon as
ordered into action they began fir-
ing at random, rapidly as they
could under intense excitement,
and to little or no purpose.
Let me illustrate. At the bloody
little battle of Cross Keys, General
Fremont, one Of the coolest and
clearest. headed officers in our SER
vice, sent me to Colonel Bohlen,
then commanding O. brigade, to
order forward two or three regi
ments to occupy q woods that
crowned q knoll the General
thought important for us to hold.
It had been shelled to no purpose
apparently. l delivered the order
and the line was moved forward.
The men began firing as soon as
the order was given. They were
not within range. / remarked this
to Colonel Bohlen, and he said
Certainly not, but what the devil
can one do; the command to cease
firing is of no use while we march
toward the enemy" And so the
wild abuse of ammunition contin-
ued. The enemy made no re-
sponse. The wood being approach
cd by our troops was silent as a
cemetery. When, at last, our poor
fellows were within fifty yards OF
the fatal spot, the Confederates
seemed to rise out Of the earth,
and, with a wild yell, delivered
! one we'll directed fire. Some nine
! teen or twenty of our men and Of
licers were killed on the spot, three
times the number wounded, and
! the entire line retreated in confu.
sion. The reason given, and q
true one, was "out Of ammuni-
ton"
There is not all officer in our
service who saw actual fighting,
who will not sustain me in this,
BY "reminiscences of like sort.
Had that line been made up oI
well trained men, no braver than
the poor fellows who fought and
suffered, and had they advanced on
the wood with fixed bayonets, the
twenty would have been killed and
as many wounded, but we could
have cleared the wood and taught
the foe a lesson not easily for
gotten.
| do not believe that we had {
real bayonet charge during til,
entire war.
Many tell me that this implies ;
superiority in the Southern troops
beg pardon, | mean nothing o
the sort. The Southern soldier
was 10 better trained than oul
own. But there did exist n mill
tary spirit at the South we do no
and never did possess, or attempt
to cultivate. We make n few pre-
cious officers at West Point, who
like General Baum, have immens,
spirit and no army.
| happened to be present one
day when m ingenious gentleman
undertook to explain to Mr.. Stan
ton a cunningly designed re
peater.
"Thc best invention for killing,
said Mr.. Stanton, twas made by
God Almighty, when he created
man. would rather have On,
good soldier with a single charg,
in his gun, determined to kill some
body, than n new recruit with {
repeater, and followed by a wagon
load Of ammunition"
The question of transportation
is 4 grave one in war, and u mar
can have in battle as much ammu
milton rs he can conveniently car
ry. 1t is therefore an error to sup
pose that in Il repeater We double
or quadruple the number of men
il in so doing We weigh down tn,
soldier, or have to follow him Will
q wagon load of ammunition. Til,
true art of war lies in the imagi
nary order Of old Putnam, of IRE
serve your fire, boys. until you cal
see the whites of their eyes"
Butlwe went crazy with the rest
and had our fine Springfield rifle,
turned into repeaters at a cost tina
would have bought US new ones
some internal scoundrels pocketin,
the profits.