The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1870-08-11
Dom piatt on tha Needle Gum.


masked batteries were to us in our war, a
fearful mystery and hunbug. 1t was
the man back of the needle gun who won
for Prussia her great victories, and they
were won in spite of the needle gun.
The cool precision of well-trained
man is worth moro in the hour of peril to
a Government than all the inventions Of
Yankeedom. The deadliest instrument
known to the world is the bayonot, that
will not repeat, nor carry beyond the arm
that uses it. If infantry can be so train
cd as TO use the bayOnet, that infantry is
irresistible.
This was our trouble during the lato
war. Our men threw away their ammuni-
tion. So soon as ordered into action they
began firing at random, as rapidly as they
could under intense excitement, and to
little or no purpose.
Let rue illustrate: At the bloody little
battle of Cross Keys, General Fremont,
one Of the coolest and clearest-headcd Of
licers in our service, sent me to Colonel
Bohlou, then commanding brigade, to
order forward two or three regiments to
occupy u woods that crowned knoll the
General thought important for us to hold.
It had been shelled, to no purpose appar-
emily. delivered the order, and the limo
was moved forward. The men began firing
US soon as the order was given. They were
not within range. remarked this to the
Colonel and he said ''Certainly not, but
what the dovil can one dp! the command
to cease firing is of no use while We march
toward the enemy" And SO the wild
abuse Of ammunition continued. The en-
emy made no response. The woods being
approached by our troops Was silent as a
cemetery. When, at last, our poor fell
lows were within fifty yards Of the fatal
spot, the Oonfederates seemed 20 rise out
of the earth, and, with wild yell, dcliv-
cred ono we'll directed fire. Some nine
teen or twenty of our men and officers
wore killed on the spot, three times the
number wounded, and the entire line re-
treated in confusion. The reason given,
and a true one, was, "out of ammunition"
There is not an officer in our service
who saw actual fighting, who will not sus.
tain me by "reminiscences of like sort,
Had that line been made up of we'll
trained men, no brayer than the poor fol-
lows who fought and suffered, and had
they advanced on the wood with fixed bay
onots, the twenty would have been killed,
and as many wounded, but wo could have
cleared the wood and have taught the foe
lesson not easily forgotten.
| do not believe that we had real BAY.
onet charge during the entire war.
Many tell me that this implies supe-
riority in the Southern troops, beg
pardon, mean nothing of the sort. The
Southern soldier was no better trained
than our own. But there did exist a mil
itary spirit at the South We do not and
never did possess, or attempt to cultivate.
We make few prooions officers at West
Point, who, like General Baum, have in.
menso spirit and 20 army.
happened to be present one day when
an ingenious gentleman undertook to OK.
plain to Mr.. Stanton a cunningly devised
repeater, -
s'Tho best invention for kiIling," said
Mr.. Stanton, "was made by God AL
mighty when he created q man. would
rather haye one good soldier with single
charge in his gun, determined to kill SONG.
body, than new recruit armed with re-
peater and followed by u wagon-load Of
ammunition"
The question of transportation is q
grave one in war, and man can have ig
battle as much ammunition as be can
conveniently carry. 1t is therefore an er.
ror to suppose that in a repeater VIC dOq.
bic or quadruplo the number of men, if
in SO doing we weigh down the soldier, o.
have to follow him with wagon load Of
ammunition. The true art of war lies in
the imaginary order Of old Putnam, Of
''reservo your fire, boys, until you can sec
the whites of their eyes,"
But we went crazy with the rest, and
had our fno Springfield rifles turned int9
repeaters at cost that would hayQ
bought US new ones, some Internal seouq.
drels pocketing the profits.