The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1874-08-13
Cavalry and Artillery.

The long ranges and rapid and accurate
firing OF the small-arms and feld-guns of
to-day have seriously affected the uses
and mode Of employing the different arms
OF service. The employment OF large mas
ses of cavalry on the field of battle will
probably not again occur, unless under some
very exceptional circumstances, for where
the ground is sufficiently open for them to
form and act they will be fully exposed to
such fire as will prevent their advancing
or even retaining their position. The ex-
perlence Of the war Of 1S70-71, as far as it
went, proved that cavalry could not attack
good infantry armed with breech- leaders
without mcurring certain destruction.
Again, in reference to the other duties Of
the cavalry, such as escort and patrol duty,
1t Is quite certain that the breech-loader
will enable very small parties of infantry to
at least annoy cavalry parties so much as
to hamper them exceedingly in their opera
tons. The fact that small parties Of the
German cavalry ranged so far and freely
III France, will not serve as Il rule for other
cases In a moderately broken or wooded
country two or three good men with breech-
leaders, could, with entire safety to them
selves, very soon put an end to the move
ments Of ordinary cavalry patrols. 1t is
quite probable that the future changes in
cavalry organization will be in direction of
assimilating large part Of it to mounted
infantry.
While the cavalry has lost something of
its Importance, the artillery, on the other
hand, has gained in power and indcpend-
ence. The breech-oading feld-funs can
be so readily placed under cover and fired
so rapidly that it is possible to place them
in positions that the old muzzle-loaders
could never have held and also to trust
them themselves with slight infantry sup
ports. In 1870-71, especially in the latter
part OF the war, the German artillery was
usually in advance of the infantry line, and
often really decided the battle when prac-
tically entirely without their infantry sup
ports. The changes now being made in
the direction Of small caHbres heavy
charges, fiat trajectorics, and long ranges
all this accomplished by means Of material
so light that it can pass over rough ground,
and find positions almost anywhere 4
consequence Of all this viii probably be
large increase Of the relative strength Of
the artillery. In regard to the mitrailleuse
inventions for the rapid and concentrated
discharge Of small-arm bullets, opinions
vary eXceedinly. There is reason to be-
lieye that the last war did not impress the
Germans with very high idea Of the value
of such weapons, but that they have reach
ed the conclusion that in the face of ac-
tive and accurate and long-ranged artillery
mltrallleusc can accomplish very little
There seems good ground for believing,
however, that for the defence Of works, or
de6les, or of position Of limited extent,
the mitrailleuse, or, still better, the Gatlin
gun, will prove a very reliable adjunct
The effect of the modern improvements
upon the infantry has been no less marked
than upon the other arms of the service.
If, on the one hand, their new weapon has
freed them from all danger from the once
dreaded cavalry, on the other hand the
new artillery is so formidable as to rem
der resort to new formations and new
methods of attack obligatory for the dense
columns and successive parallel lines Of for
mer years cannot withstand the distant.
rapid, and accurate fire of modern guns.
Neither can those old formations possibly
succeed in the attack of positions held by
good infantry armed with breech-loaders
Destruction and wild disorder must be the
result Of any such attompt.-Ha1pcrs 5
Nagazjde.