The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-10-31
Our 0lio.
Cavalry and Artillery.

The long ranges and rapid and accurate
firing Of the sinall-arms and feld-guns to-
day have seriously affected the uses and
mode of employing the different arms of
service. The employment of large masses
Of cavalry on the field of battle will prob
ably 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 cx-
perience of the war of ls70-7l, as far as
it went, proved that cavalry could not at
tack good infantry armed with breach
leaders without incurring certain destruc-
tion, Again in reference to the other
duties of the cavalry, such as escort and
patrol duty it is quite certain that the
breech- loader will enable very small parties
of infantry to at least annoy cavalry par
ties so much as to hamper them exceed
ingly in their operations. The fact that
small parties of the German cavalry ranged
so far and freely in France will not serve
as a rule for other cases. In moderate
ly broken or wooded country two or three
good men with breech-loadcrs could, with
entire safety to themselves, very soon put
an end to the movements Of ordinary cav
airy patrols. 1t is quite probable that the
future changes in the cavalry organization
will be in the direction Of assimilating a
large part of il to mounted infantry.
While the cavalry has lost something of
its Importance, the artillery, on the other
hand, has gained in power and inpendenco
The breoch.loading fcld-guns can be so
readily placed under cover and fred so
rapidly that it is possible to place them in
positions that the old muzzle,'oaders could
never have held, and also to trust them to
themselves with very slight infantry sup
ports. In 1901, especially in the lat
ter part Of the war, the German artillery
was usually in advance of the infantry line,
and often really decided the battle when
practically entirely without their infantry
supports. The changes now being made
in Europe seem to be in the direction Of
small calibres, heavy charges, fiat trajec-
tories, and long ranges; all this accomplish
ed by means Of a material so light that it can
pass over rough ground, and find positions
almost anywhere. A consequence of all
this viii probably be large increase of
the relative strength Of tho artillery. In
regard to the mitrailleuse and similar in
ventions for the rapid and concentrated
discharge Of small-arm bullets opinions vary
exceedingly. There is reason to believe
that the last war did not impress the Ger
mans with very high idea of the value
ofsuch weapons, but that they have reached
the conclusion that in face Of active and
accurate and long-range artillery the mi
trailleus can accomplish very little. There
seems good ground for believing, however,
that for the defense Of works, Of defiles,
or of position Of limited extent the mi
trailleuse. or, still better, the Gatlin gun,
will prove to be 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.
II, 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 render a re.
sort 10 new formations and new methods
Of attack obligatory; for the dense columns
and successive parallel lines of former
years eau not Withstand the distant, rapid,
and accurate FIRE ofmodern guns. Neither
can those old formations possibly succeed
in the attack of positions held by good
infantry armed with brecch- leaders De-
struction and wild disorder must be- the
results Of any such attempt
A wild silkworm, from which durasie
- \ t.Ii.I.aI A.. 49,. 49,. rs... -