The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-10-15
How the Battles were Fought.


Very few of the battles in which 1
have participated, says Gen. Sherman,
in his Lessons of the War, were fought
as described in European text books,
viz. in great masses, in perfect order,
maneuvering by corps, divisions, and
brigades. We were generally in o wood
ed country, and though our lines were
deployed according to the tactics, the
men generally fought in strong skirm-
ish lines, taking every advantage of the
ground. and of every cover. We were
generally the assailants, and in wooded
and broken countries the "defensive
had positive advantage over us, for
they were always ready, had cover, and
always knew the ground to their i'm
mediate front, whereas, we, their as
sailants, had to grope our way over
unknown ground, and generally found
cleared field or prepared entangle-
ments that held us for time under
close and whitening fire. Rarely did
the opposing lines in compact order
come into actual contact, but when, as
at Peach-tree creek and OF Atlanta, the
lines did become commingled, the men
fought individually in every possible
style, more frequently with the musket
dubbed than with the bayonet, and in
some instances the mon clinched like
wrestlers aud went to the ground to-
gether. Europeans frequently CRITICS.
ed our war, because we did not always
take advantage of victory; the true
reason was that habitually the woods
served as screen, and we often did
not realize the fact that our enemy had
retreated, till he was already miles away
and again intrenched, having left thin
skirmish line to cover the movement
and to fall back to the new position.
Our war was fought with the muzzle.
loading rife. Toward the close had
one brigade (Walcutt's) armed with
breech-loading "Spencer's :" the cav
airy generally had breech-loading car
bines, "Spencer's and "Sharp's," !"
both of which were good arms. The
only change that breech- loading arms
will probably make in the art and prac-
tice of war, will be to increase the
amount of ammunition to be expended,
and necessarily to be carried along /;
to still further "thin out " the lines of
attack, and to reduce battles to short,
quick. decisive conflicts.
It does not in the least affect the
p -
perfect organization, drill, and disci-
will be more dispersed, and the men
their officers, and therefore a higher
order of intelligence and courage on the
part of the individual soldier will be an
element of strength. When "a regi-
ment is deployed as skirmishers, and
al I
heavy fire, If each man runs forward
from tree to tree, or stump to stump,
and yet preserves a good general align
ment, it will give great confidence. to
the men themselves, for they always
keep their eyes well to the right and
left, and watch their comrades; but
when some few hold back, stick too
close or too long to q comfortable log,
it often stops the whole line and de.
feats the whole object. Therefore, the
more we improve tho firearm, the more
will be the necessity of good organiza-
ton, good discipline, and intelligence
on the part of the individual soldier
and officer. There is, of course, such
thing as individual courage, which
has value in war, but familiarity with
danger, experience in war, and its com.
mon attendants, and personal habit, are
equally valuable traits, and these are
the qualities with which we usually
have to deal in war. All men naturally
shrink from pain and danger. and only
incur its risks from some higher mo-
tive or from habit, and / would define
true courage to be perfect sensibility
of the measure Of danger, and a menta
willingness to incur it, rather than that
insensibility to danger of which 1 have
heard far more than have seen. The
most courageous men are generally un.
conscious of possessing the quality
and, therefore, when one processes il
too openly by words or bearing, there
is reason to mistrust it. L would fur
ther illustrate my meaning by describ
ing man of true courage to be one who
possesses all his faculties and senses
perfectly when serious danger is &C
tually present.