The New York herald., 1876-07-19
What We Need IL Rfnemen.

What We Need IL Rfnemen.
If the recent events of the Indian war
convey any lesson which may be regarded
as profitable to our army it is that which
shows how utterly inadequate is the training
of our soldiers for active service on the from
tier. Our engineer corps and artillery organ
ization may be regarded with just pride by
the nation as the most efficient that can be
presented by any army but the argument
may be used in their regard that for frontier
warfare against the Indians pontoon trains
and artillery are practically useless. A bat
terry of Gatling guns has been attached to
the column under Terry, but we have had
no information that it was ever en-
ployed. We would much prefer to
see the columns equipped with the terror
inspiring rocket batteries, which have been
employed with so much effect by the British
in their Crimean, Indian and Abyssinian
campaigns. Not only does the rocket carry
with it an explosive projectile which scat
ters death among the enemy, but it
exercises demoralizing influence on
bodies Of mounted men. The horrid scream
ing noise made by the fiery messenger when
passing over the heads. of horses renders
them unmanageable, and it is impossible to
get them to face its terrors again when once
experienced. During the Crlmean campaign
the British commander found these missiles
more effective against cavalry than shot and
shell. When unsuccessful in their attacks
upon our troops the Indians retreat with
great rapidity beyond the reach of their pur-
suers, who are generally mounted on heavier,
though stronger limbed horses. If at this
juncture severe rocket fire could be de-
livered in advance of the retiring enemy the
retreat would be checked, if not altogether
prevented, and our cavalry could overtake the
fugitive Indians.
Our cavalry force is necessarily the only
one that can successfully cope with such
an active and we'll mounted enemy as the
Western savage. But for the reasons already
suggested the mounted troops rarely over
take the flying braves. For offensive pur-
poses, therefore, the men must use their
short range carbines instead of their sabres
and revolvers, and We know what little ex-
ecution is effected by such miserable weap-
ons in the hands of recruits, or even of old
troopers. 1t is necessary to dismount in
order to fire with anything like precision,
and in the meantime the enemy gets out of
the way. For frontier wars we must there
fore train our cavalry as rifemen, and the
utmost pains should be expended in attain
ing this important end. With breech-load-
ing long range magazine rifles in the hands
of our cavalry it seems impossible that any
Indian force could Withstand the attack of
even small body Of mounted marksmen.
Unfortunately, however, such an arm as we
suggest is not served to the troops and the
men are not trained to use with effect even.
the weapons they have. We therefore suffer
the disgrace of seeing one Of our bravest regi-
ments cut to pieces by horde of wild In
dians, each one Of whom is an experienced
and we'll armed rifeman.
In the same way our infantry regiments
proper training in the school of the rifle. The
German infantry at Gravelotte annihilated the :.
French cuirassiers without changing their
formation from that of simple line. The de-
fciency in the mobility of foot soldiers can be
more than made up for by the accuracy and
range of their fire. If Crooks infantry COM
panies were composed of we'll trained marks
men the Indians could not have sustained
their fire for ten minutes. If Clusters troop
ers had been mounted rifemen, instead of
being even the most experienced sabreirs, the
massacre would not have stained our military
annals. All this drilling and parading
should be confined to the regimental
depots for recruits Of the main force
each man should burn at least five hundred
cartridges per annum, and receive extra pay
for efficient craftsmanship. The need of
more troops to strengthen the operating col
umns under Crook and Terry is extremely
urgent at this stage of the campaign and be-
fore the Sioux can score another victory over
our demonlized soldiers. A large force of
regular troops is doing duty in the North
and South, guarding forts that no one
threatens and posts in the interior that could
be as well occupied by local militia With
the exception of the points along the line of
the Rio Grande and the scattered forts in
the Southern Indian Territory the troops
should be withdrawn from every station east
of tho Mississippi and south of the Arkansas
River. The place for these men is in the
Yellowstone Valley, where they should be
directed in strong and mobile columns
against the hostile Sioux until that tribe and
its allies are subdued or exterminated. Let
Sheridan take command in person and send
these merciless savages ''whirling up the
valley" wherever he meets them. Let us
have none but riaemen in our cavalry and
infantry regiments. With such we can face
any enemy, be he civilized or savage