The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-06-19
The Bayonet.

Asis already known, probably. 10 tie
great majority Of cur readers. tie name
Of the weapon under discussion WAS
derived from the old French city Of
Bayonne, on the Biscayan coast, away
down under the shadow Of the lower
Pyrenees. where it was first produced,
somewhere about the year l64O
We can ali understand what a won-
deliul change Was wrought in military
tactics by The introduction of fire.
arms but the change was not more
emphatic than was wrought by the in
PRODUCTION of the bayonet 1t is an
arm peculiarly French, and wpl adapt
e'i "a the French temperament. Before
its introduction the decision Of battle
hung upon the stubborn will or ability
10 stand up under fire, or upon q final
aud whelming dash Of cavalry for.
wheD the toot-soldier was armed only
with lis cumbersome tire-lock, the per-
sis,ent dash Of cavalry was irresistible;
but hea the infantry had been fur
nish'd with the bayonot, and came {.
understand Its Use, the footmen could
offer a wall # steel through which
cavalry could not break The horse
once brought 10 staud against = we'll
formed hollow square of bayonets can
not second time be urged upon the
same kind Of defensive wall The
htyouet sensibly modified the entire
military art Upon it the wary chief
tain depends for bis decisive move
mcnts. The fire Of the infantry, in line.
of battle, is no longer the grand hinge
upon which hangs the victory. Napo-
leon III, in his proclamation 10 his
ar1y at the opening of the Italian
campaign, said: The new rifle arms
are only dangerous a, distance they
will MT prevent the bayonet from be-
ing, as heretofore, the terrible arm of
the French infantry
Like many other important invcn-
tons, the bayouet owes It's being 10 tue
accident d: sudden emergency. The
story goes and no doubt il is true
that body of Basque peasants. in
fierce combat with party Of snug
glers. found themselves without ammu-
milton. and were thus, seemingly, a. the
mercy OF their antagonists But q hap-
py thonght struck the peasant leader.
with his neck-scart he firmly lashei his
long knife TO the muzzle OF his musket.
and caused his followers to do likewise;
aud. thus armed, they made desperate
charge. The smugglers could not with
stand such an onset They were not
prepared for II. A single discharge Of
their mus ke,s, as the cleaning line of
knives came down upon them. and then
they broke aud fled in wild disorder
and dsn,ay
The story was told. and swiftly circu-
lated, and ere lorg an cnterprising ar
morer fashioned q lot of muskc.s with
the knife attachments. AMI the king
Louis XIV. } SAW and appreciated. aud
caused his infantry ~ be armed there
with The frs, attachment Of this kind
was long sharp knife, with a handle,
or h.ti, that SIT firmly into the muzzle
OF the musket This WAS an effective
weapon. hu. ii had its disadvantage,
a.. " hen the hayonet was fixed, the
piece could not bc discharged. and this
draw back prevented 1t from being
brought into general use.
The first battle IN which the bayone,
Wa, used u any great extent was that
Of Turin, in l6y2, but at this time the
tixlng Of the hsyonet sfectually stop
p~d the muzzie of the musket, so ths,
not much dependence was placed upon
II Shortly thereafter the fixing of the
hsyoue, upon the principle Of the socket
WAS brough, somewhere near perfection.
The socket hal been attempted as early
a 6sS. but i, bad failed. failed for want
~ villa, is now one If the simplest con-
trivauces in the whole make up Of the
musket
Somewhere about I103-I think IL
was at Spircs-the infantry OF Loni,
XIV had sea furnished with the safely
fitting socket bayone., AID there the
tr>t grsu3 charge with the weapon was
executed II was q charge irresistible
and terrible The troops hearing IL rs
a.i5d their -, G,cri,rtty and dashed fear
lsssly onward N.'h il they faImcd "a
rampant f steel a.aigl-i which cavalry
ia>.fvi IN yaiu. before IS sharp, cruel
lsajGt> opi~a-lug iAuks ~hrapk back
wArj ant fie1. lsefcre IL tie startled
s.ai.as,e,r> forsooA their tsttcr 4. AID
us =. wh3 b're 'l,s fateful pe1l~.,, serre
sas>,.s. at Ire fill aui ir~u. Il a,
88y IS, ga, hands of brave aua deter
u..osi Gs~n The tAyoi,et hAs been the
"a 3 arti'-r II hattie >ail Su~aro,f.
tbc .rea; Russian Ficsl Marshal. ard
rally Ca;hariises hight arn and chief