Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-06-11
NO. 1877.

tary Academy at West Point. and said. in his
/ fiowery professional way, that the Cadets
would load me up" went there and stad
two days. and his prediction proved correct.
| make no boast on my own account-none.
| All know about military matters got from
the gentlemen at West Point, and to them
belongs the credit. They treated me with
courtesy from the first. but when my mission
was revealed. this mere courtesy blossomed
into warmest zeal. Everybody, officers and
ALL put down their work and turned their
whole attention to giving me military infor
nation. Every question asked was prompt
~ and eNhaustively answered; therefore
feel proud To state that in the advice which
am about TO give YOU as soldiers, am backed
up by the highest military authority in the
land-yes. in the world, il an American does
saw it-West Point.
To begin. gentlemen. when an engagement
is meditatcd. il is best to feel the enemy first,
that is, if it is night for, one of the Ca
diets explained to me, YOU do not need TO feel
him in the daytime, because YOU can see him
then. never should have thought of that.
but it is Unexpectedly true. In the day
time the methods of procedure are various,
but the best il seems TO me, is one which was
introduced by Gen. Grant. Gen. Grant al
ways sent an active Young man redoubt to
reconnoitre and get the eneny's bearings.
| got this from high officer nj the Point.
who told me he used to be a redoubt on Gen.
Grants staff and had done it often. When
the hour for the hattie is come, move
To the field with celerety-fool away no time.
Under this head was told Of favorite max
i'm of Gen. .Sheridans. Gen. Sheridan al
WAYS said, IF the siege train isn't ready,
don't wait--go by any trains that are handy
to get there is the main thing Now. that is
fl.,, I,a A. t1..G GaII
it is better to get out and walk. This gives
YOU better chance to dispose of your forces
iudiciously for the assault. Get out your ar
tilery in position and throw out stragglers
to the right and left TO hold your lines of
communication against surprise. See that
every hod carrier connected with a mortar
battery is at his post They told me at the
Point that Napoleon despised mortar bate
ries, and never would use them. He said
that for real efficiency he wouldn't give n
hatnl of brickbais for ton of mortar.
However, that is all he knew about it.
Everything being ready for the assault,
You want to enter the field with your baggage
to the front. This idea was invented by our
renowned guest. Gen. Sherman. They told
me that Gen. Sherman said that the trunks
and baggage make a good protection for the
soldiers. but that chiefly they attract the at
tenton and rivet the interest of the enemy,
and this gives YOU an opportunity to whrl
the other end of the column around and at
tack him in the rear l have given good
deal of study to this tactic since | learned
about it, and it appears to me it is rattling
good idea. Never fetch on your reserves at
the start. This was Napoleons first mistake
at Waterloo. Next. he assaulted with his
bomb-proofs and ambulances and embras-
ures. when he ought to have used a heavier
artillery. Thirdly. he retired his right by
yicochG-whch uncovered his pickets--when
his only possibility of success lay in doubling
up his centre. flank by flank, and throwing
out his che raBI de f,ise by the left 0blique to
relieve the skirmish line and confuse the
| enemy-if such a manGuvre would confuse
him. and at West Point they said it would.
! 1t was about this time that the Emperor had
| two horses shot under him. How often you
see the remark that Gen. So-and- So at such
| and such a battle had two or three horses
shct under him. Gen. Burnside and many
great European military men. as | was in
| formed by a high artillery officer at West
Point have Justly characterized this rs n
wanton waste Of projecties. and he impressed
upon me conversation in the tent of the
Prussian chiefs at Grayelotte, in the course
of which our honored guest just referred to-
| Gen. Burnside-observed that if "you can't
aim horse so as to hit the General with it,
| shoot it over him. and yOu may bag some
| thing on the other side, whereas a horse shot
under q General does no sort of damage" /
agree cordially with Gen. Burnside. and
| Heaven knows ! shall rejoice to see the ar
| tillerists of this land and Of all lands cease
from this wicked and idiotic custom. At
West Point they told me of another mistake
| at Waterloo, namely, that the French were
under fire from the beginning Of the fight till
the end Of (which was plainly most ,ef-
Terminate and ill-timed attention to comfort.
and foolish division Of military strength
/ for it probably took rs many men to keep up
bthc fires ~ il did to do the fighting. II would
have been much better to have had n small
| fire in the rear. and let the men go there by
| dctachments and get warm and not try to
warm up the whole army at once. All the
| Cadets said that an assault along the whole
| line was the one thing which could have re-
stored Napoleon's advantage at this jnncture,
and he was actually rising in his stirrups to
! order H. when a sutler burst Mt his side and
covered him with dirt and debris, and before
he could recover Wellington opened tre-
mendous and devastating fire upon him from
a monstrous battery Of vivandieres, and the
star of the great captsins glory set to rise no
more. The Cadet wept while he told me
these mournful particulars.
When you leave the battlefield always
leave it in good order. Remove the wreck
and rubbish. and tidy up the place, IIowev-
i er, in the case Of drawn battle it is neither
party's business TO tidy up anything. You
can leave the field looking "a if the City Gov
erpment of New York had bossel the fight
When you are traversiBg the enemys coun-
try, in order to destroy his supplies and Grip
pie his resources, you want to take along
plenty Of camp followers. The more the bet
ter. They are tremendously effective arm
Of the service, and they inspire in the foe the
liveliest dread. West Point Professor told
me that the wisdom of this was recognized as
far back as Scripture times. He quoted the
verse He said it was from the new revision,
and was little different from the way it
reads in the old one. do not remember the
exact wording Of it now, but remember that
it wound up with something about such and
such devastating agent being as "terrible
as an army with bummers." Ibelieve ! have
nothing further to add but this: The West
Pointers said a private should preserve a re-
spectful attitude tow ards his superiors, and
should seldom, or never, proceed so far as to
offer suggestions to his General in the field.
II the battle is not conducted to suit him, il
is better that he should resign. BY the Ell.
quette Of war it is permitted to none below
the rank Of newspaper Correspondent to die.
tate to the General in the field.