The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-06-13

huAa III ilhttluIus SVuu,, lhbb WtunebuAy
evening, 10 the regular toast, "The benefit
Of ~iudicious training" Mr.. Samuel L.
Clemens ("Msik Twain'') responded az
follows:
"Les but the thoughtful civilian instruc,
the soldier In his duties, and the victory
10 snre:n-Mattta FasquhaS Upper on Il.
Artof War.
MIR CHAIRMAN: l gladly Join with my
fellow townsmen in extending q hearty
welctme TO these illustrious generals and
these waE-scarrel soldiers Of the Republic.
This Is q proud day for US, and, II the ain.
cere desire Of our hearts has been fulfilled,
1t hiss not been an unpleasant day for
them. l am in full accord, sir, with the
sentiments Of the toast, for ] have always
maintained with enthusiasm that the only
wise and true way 10 for the soldier "
fight the battle and the unpreiudiced civ.
Ian 10 tell him how to do II. Yet when !
was invited 10 respond to this toast. and
furnish this advice and instruction, |
was almost SO much embarrassed as
was gratiled, for . l could
bring to this great service but
the one virtue OF absence Of prejudice
and set opinion. Still, but one other
qualification wal needed, and II was Of
only minor importance. ! mean, knowl.
edge Of the subject. Therefore l was not
disheartened, Tor l could acquire that,
there being two weeks TO spare. A gen.
eral OF high rank in this Army OF the Pc.
tomac said two weeks was really more
than | would need for the purpose. Hehad
known people Ct my styl e who had learned
enough In torty eight houfs to enable
them to advise IN army. Aside from the
compliment this was gratifying, because
1t confirmed an impression l had had be.
lore. He told me 10 90 10 the United
States Military Academy at West Point,
and said, in his iowery, professional way,
that the cadets would 'load me up."
went there and stayed two days, and
his prediction proved correct. / make no
boast on my " account-none. All I
know about military matters | got from
the gentlemen at West Point, and to them
belongs the credit. They treated me with
courtesy from the frat, but when my mis-.
sion was revealed this mere courtesy
blossomed into wsrmest zeal. Everybody,
officers and all, put down their work aud
turned their whole attention to giving me
military information. Every question l
asked was promptly and %exhsustivety an.
swered; therefore, l feel proud to state
that in the advice which l an about to
give you as soldiers, l sm backed up by
the highest military authority in tue land
yes, In the world, II On American does
say it, West Point.
To begin, gentlemen, when an engage.
ment is %medidated, It Ia best to feel the
enemy first, that is, II IL Is night, for, as
u of the cadets explained to me, you do
not need to feel him in the day time, be.
cause you can see him then. l never
should have thought Of that, but /. Ia
unexpectedly true. In the day time the
methods Of procedure are various, but the
beat, 1t seems to ME, is Que which vas in
troduced by Gen. Grant. Gen. Grant al.
ways sent an active young man redoubtt to
reeonnoitre and get the enemy's bearings.
l got this from a high officer at the Poiat,
who told m he used to be a redoubt on
Gen. Grsnt's staff, aud had done 1t often.
When the hour for the battle ia come,
move 10 the field With c~slefity-t8ol away
no time. Under this head | was told Of q
taPolils maxim Of Gen. SheFidaa's. Gen.
Sheridan slwaya said, ali the siege train
isn't ready, don't wait-go by any trains
that are handy; to get there Ia the main
thing" Nov, thst is the correct idea. As
you approach the field it ia better to get
out and walk. This gives you a better
chance to disposeo OF your forces for the as.
sault. Get your artillery in position, and
throw out %stragglers TO the rightand left to
hold your linespf communication against
surprise. See that every hodcarrier con.
nected with Amprlar battery Is st his post.
They told me at the Point that Napoleon
despised mortar batteries, and never would
,lse them. He said that for real efficiency
he wouldn't give a hatful OF brickbats
for a ton OF mortar. However. that
Is all he knew about it. Every.
thing 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 q good protec.
ton for the soldiers, butthat chiefly they
MIL hGt lLiO htbGHllbh hah IlN0l Lub lultEeAT
of the enemy, and this gives you an op.
portdnity TO whirl the other end Of the
column around and attack him In the rear.
l have given q good deal Of study to this
tactic since ] learned about It, and II ap.
pears 10 me LII a rafting good idea. Never
fetch on your reserves at the start. This
was Napoleon's first miatake at Waterloo.
Next, he assaulted With his bomb. proofs,
aud ambulances, and embrahIYes, when
he ought to have used q heavier artillery.
Thirdly. he retired his right by ricocha,-
which uncovered his piokets,-when his
only possibility Of success lay In doubling
up his centre, flank by flank, and throwing
up bis cherduG de fri$e by the left oblique
10 relieve the skirmish line and confuse
the enemy-if such a maneuvre would con-
fuse him, and at West Point they said 1t
would. Il was about this time that the
Emperor had two horses shot Under him.
How often you see the remark that Gem
erai So.and.So at such a battle had two
or three horses shot under him. General
Burnside and many great Europesu mil.
itary men, as ! was informed by q high
artillery officer at West Point, have
Justly characterized this as Q wanton
waste OF proisctiles, and be impressed
upon me a conversation in the tent OF
the Prussiau Ghiets at Gravelotte. in the
course OF which our honored guest Just
referred to-Genersl Bafasiae-ebssrysd
that II "you can't aim q horse 80 ae
to hit the General with Ii, sheet
ii over him, and you may bag some.
thing on tho other side, whereas a horse
shot under q General does no sort Of dam.
sge." l seree cordially with Gen. Burn.
side, and Hesyen knows shall rejoice to
see the Rrsillesists 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-nsmely,
that the French were under FIRE from the
beginning Of the fight till the end Of it
which was plainly a most effeminate and
ill.timed attention to comfort. aud a
foolish division Of military strength; for
It probably took as many men to Keep up