The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-06-14
Mark Twain's Tactics.
Valuable Lessons Learned by Him at
West Point.

At the Army of the Potomac reunion at
Hartford, Mark Twain was called upon to re-
spond to toast, "The benefit of judicious
training" He began with an alleged quota
tion from Martin Farquhar Upper: "Let but
the thoughtful civilian instruct the soldier in
his duties and the victory is sure" And hay-
ing said that he had spent fortnight at West
Point to qualify him to respond, he went on
thus:
To begin, gentlemen, when an engagement
is meditated, it is best to feel the enemy first,
that is, If it is night or as one OF the Cadets
explained to me, you do not need to feel him
in the daytime because you can see him thsn
never should have thought of that but Ii Is
true perfectly true. In the daytime the
methods OF procedure are various but the
best,it seems to me is one which was.introduced
by Gen. Grant. Gen. Grant always sent aa
active young man redoubt 70 reconnoitre and
get the enemy's bearings. L got this from q
high officer at the Point, who told me he used
to be redoubt on Gen. Grants staff and had
done it often. When the hour for the battle is
come, move to the field with celerity-fool
away no time. Under this head L was told Of q
favorite maxim OF Gen Sheridan's Gen.
Sheridan always said, "If the seige train isn't
ready, don't wait-go by any trains that are
handy; to get therels.the main thing" Now that
is the correct idea AS You appoach the fold IL is
better to get out and walk. This gives you
better chance to dispose of your forces Judi
ciously for the assault. Get your artillery in
position and throw out stragglers to the right
and left to hold your lines OF communicates
against surprise. See that every hod-carrier
connected with mortar battery is at his post.
They told ms at the Point that Napoleon de-
spised mortar batteries, and never would use
them. He said that for real efficiency he
wouldn't give hatful Of brickbats for ton Of
mortar. Everything being ready for tho as
Sault. Won want tn aptar the faId Until
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 good protection for the
folders, but that chiefly they attract the at
tention and rivet the interest of the enemy and
this gives you an opportunity to whirl the other
end OF the column around and attack him In
the rear. have given good deal Of study to
this tactic since learned about 1t, and 1t ap.
pears to me it is a rattling good idea. Never
fetch on your reserves at the start. This was
Napoleon's first mistake at Waterloo. Next
he assaulted with his bomb-proofs and ambu-
lances and embrasures, when he ought to have
used heavier artillery. Thirdly, he retired
ms right by ricochet-which uncovered his
pickets when his only possibility of success lay
IN doubling up his centre, flank by flank, and
throwing out his cbeUdu1 de frise by the left
oblique to receive the skirmish line and con-
fuse the enemy-if such maneuvre would
confuse him, and at West Point they saw il
peror 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 shot under him. Gen. Burnside and
informed by high artillery officer ut West
Point, have justly characterized this as a wan
ton waste of projectiles, and he impressed up
on me conversation in the tent Of the Prus-
sian chiefs at Gravelotte, in the course OF
which our honored guest Just referred to-
hot gko..-
at horse so as to hit the general with it,
shoot it over him and you may bag something
on the other side, whereas horse shot under
general does no sort of damage. 1 agree cor
daily with Gen. Burnside, and heaven knows
shall rejoice to see the artilerists of this land
and of all lands cease from this wicked and i'd
lotto 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 it, which was plainly .
most effeminate and ill-timed attention to COM
fort, and foolish division Of military
strength; for it probably took as many men
to keep up the fires as it did to do the fight
ing. 1t would have been much better to have
had o small fire in the rear, and let the
men go there by detachments and get warm,
and not try to warm up the whole army at
once All the Cadets said that an assaults
along the whole line was tho one thing which
could have restored Napoleon's advantage at
this juncture, and he was actually rising in
his side and covered him with dirt and debris,
and before he could recover Wellington opened
tremendous and devastating fire upon him
from monstrous battery OF yivandieres, and
the star of the great captains glory set to rise
no more. The Cadet wept while he told me
these mournful particulars.
When you leave battlefield always leave
it in good order Remove the wreck and rub
bish and tidy up the place. However, in the
case OF drawn battle 1t is neither party's
buSipacc tn tidu " mn apvthip0
the field looking as il the city government of
New York had bossed the fight When you
are traversing the enemy's country in order to
destroy hissupplies and cripple his resources,
you want to take along plenty of camp follow
ers The more the better. They are a tre-
mendously effective arm of the service and
they inspire in the foe the liveliest dread. A
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 differ
ent from the way it reads in the old one. do
remember that it wound up with something
about such and such devasting agent being
as terrible as an army with bummers" be-
lieve have nothing further to add TO this: The
West Pointers said private should preserve
respectful attitude toward his superiors, and
should seldom, or never, proceed so far as to
offer suggestions to his general in the field.
LII the battle is not being conducted to suit
him, it is better for him to resign. BY the eti-
quette of war it is permitted to none below the
rank OF newspaper correspondent to dictate to
the general in the field.