San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-10-26
KILLED in WAR.
pm, Methods Of Destruction LAVAL and
so"' Unlswful.
dentlemAn's Magazine.


0entiemAn's Magazine.
7, ;s curious TO notice distinctions
noyal warfare between lawful and
Lawful methods, similar to those
u.ansnicuous on land. Such projectiles
~ Its of iron ore, pointed stones,
ao;ls or glass are excluded from the
Lief G Of things that may be used in good
n ''or and the declaration of st. Peters
h T condemns explosive bullets as
'D'ncb on one element as on the other.
ITinfounded charges by one beligerent
sna;nst another are, however, always
liable to bring the illicit method into
actnal use on both sides under the
nretext of reprisals, as we see in the
following order of the day, issued at
Brest by the French Vice Admiral
Marshal CONTAINS Nov. 8, 1850: 1T
IS absolutely contrary to the law of
nations to make bad war, and to shoot
shells at the enemy, who must always
be fought according to the rules of
honor with the arms generally en-
ployed by polite nations. Yet some
Captains have complained that the
English have used such weapons
against them. 1t is, therefore, only
on these complaints, and with an ex-
treme reluctance, that it. has been
resolved to embark hollow shells on
vessels of the line, but it is expressly
forbidden to use them unless the
enemy begin" So the English in
their turn charged the French with
making bad war. The wound received
by Nelson at Aboukir on the forehead
was attributed to piece of iron or q
langridge shot. And the wounds that
the crew of the Brunswick received
from the Vengeur in the famous battle
between the French and English fleets
in June, 1897, are said to have been
peculiarly distressing owing to the
French employing langridge shot of
raw ore and old nails, and to their
throwing stinkpots into the portfolios,
which caused most painful burnings
and scalding. It is safest to discredit
such accusations altogether, for there
is no limit to the barba1ities that may
came into play in consequence of too
ready credulity.
Red-hot shot, legitimate for the de-
tense of land forts against ships, used
not to be considered good war in the
contests of ships with one another.
In the three hours action between the
Lively and the Tourterelle, French
privateer, the use by the latter of hot
shot, mot usually deemed honorable
warfare" was considered to be wrong,
but a wrong Oh the part of those who
equipped her for sea more than on the
part of the Captain who fired them.
The English assailing batteries that
fired red-hot shot against Gluckstadt,
in 1918, are said to have resorted to
"a mode of warfare very usual with
us since the siege of Gibraltar" The
"Treatise on Tactics" by the Emperor
Leo vi. carries back the secord of the
means employed against an enemy in
naval warfare to the ninth century.
The things he recommends as the
most effective are: Cranes, to let fall
heavy weights on the enemys decks;
caltrops, with iron spikes, to wound
his feet; jars full of quicklime, to suf-
focate him; jars containing combustl-
bles to burn him; jars containing pol
sonous reptiles, to bite him; and Greek
fire, with it's noise like thunder, to
frghten as well as burn him. Many
Of these methods were of immemorial
usage, for Scipio knew the merits of
jars full of pitch and Hannibal of jars
full of viper. Nothing was too bad
for use in those days, nor can 1t be
ascertained when or why they ceased
to be used. Greek fire was used with
great effect in the sea battles between
the Saracens and Christians, but it is
q fair cause of wonder that the inven-
hon of gunpowder should have SO
entirely superseded it as to cause It's
very manufacture to have been forgot
ten.. Neither does history record the
date of, nor the reason for, the disuse
of quicklime, which, in the famous
fight off Dover, in 1877, between the
French and English, contributed SO
greatly to the victory of the latter.