The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-16
A NEW SYSTEM OF TAorros
Made Necessary by the Introdp elton OF
the Breech-Loading Rifle.
Ernt,, flo hins..o r.il.....

Made Necessary by the Introdp elton OF
the Breeoh-Loading Rifle.
From the Chicago Tribune.
The important event OF the year in army
matters is the appointment Of the board to
consider, and, as the order converting the
board states, prepare system Of infantry
tactics, system OF cavalry tactics, and q
system oil light artillery tactics for the use
OF the armies Of the United States" II
will be observed that the infantry comes
first, owing TO tho admitted great necessity
for the reorganization Of that arm OF the
service. 1
The necessity for new system OF tactics
is moro real than is ut first apparent Tao
tics is the strategy Of the battlefield. The
present system Of tactics, prepared by Col.
l.. Upton, was adopted in 1867, four years
before the Chassepot rife, at st. Privat, in
thirty minutes deprived the German army
OF ono-third its strength at ranges varying
from half mile TO mile and a quarter
from the French infantry fire. In the war
OF 1901, for the first time in the history
OF the world, the infantry OF both armies
used breach-oading rifles. II was the
greatest development in two centuries in
the art OF war. New rifles and new tactics
were demonstrated to be essential. The
military world mt once saw that the
shoulderto-shoulder and elbow-to-elbow
and back-to-breast method OF fighting
would no longer do.
Upton did not believe that the introduce
ton Of the breech-loader necessitated la
the disposition and management Of troops
in battle such radical changes as are now
known 10 be essential 10 success. He toll
Grated the single-rank formation. He did
not believe that the breech-loader changed
any OF the principles OF tactics. lie thought
that the formation Of squares was available
only for troops in perfect order, and admit.
ted that the breech-loader gave great
and encouraging impetus 10 the employ
ment OF skirmishers." But his system Of
tactics was based on four formations-line
column. square and skirmisheB. lie put
the open order formation OF skirmishers
last in order OF merit The line il the
formation when In actual collision with
the enemy, hence Is called the line Of bat
tie; the column Ia the formation on q
march, and the deep column was consid-
cred the effective method OF bursting
through hostile line. During the revO-
lutionary and Napoleonic wars the British
and Russians alone succeeded in resisting
IT, When resistance was encountered In
great force, the skirmishers rotrcated behind
their massed supports. The favorite tao
tics in every case where officers could rely
upon tho steadiness OF their men 10 resist
impctuous assault from many direc-
tons was tho square. On the pa
rade ground and la drill II looked
very pretty 10 form square," Finally,
the formation in echelon was held 10 COM
bine many advantages. The military
world opened is eyes in wonder aftor the
Fanco-P russian war, and the axiom was
made evident that the main work Of battle
in the future would have 20 be done by
infantry in extended order. Tactics should
have regard 10 tho eyolutions OF CON-
mand In the actual presence Of the enemy,
and good definition Of tactics Is 10 say
that the object OF tactics is how 10 make
an attack with the greatest damage 10 the
enemy and with the least 10 tho attacking
force. The day OF Upton has passed. His
erroneous principle no longer obtains that
skirmislers play only secondary part in
battle, and that tho masses In close order
will give the decisive blow. In the Upton
system the former are ordered TO Con
form" 10 the movements Of the latter, and
10 'cover" their advance; whilst the con-
trary should be the case; tho latter should
follow the former, assisting them when
ever practicable, keeping under coyor as
much as they can and as little massed m
possible. The use Of gunpowder in battle
with tho muEzle-loading arm reyolu-
tionized the then tactics. Tho use OF tho
breech-loader and the deyelopmentsf its
powers have again revolutonized Upton's
tactics. Hence the board which rs 10 con-
yene on the 10Th prox.