Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-05-30
PISTOLS VERSUS sABREs.
a Cavalry officer Prefers the Former
Billy the Kids Quickness.

Cavalry, is very interesting personal
lty. he is a Mlssourian, but has been s,
long In the service that 'sif asked from
whence he came" the answer would h,
the army rather than Howard Comfy
Mo. In physique and nature he Is al
most the ideal of beau soJreur. ALLOWING
for the contradiction that he entertain,
an antipathy to the sabre. He is ratbe,
tall and apparently slender, but SO firml,
knit that his strength is much beyond
the ordinary. In arguing for the aban.
donment of the sabre and the substitu.
lion of the revolver he has to advance
against the protests Of many old officers,
who stick to the ancient weapon of the
mounted soldier.
"Ibegan to consider the superiority OF
the modern pistol over the sabre. T" he
said last week in his quiet way, s'some
years ago. The conviction that il is the
best possible weapon for cavalry was
forced ON me as / studied the way to get
at the highest possible efficiency for nv
troop. With a modern revolver fairly
good shot can deliver five destructive
fires, while the best swordsman makes a
single destructive stroke. The swords
man must be within few feet of his adj
versary, while the revolver is accurate at
long distances. Against infantry rmed
with improved repeating rifles the sabre
is at a great disadvantage. Under the
conditions that confront the cavalry in
practical service here in the United
States, it is hardly a more suitable
weapon than tomahawk.
81 wish to see the sabre discarded, be-
cause as long as it is retained the train
ing necessary to develop rapid and nc
curate use of the better weapon is next
to impossible. To secure the full benefit
of the revolver in actual warfare, every
individual soldier must be able to deliver
fire with certainty at full speed and in
all positions This is a difficult art, AS
anybody will see who tries it. There is
generally but one instant in the act OF
firing when the object is covered and that
instant must be used. While speaking
of that l may add another advantage OF
the revolver. The soldier can use it
against an enemy approaching from any
direction, except behind him on the left
flank and skilful horseman and trained
shot can cover himself even there. To
return, the training in both horseman-
ship and the use of the arm must be
thorough. Few men can discharge a
heavy army pistol with regular effect
The recoil will cause an oyershoot, or
haste will cause understanding. If the
forefinger is thrown too far over the
trigger, the pistol will be pulled in the
act Of firing to the right, or if it does not
catch the trigger firmly enough the bullet
often goes to the left. The man who is
a dead shot with target pistol, or with
a lnrger calibre, in deliberate shooting
may be the worst bungler in snap shoot
ing on horseback with such IN arm rs
we must have in service.
"Jn handling a revolver the motion
should be upward The object should
be covered by raising the barrel to the
line of sight, not by lifting it mp and
throwing it down. 1t is as absurd to
raise n pistol high in the air and throw
it down ON an object as to do the same
thing ON game with shotgun. One
who follows that awkward style loses
time and accuracy. II he had to defend
his, life against really quick shot he
would lose it almost certainly"
Capt Hall then showed the correct
method of handling the weapon. Tax
ing a hammer-pistol without cartridges
he snapped it five times with marvellous
rapidity, the thumb catching the ham
MGR and the weight of the pistol cock
ing it in the downward motion. The
whole was done with a simple wrist
movement, very much in contrast with
the elaborate swingings of the ordinary
amateur.
'In the Southwest, he resumed, 81
knew Billy the Kid, and rather cultivated
his acquaintance for the purpose of get
ting at the secret of his killing so many
men without getting shot in return.
He was not very brave man, and not
at all muscular one. His secret was
an unrivalled quickness in handling the
revolver. There was not waste move
ment about his style. Almost quicker
than the eve could follow his hand would
travel to his right side (by the way, tell
you Eastern friends when they start Tor
the plains to never wear a pistol ON the
left side unless they intend to shoot 1t
with the left hand), draw the pistol and
fire. / can get at and use one with
tolerab,e auickness, but / have made a
test with him frequently, and he always
was able to FIRE two accurate shots be
fore could pull the trigger once. lie
killed his men by picking quarrel and
them. He would wait until
his adversary started to draw his pistol,
and then like lightning get his own and
shoot. Thus he always had plea OF
self-defense. Think of the cool cenfi-
dence in his skill which would justify
man in pursuing such course. Yet ne
could do it and not be a brave man
either. He was really playing a game
in which he was certain to win. IL was
q sure thing.
Precisely the same sort OF confidence
is what l would like to have my men 10
have. OF course, not one soldier IN a
thousand could approach Billy's dexter
ity. but all could be sure of hitting a
man at a distance of over fifty yards, no
matter whether the horses were quiet, on |
4 run. or prancing about, as horses WIN
do when excited. That confidence Is
worth more than mere courage, ana