Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-30
TACTICS OF THE PAST.

This is the season of the year when militia
eucampments are in vogue for the purpose of
testing and proving the efficiency of our citi-
zen soldiery. 1t is praiseworthy that work
is done to maintain military organizations,
and to educate our young men to bear their
part well in case we should be involved in
war. No thoughtful man will discourage
such work; but in view of the need of intelli-
gent education on that point it is pertinent
TO inquire how far the discipline and drill
taught in these encampments is in line with
the latest developments OF the science of war.
1t is pertinent in connection with such an
inquiry to recall the fact that, as far back as
our Civil War, great many things were in
cluded in the drilling of troops in the camps
of instruction that were of no use in actual
fighting. 1t was a beautiful thing on the
parade ground to see a wheel performed
with the line turning on Its pivot as straight
as a spoke; but no battle in our Civil War
was won by the straightness of lines. The
departure from the era of old tactics was
more marked in the Franco-Prussian War,
where it was shown that the range and pre-
ciSion of modern arms had completely de-
stroyed the old system of fighting with lines
and columns. This departure became still
more marked with the further perfection of
small arms, and smokeless powder, until it
is recognized abroad that the old tactics are
completely useless, and a new era of move
ments on the battlefield has taken their
place.
Now the fact is brought out by a study Of
the reports of militia encampments that
their discipline is still that of the old
tactics. They are formed in lines, squares,
wheeled and moved in columns, by tactics
which, if resorted to on a battlefield against
German or French arms and tactics would
secure their utter demolition without loss to
the enemy. Two cases of this sort are
especially illustrative of the mistake of dis
cipline by antedeluvian methods. In some
New York maneuvers an attack was made
upon a supposed position of the enemy by a
column. The last attempt in actual war
fare to win a battle by column attack was
the charge at Gettysburg; and, although it
was a magnificent attempt, it was also
magnificent failure. With the present i'm
provement of arms, an attack by columns
would simply doom the soldiers of the
column to annihilation. In the Michigan
maneuvers the other day the brigade was
formed in squares to repel cavalry. This is
antique tactics with vengeance 1t was
shown during our Civil War that a simple
line armed with breech-loading rifles, would
be very remiss if it let a cavalry charge
come within speaking distance of it; and the
further development of arms has been such
20 that if regiment should now form square
under fire it would be an invitation to the
enemy to NOW it down with long-range
rifles. smokeless powder and machine guns
If our citizen soldiery is to be of service
in the case Of war, it should be provided
with the best arms of modern times, and
taught to use them. But while that neces-
EG-y equipmen. is being provided, the mill
tia should be taught the tactics made neces-
sary by the new arms, namely, the move
ment in skirDish lines, taking advantage of
the ground, and the concentration by groups
at the points where force is needed. The old
drill ground tactics are about as useful in
modern warfare as the discipline of fitting
grounds from the age Of teudal military ed
ueation