The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-30
1.-THE FUTURE OF WAR"
CENT. FITZHUGH LEE TELLS THE
cEyTrRY THE CHANGEINTAC Cities.
How Gettysburg Would Have Been fought
With Modern Guns--Defensivs Bat
ties VIII be alta rremiuma aud
Warfare simplifed,

General Fitzhugh Lee has an article
in the July number Of the Century Oh
"The Future of War" He SHOWS the
great changes which modern guns nave
wrought. and the necessity for greater
skill in maneuyreing for position. Tao
tics. not charges or any coup de MAN,
will be the test success. The passing Oh
the horse as a means Of transportation
will be emphasized in the practical ehfnl-
nation Of cavalry as an effective arm Oh
service in field OF battle.
What the effect OF modern artillery ana
small arms would have been IN our late
war is described by General Lee, as FOL
lows.
AT Gettysburg. in July, 1888, had the
Federal troops been armed with the
rife now being issued 10 the United states
Infantry. and with the present improved
neld-guns, P.ckett's heroic band IN the
charge on the third day would nave
been under fire from start to finish, ana
the fire OF massed infantry, combined
with breech-loading cannon, would proDa-
blv have destroyed every man In the
assaulting lines. Picketts right, Wheh
formed for the charge, was l,Np yards
from the Union lines, and the magazine
rifle sight is graduated, IL will be remem-
bered. 10 1900 yards. win the weapons
then IN use, the federals did not open
with artillery on the charging Southern
troops until they were within LOO yards
OF their lines, and their infantry did not
fire until they were within a much closer
range. In the recent war between emma
and Japan, it was stated that ball
fired from a japanese rifle called the
1furata. similar to the United states
magazine-rile, struck Chinese three
quarters Of mile away in the knee and
crushed II to atoms.
'The Improvement in field cannon has
kept pace with that in small arms. IL
is doubtful whether troops can be neid
i'm column or mass formation within TWO
miles OF an enemy firing the present mod
ern breech-loading field guns. The ex-
IRENE range Of these 80 and 3.b-inch-
calibre field guns is over five miles, ana
when a suitable smOkeless powder Is
found. they may throw a projectile eight
miles Had Mcclellan had these guns
when his lines We're five miles from kich-
mond. he could have ruined the city.
No troops can live in front OF them wnen
they are rapidly dscharging shrapnel,
two hundred bullets 10 the case, ana
they can defend themselves without in
fantry support, and can be captured only
exhausted.
"A steel shell. with thick walls, now
does the work of the old-fashioned solid
shot. and has i'm addition an explosive
effect. The rapidity of fire has been
much increased by the use OF metallic
cartridges, which contain in one case
proiectlle and powder. and five rounds OF
shrapnel can be fired from a single gun
In less than one minute. Then, with
the Maxim automatic machine-gun, mr.
ing go shots per minutes. without human
assistance, and the latest Calling delivering
l. so shots per minute. it would seem that
the splendid exhibition of courage, with
which brave men have charged 10 the
lannon's mouth, Will never again be re-
corded on the pages Of history, Tor no
commanding general is likely to order
direct assault on an enemy occupying
strong defensive lines.
ION the first days fight. on the Rich-
mond lines at Mechdnicsville, and along
F1tz-John Porter's front Mcclellan
troops. so armed. might have successfully
resisted Lee and at Malvern Hin might
nave destroyed the attacking force. Win
both sides so armed. Lee could have held
his position in McClellan's front, with
largely reduced force, but his flank move
ment would probably have been made
with a much more extended circuit, which
would have given Mcclellan an oppor-
tunitv TO hold Huger's and Magruder's
divisions I'm his front at arms length,
with small force in his fortified lines,
while he threw the greater part OF his
army on Eongstreet. the two HIS. and
Jackson. AT some point. as they moved
on a necessarily wide curve toward ms
right rear.
AT the Second Manassas. Pope's de-
fenslve position could not have been sue
cessfully assailed: and at Sharpsburg Tor
Antietam). Lee. with both TANKS secure,
could have easily defed the attack OF an
army twice as strong as the one which
fought him rhcre. At Fredericksburg,
IL will we remembered. the Union forces
were obliged 10 cross a river two hundred
yards wide and pass over a plain nine
hundred yards from the river 10 Lees
position on Marye's Hin. with no smoke
over the field 10 decrease the accuracy
Of fire. and with the air filled with pro-
jecsiles at high velocity. Burnside's army.
II pcrssting In the attack would never
have fought another battle. At chan-
collorsville and i'm the Wilderness, the
slaughter would have been immense on
both sides and there would not have
been enough men I'm the North 10 have
supplied Grams army, had he continued
10 pursue his direct tactics from the
Rapidan TO Richmond. and later that city
and Petersburg would have been captured
only by throwing circumvallating lines
around them. which would have embraced
A.. .-.f1r,oIc rttppfnor into them and cut