Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-02-06


70 return to earth and see with what
strides the science of war has adj
vanced during his absence. No more
could his heavy battle columns be sue
cessfully launched; no more could Mu-
rat, his magnificent cavalry leader,
ride over an army with his daring horse
men.
In place Of the grand and picturesque
bayonet charge we have thin skirmish
lines, seeking to crush the enemy with
their fire alone, and modern cavalry
will probably never again charge on the
battlefield.
TO begin with, 1t Is assumed by mill
tary authorities at present that the oc-
cupation Of territory by hostile army
will be such crushing burden that we
must prevent 1t at all hazards. The
first and perhaps the decisive battle
Of the war will therefore take place as
soon and as near the frontier as pos
sible. Where this frontier, as in most
European countries, is merely line on
the map and is not natural obstacle,
the COMMUNICATIVE will probably
set his forces in motion for it as soon
after the declaration Of war as Is pos
sible.
His army will be preceded by great
clouds Of cavalry, pushed forward both
to reconnoiter and to hold back the
advanced bodies of the enemy. In adj
dition to this, his screen of cavalry will
serve to conceal the movements Of his
main body from the enemy. Skirmishes
between the advanced cavalry of the
two armies will be of frequent occur
renee At last one Of the commanders,
not wishing to advance further without
accurate information and prevented
from obtaining this by the enemy's cav
airy screen, win make arrangements for
breaking through this screen. Concen-
trating his own cavalry, he will launch
1t at some weak point in the enemys
mounted advance guard.
II the attack is kept secret it proba-
bly, will succeed with ease if the enc
my is warned in time he, too, will con-
centrate and great cavalry battle will
result. The victor in the engagement
will succeed in obtaining all the in
formation he desires, while the defeated
cavalry will fall back on their main
body of infantry. Thus will end the
first phase Of a modern war.
Every gun Of his artillery will be
brought to bear upon the guns Of the
defense, and until the concentrated ar
tillery fire succeeds in silencing and
crushing the defenders artillery the at
tacker will move forward with his
infantry, for a rifled gun will now carry
over five miles; its fire becomes decisive
at $500 yards, and murderous at 1000
yards, so that an infantry attack would
be doomed to disaster at the outset un-
less the artillery of the defense were
first silenced
AT last the incessant pounding Of the
guns has done its work-.tde opposing
artillery has been silenced, and the
artillery of the attack can rest for a
time, Now comes the chance for the
infantry. Spread out into three thin
lines-.firing lines, supports and re-
serves-they move forward. The firing
line, in open order, moves quarter or
h2lf-mile in front of the supports, a like
or greater interval separating these
from the reserves, who may be in
slightly denser order.
The defense has probably improvised
some way Of hastily intrenching itself;
all that we see is little ridge of earth
stretching along in front Of us, and all
we know is that somewhere behind that
ridge lies the enemy. We cannot see
them, for they are sheltered by the
trenches; we cannot even see their posi-
ton when they fire, for smokeless pow
der does not betray it's user A thou
sand yards away, and the firing line is
losing heavily; the supports are closing
up on it, and at half a mile the sup
ports have melted into the firing line
The advance is being made by rushes
Of twenty or thirty yards Ever trifing
depression or elevation in the ground
is used as cover.
At 300 yards the advance Is checked |
for awhile-the fire of the defense has
become too hot The commander fills
up the gaps with the reserves. The |
line creeps forward again. Now the |
men are firing the spare cartridges in
the magazines A few seconds of this, |
and the fire of the defense slackens per-
ceptibly. One rush and the attacking
line is over the trenches. The de-
tenders, what are left of them, retreat
firing
But the battle is not yet over. The
commander of the defense has held
back a reserve for just such a crisis as
this, and a counter attack is threatened.
The men fall to entrenching themselves
in their hard-won position Fresh
troops are hurried up to help them hold
it against the counter attack and. the
day is won. Now the victorious COM
mander gives the leader of his cavalry
full swing. On every Dad, in rear Of
the retreating enemy, he pushes the
cavalry and horse artillery, cutting off
the stragglers, preventing the defeated
troops from making another stand turn
ing the retreat into rOut. At last,
under the. guns of fortified town, the
Defeated troops obtain a respite.