The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-09
Important Bill Affecting
the U. S. Army.
Provides for an Increase In
Size of Regiments.
General Miles Says Our Infantry
is Far Behind the Times.

ure for the reorganization of the army IL
isa singular fact that Persia, China and the
United States are the only nations adher
ing to the ten company regiment idea.
form OF organization which long ago be
came obsolete among the best armies OF
the world. A commission Of our army
officers was sent abroad some years ago to
study foreign military methods and on
their return they reported unanimously in
favor of subdivision of the regiment un
der field leaders They said no officer could
properly handle u ten company regiment
In the field. The plan embodied in the
pending bin is not TO reduce but rather
To increase, the size of the regiments, IN
creasing the number of companies from 10
20 IL. But the l2 companies are divided
into three battalions of four companies
each, making three tactical units where
there was one before. each battalion hay
Ing IA mayor at the head of It.
Modern Formation.
This change was recommended very
strongly by General Sherman, by General
Grant and by General Sheridan 1t has
been commended by all the secretaries OF
war and by nearly all the prominent mill
tary authorities Of our time. / inquired
at the war department. for information ms
10 the advantages To DC gained by the pro
posed subdivision of the regiment and was
given the following very interesting reply.
"All who have participated in a modern
battle and all students OF military science
agree that in order To push home an attack
against an enemy who use "a weapon thai
can Kill ut $500 yards successive lines or
waves TO III the losses of the leading troops
arc necessary, as well as the distribution of
the attacking front into groups deployed
In lines, so that advantage can be taken OF
every foot of the ground that offers cover
and protection. Necessarily this greatly
increases the difficulty of the control OF a
body Of men ana their proper leading into
hot fight when all are armed with repeat
ing lrcechloadcrs, this owing TO the dis
tribution and great increase in the depth
of the zone covered by the enemies fire.
which has 60 bc passed over"
WAR with the single battalion forma
tion would be national G;licide, says a
prominent authority. The United States
cavalry and artillery now have the modern
formation IL Is sluch more important
that tho infantry should be put upon a
modern basis, for 1t Is the infantry which
wins battles ana saves nations. A leading
officer of tho British army said that infan
try was and must always be the mainstay
and backbone of any army. Its fire is
more deadly than that of artillery. It's nc
tion Is sure, while that of cavalry is fltful
Upon the infantry the hrunt of battle falls
Examples of Progress.
General Miles tells me that in the opin.
ion of our army officers, the infantry
branch of the United States army is now,
SO far as organization is concerned, 100
years behind the times. 1t is back where
1t was when armed with the llntlock mus.
kot, carrying the buck and ball cartridge
instead of the springfield brcechloader.
with its deadly missile
In quarter of century we have pro.
gressod from the muzzle loading. smooth
bore musket 10 the breechloadng rifle
The muzzle loader meant at most two, and
usually one, shot u minute, with uncer
tainty of aim, execution at not exceeding
400 yards and no assurance of n death
dealing shot at over 200 yards. The brccch
loader means firing six times "a minute
with accuracy OF airHparrying tho deadly
missile ., 00U yards i..e increase of effect
i've range IT, therefore, fiyciold. Ii would
take an advancing line minutes to pass
through the range of fire from the muzzlo
loader and 20 minutes to pass through the
deadly fire of the breechloaders. The rev
olution In military tactics caused by the
brecchloader is ono great reason why the
method OF formation must be changed.
In these times of arbitration treaties and
talk OF universal peace Ii nisy sound strange
To discuss the efficiency of arms and armies
But the millennium is not yet here. There
4
must meet conditions as they find them
and be prepared for offensive and defensive
operations. was told by a military man
that In the same tactical formation Of in
fantry which we have employed in the past
probably 10 men would bc killed by the
breechloaders where one was killed 10y the
muzzle muskots Add to this tho power
ful machine guns, such as the gatling and
the hotchkiss, and the rate OF death among
the CLOSED files OF double ranks under our
present system would be simple suicide
This is the reason why all civilized ma
tiuns. except thc United States, China and
Persia, have abandoned the single battal.
ion, double rank formation.
The Length of Line.
When one Of our present regiments goes
into action, IL presents a close line In dou
BILE rank about 300 yards long. There are
no intervals between the men. Every
bullet fired with accuracy takes "a man.
Every rcgimcntal commander of our tate
war between the states will appreciate the
difficulty of commanding this length Of
line. In the din Of battle neither voice nor
buglc call can bc easily heard. The noise
Of battle has been greatly intensified by
the introduction OF the rapid FIRE breech
leaders.
II the single line be heightened ~
spreading OF companies, as L. nearly al
ways the ease innCtual war, the rcgimcnta!
commander cannot control his regiment.
He cannot reach them. They are too far
away lie could not even contr0i one bat
TALON in person md direct the movements
Of the others. For these reasons a division
Of the regiment irto three battalions each
with It's commander, Is Imperative. The
old line of battle formation used during
the civil war, In the language OF n military
officer, "lclongS To the past, with the Mace.
donian phalanx, and the general who
would use 10 would simply invite the
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