Washington sentinel., 1898-12-03
sEAOoAsT DEFENSE
Written for the WASHINGTON SENTINEL
WEST STEEvER.

IN weak, whether IT consists OF mar
:. or few vessels, It should be sent
II once to sea on a declaration
e war and under no Circumstance
4 should it be counted on as factc
4 in the defense of our sea coas
? NV experience has taught me tn
: utter futility of counting upon tn
, aid of the navy in defensive opera
tions. The whole system Of edu
cation of the naval officer is op
posed to any effective cooperation
+ under such circumstances. He i
taught to believe that one guI
afloat is worth twenty on shore
He chafes at being placed on the
defensive and is crazy to get out ir
the open, where he has sea room
and can manoeuvre so that he has
the choice OF either forcing or de-
clining fight, as may suit his con-
Venience. He was tried in the late
Contederacy in that role andhe was
a dismal failure. Though a shin
ing success while commanding
vessels out at sea, he would not
cooperate with land batteries and
when put in command OF heavy
artillery on shore. his style Of dis
ciDline was completely out OF place
and soon produced dissatisfaction
and even mutIny in the command.
The main dependence after all for
defense will have to be on the
army and not on the navy. Un-
fortunately the army, from the Pc
culiar organization and inadequacy
in numbers, is but a broken reed
10 lean upon. No reflection is in
tended upon this gallant little body
ct both off GERS and men, whose
devotion to duty and unshrinking
patriotism can always be de-
pended upon in the time of need.
In the peculiar military training
and knowledge which are of the
first importance in defence OF this
country our little army is sadly |
deficient, and that from no fault OF
theirs. mean the heavy artillery
branch Of the profession. Con-
gress has refused to make the
necessary appropriations to re-
place our old guns OF obsolete
type with those of modern inven-
tion and consequently both officers
and men have had no chance to
keep up with the times, as in the
other branches OF the service.
So far as the United States is
concerned, | regard It weaker to-
Day relative to its efficiency in fur.
lishing the country with defend
.rs as heavy aTtillerists, than il
vas in 1861. 1t is true that the
lumber Of regiments has been in.
creased from four to seven and the
lumber of companies in each reg
ment from ten to twelve, but the
Whole morale OF that branch OF the
ervice was changed by the civil
var. Before that unfortunate con- ;
est, the apprehension, shared by {
9th officers and men, was that |
hey would be called upon to de- {
end our shores against foreign t
De and their attention was directed {
Owards heavy artillery. But in c
ne civil strife which ensued most /
fthe officers were promoted to the z
ther commands and what was left
that branch OF the service was a
rganized into light batteries.
What little duty was needed in the t
'aY otheavy artillery was perform {
q by the volunteer regiments OF b
lat branch and Mat OF the regular s
rmY was put on other service, as {,
oove explained d
Now the importance ofthe heavy 4,
'tillerY arm was exactly reversed n
the Confederate army. While r,
e Federal army directed but little r.
tention TO the subject, its officers NJ
ling engrossed in the organiza- =,
On OF the forces in the field, it be- \,
me OF paramount importance in n
e military defence Of the seced- Al
g States. With a powerful navy f.
reatening the waterways and A
aports OF the Confederacy, it be-
me a pressing necessity to or
nize a heavy artillery force to
an the batteries and forts erected &c
prevent their capture. This was 5.
linly done by the ex officers Of III
e old four regiments OF artillery ms
the United States army. To :"
ow how they engrossed all com O'
lnds / served tor nearly two Ol
ars in the defence OF the Mlssis- ~
,pi River from above Columbus, W
T.. to Vicksburg, MISS, includ- oi
: he Yazoo River from Snyder's 20
Ills to Haynes Bluff, as Major, VI
Colonel and Colonel in 10
. volunteer service and Lieuten- ~
, ~-,-.I = a.. p.;.iop pl