Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-16
MOUNTED MARKSMEN.
The Value of Mounted Infantry in
the Civil War.
Possible Opportunities for Mr. Roosevelt
Regiment Of Cowboys.

a.
"Mr. Roosevelt's idea Of a regiment
of mounted rifiemen," said a veteran
nj Sherman's army, has a good deal of
merit Both Grant and sherman found
use for regiments of mounted infantry
armed with something heavier than the
cavalry carbinc and without the sabre
bnt sherman had the greater opportun-
i,v TO find their value. The same rea-
son that led Grant to depart from the
traditional European methods in en-
nloving a thin skirmish line-the lack
of roads and the rougher country with
IFS heavy NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the oppor-
tunitv for such an irregular army as
the mounted infantry. My own regi-
ment had the good fortune, after fight
ing as infantry in many heavy battles
tn he mounted. The men had, at their
own expense. gradually armed them
selves With the Henri (sixteen- shooterl
rifle. This put them under constant
call for the skrmish line, which was
their first object in buying the guns.
BEING irregular. they were not assigned
TO a place in the marching columns, ex-
cent that they We're to be we'll at the
front. In the Atlanta campaign they
struggled good deal. getting off the
line and invading country where the
main body never went. Some of them
uicked up horses and mules and be-
came self-constituted scouts. This led
to the mounting of the whole regiment,
the men finding their own animals.
They did work that could hardly have
been done by the cavalry with their
equipments.
Their rifles We're effective. and they
could feel of the enemy in spots where
it would be unsafe for troops otherwise
equipped to go. Often it was touch and
go. and sometimes they created
CONSERVATION by appearing be-
tween two columns of the enc
my and giving rise to the belief
that he was outtiani.ed. 1t could not b.
supposed that anything less than a
large force would venture in such
quarters. To have infantry fire and in
fantry organization en- wings proved to
be an important advantage. The regi-
nent was especially useful on the
march to sea. as it must always be
y when an army cuts loose from its
source of supplies and depends largely
on the country for support. The men
were scouts. skirmishcrs and foragers,
according to circumstances, and when
they found the enemy away from the
main columns they dismounted and
/ served as infantry. In this way they
aided in keeping the line of march OF
their corps and sometimes of a corps
on another road. free from obstacles.
Among other enemies they encountered
We're the Georgia Home Guards, made
up Of Confederates who were at home
on account of wounds and of all the
various men who for any reason We're
not in the field. Al times these home
guards made trouble by destroying
bridges on the approach of the FEEDER
ais, and sometimes they showed fight.
But the best service of the mounted in
fantry in that campaign was in guard
ing forage trains when it was neces-
sary to gather supplies at a long dis
lance from the main body. The first Of
Sherman's 'bummers' were Stragglers
from such irregulars.
In the case Of such troops there was
= no better craftsmanship than in the
army generally Their guns were
: lighter and better but the chief advan-
tage was in the rapidity of their fire
There We're, however, infantry regi-
- ments here and there in which most OF
the men Weres crack shots. One Illinois
regiment in particular, the Sixty-siXth
| think. was recruited from men who
We're experienced hunters, capable OF
hitting the bullseye at a distance that
to ~, Oh; .,f+ 40 2iy1a II
der to hit the target at all. The regi-
ment had more old men than any Other
that / ever saw, and it was almost con-
spicuous for its lack of style in drill
The men looked the hunters they We're
men of the woods mostly with thf
long stride and rounded shoulders Of
the traditional woodsman. Their dress
was distinguished from that of the
other men by green braid. Probably
everybody knows that the braid of the
cavalry is yellow, of the artillery red
and of the infantry light blue. Most OF
them We're armed with their own rifles
perhaps used long before the war, o.
many patterns, and not SO well adapted
To the manual of arms as the army
~ musket, but much better for fine shoot
service, but probably regiments Of
sharpshooters. as Distinguished from
squads and individuals. were rare be
fore the American Civil War. In the
main they performed the same ser
wee as other infantry regiments, bu
they had the preference on the Skin
mish line. The Ccnfederates made
more use of sharpshootcrs than th'
federals. Wherever it was possible II
Encouragement the enemy posted sharp
shooters where they would command
certain points, for the purpose of pick
Ing off Gunners and conspicuous off
Gers Such sharpshooter killed Gen
SedgWick when in apparent safety n
was examining the ground in front o
his command. 1t was this service tina
was most often required Of the Con
Tolerate soldier whose aim was true
The Federals, on the other hand
trusted to the ordinary pickets, mos
OF whom Were not markSmen. to pre-
vent Confederate generals from APP
preaching too close to our lines II
search Of Information. In the event o
a charge on a line of Confederat
Il, 1sN.,