Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-07-20

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separate into skirmishers, who are
about feet apart when on the firing
line proper. The support at the out
set is about $50 yards behind the first
line, ready to deploy and advance to
the skirmishers, and the reserve keeps
about 100 yards in the rear of the sup
port, ready for flank attacks or to re-
inforce the first line. Every man is
taught to take advantage of rocks,
bushes and the like for cover. One
object is to get as near as possible
without being discovered, then to To-
cate the enemy's fire and to deceive
him as to the strength of the attacking
party. The wide intervals save the
men from being moved down by the
enemy.
The firing begins at an order from
the captain. The skirmishers halt
when they fire. Gradually now, as
they advance, they close in toward
the centre to make room for the sup
port on the hanks. The support mean
while draws nearer till it joins the first
line. Then there is a rush forward.
The lieutenant, giving the instructions
while the men are lying down or are
behind cover, commands: advance
by rushes; third section, fire two (or
three) volleys; second section, for
ward !" The sergeant of the third
section gives the command for the
volleys. As soon as the first is fired
and under partial cover of its smoke
the chief of the second section orders
his men forward at double time.
When they have gone about Is yards,
or to cover if there is any, he causes
them to lie down and fire two or three
volleys. On the first volley the third
section rushes forward Is feet in ad-
vance of the lire of the second section
and fires. The second section advan-
ces as before and 80 it is continued.
When all the men are on the line; each
lieutenant takes position behind his
own platoon, and the captain is in the
rear of the centre. Having chosen a
suitable position from which to make
the assault, the captain commands /:
"Rapid fire I" The lieutenants there
upon order the men to fix bayonets
and to lay down the sights of their
pieces, after which they give the COM
mands for the firing. To charge, the
captain signals to cease firing and
commands: ITO the charge, march !"
The men rise and advance in double
time. When they are about thirty
yards from the enemy, he commands /:
"Charge !"
The exact details of the fight at
Santiago are awaited with interest by
students of modern warfare. Rough
ground, long range of the Spanish
guns, rapid fire-all these things were
reckoned with when the new regula-
tions were drafted. Of course, there
were those who said that, with any
kind of formation, three men out of
FIVE would be killed in an engagement
where modern weapons are used, and
it is true that there can be no very
safe place on the field nowadays for
either officers or men. With what we
know at present of this fight, only one
thing can account for the dispropor-
tionately large loss of officers-which,
indeed, may not be borne out by the
final returns-and that is that their
"dash" constrained them to rush on
ward and expose themselves without
regard to what they had learned in
their books and on the drill grounds.
If it shall turn out that the engage.
ment was fought tactically, faith in
the new regulations may be so newhat
haken.-Hartford Courant.