New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-31
COLD STEEL" IN WAR.
THE BAYONET AGAIN IN FAVOR AMONG
MILITARY EXPERTS.
ITS rsE BY THE BRITISH IN soUTH AFRICA
WHAT RECENT HISTORY sHows-THE IN
VENTloN RISE AND VIC1SSITUDEs
nE TII- NANnNEr
OF THE BAYONET.


way I'm South Africa that the British bayonet'
is not Yet by any means past its deadly useful
nos, At Mafeking the dispatches say. one
NIGHT attack upon the bcsiegers trenches, de
uv,rinc a dose Of cold steel when darkness
rrerented the Boer rinemen from shooting with
good effect was Of the greatest service in pre-
venting close advance Of the parallels. There
- "a story too which is probably mythical IN
Itself hut equal, probably based on general
facts that in an attack on trenches somewhere
near The scene of Buffers recent defeat a cry
az Elk hayonets and give them the cold steel
had more effect upon the defending party than
many rounds Of Lee Metford ammunition would
ha,, rad II the Beers brave enough. as every
bod, admits ln what kentuciians call a shoot
ing s.rape fight fhy OF The hayonet 1t is all
Oh. JOS, 10 p, wondered at az they themselves
Appear to he uuprorided with any such weapon
and a-. certainly not. as In, British infantry
man is trained 10 lis use.
sine IN. Crimean War tho opinion that the
uat.u.t has had its day mas gained ground
Considering the enormous increase in the range
ami power of rifles since that time. il is rather
wonderful that any ono should think other
Wis. Bat history mas been far from unanimous
or his point. in fac. II has been self-contra-
Oh. sabre for thu oatdlryman. There must
hat. been little or nothing for instance in the
scene at th- Turkish trene hes before Plevna
t. remind OBJ. war correspondents who watched
and recorded it that this was not a battle OF
IN. old heroic man-to-man period. TheSe CORE
sronden,s told how. a. the victorious Russian in
rantry approached the works firing and receiv-
ing the Turkish fire d long line of red capped
from Wit q
tn breastvorks and. whrling their rifles aloft
with Yell ~ Allah il Allah" came down on
:ts MusDovites at the old-fashioned "chargc."
Il was IN. officers who made thc surrender
q Pleyua decent modern affair. the Turkish
rank and file could. and would without doubt.
have gone on ~ theI work If point ana butt
until non" wor, left 10 surrender To the SUI
vying victorious Russians but the staff.
50 much for the Turk But about two years
late history had an entirely different tale 10
tell The tale az Majuba Hill goes that hat
TALON ~ British infantry. wearing the uniform
o. the sam" regiment which included the Min
den Yell' among its traditions was beaten of
by a band 81 Dutch farmers and utterly de
siroyed. because the crack British regiment
trusted 10 their bayonets and The farmers shot
from behind rocks
THE BAYONET IN INFANTRY FIGHTING
And VT u tb- efficacy of the bavon4t had
- .-t.,,.,.. - -. ,,,,,
r.rtain.y has. h..u considered 10 have had
every advantage m n4jpg mt into the hands of
British soldier. Tn. bis,or, If iufa,,,,. dgb,-
inc sums jp sometime l;k. ,,ie I7irs, ,bo
Macedonian uhslarx with Ions. la,c.s. ,be, ,b..
Roman legion. with short stout s,4ars. then
an interval say. # tV.,v. p.rttirj.s durinc
most of 7h. % 90, mounted man had things all
%, "Nn Way. th-u the jAo hundred years be
ginning about l;'.'h when tn Spanish in
iani-ria was considered irresistible by reason
u I's pixies Hal.h We're practically. the Roman
ria then th. Introduction Of the. matchbox