The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-04-12

Dalton were capable OF having been
made the equal Of those in Virginia.
| Therefore see not that two brothers.
one having served in Lees and the 9TH
/ er in Johnston's army-have cause of
jealousy, IL one has accomplished more
than the other; whereas had the two
| been under the same commander they
would have proved soldiers Of equal
merit. With these premises I shall pro-
coed to show in brief the cause of diff
ference between these brother soldiers
/ Of opposite schools.
Gen. Lee never made use of intrench-
ments, except for the purpose of hold
| ing a part Of his line with small
force. whilst he assailed the enemy
with the main body Of his army-as,
for instance. around Richmond at the
| time of the battle Of Gaines's Mills
! and save en- dernier resort, as at Spot
sylvania, to and around Petersburg, to-
ward the close Of the war. He we'll
knew that the constant use of breast
works would teach his soldiers to look
and depend upon such protection as an
indispensable source of strength; would
imperil that spirit of devil-me-care in
dependence and self-reliance which was
one Of their secret sources Of power,
and would, finally, impair the morale
of his army. A soldier cannot fight for
period Of one or two months con-
stantly behind breastworks, with the
training that he is equal to four or five
Of the enemy by reason Of the security
of his position, and then be expected
to engage In pitched battle and prove
as intrepid and impetuOus as his BROTH
er who has been taught to rely solely
upon his own valor. The latter, when
ordered to charge and drive the enc
my, wiil-or endeavor to-run over any
obstacle he may encounter in his front;
the former, on account Of his undue
appreciation of breastworks and dis
tinct remembrance OF the inculcations
OF his commanding officer. will be con-
stantly on the lookout for such de-
lenses. His imagination will grow vivid
under bullets and bombshells, and
brush heap will SO magnify itself In di
mensiOn as to induce him to believe
that he is stopped by a wall 10 feet
high and mile in length. The conse-
quence Of his troubled imagination is
that IL too proud to run. he will lie
down. incur almost equal disgrace. and
prove himself nigh worthless In
pitched battle.
No BreastwOrks for Him.
A somewhat similar result is to be
observed in engagements, in the open
field, with the red men of the forest.
Those who are familiar with their mode
Of warfare we'll know that whenever
they are attacked away from such
shelter as trees and boulders. they at
once become confused, and scatter in
all directions. / concede that 500, in
the open field, would overpower 100
men. howsoever well trained: but $50
properly-trained soldiers should always
prove the equal of 500 Indians, mainly
because of the difference in the man.
ner of handling forces practiced by the
respective combatants. On the one
hand, shelter is invariably sought in
f,N,o re hot. =
placed upon bOldness and valor.
In accordance with the same princi-
pie, a cavalryman proper cannot be
trained to fight, one day mounted, the
next dismounted. and then be expected
to charge with the impetuosity Of one
who has been educated in the belief
that 1t is an easy matter to ride over
infantry and artillery, and drive them
from the field. He who fights alter
nately mounted and dismounted can
never become an excellent soldier OF
either infantry or cavalry proper. More
over. the highest perfection in the edu-
cation Of troops. we'll drilled and dis
ciplined, can only be attained through
continued appeals to their pride, and
through Indictment to make known
their proves by the substantial test of
guns and colors captured upon the field
Of battle. Soldiers thus educated will
ever prove a terror to the foe. The con-
tinued use Of breastworks during a
campaign renders troops timid in
pitched battle. and the employment of
such defenses is judicious and profit |
able alone when resorted to at the
proper time. They should be used not |
unto excess. and only in such instances |
as I have already mentioned, and in |
such as 1 shall hereafter specify. The |
result of training soldiers to rely upon
their own courage we behold in the |
achievements Of Lees troops. Long
will live the memory of their heroic |
attempt to scale the rugged heights Of
Gettysburg: Of their gallant charge over |
the breastworks at Gaines's Mills and |