The National tribune., 1909-04-08

c6anot catch horseman on fair. open
road or country, but nothing is more
awkward in a wooded and mountainous
country than a command of cavalry
forced to go thru narrow denies, across
streams at particular fords or bridges.
or up and down certain valleys which
can be seen from the mountain tops
and ambushed. j have not yet seen
in this war a cavalry command of 1000
that was not afraid of the sight of a
dozen fhfa.FSry bayonets, for the reason
that the cavalry, to be effective has to
have a road or smooth field, whereas
the infantryman steps into the bushes
and is safe, or can block road in five
minutes and laugh at the man on horse
back.
1.-The moral / wish to incuicate by
these simple illustrations is, by knowing
the country and thinking ahead an in
fantry garrison can act against cavalry.
Therefore, ii is expected of the infantry
guarding our roads that they are not to
sit down and let cavalry prance all
around them, but that they ambush
their roads. anticipate their passage at
mountain passes and creek crossings,
or even puTsue them and catch them
iammed in narrow roads or at bridges.
Thus at Dalton a lookout should be
kept all along Taylor's Ridge and give
notice of horsemen in the far-off val
ieys, and then they should be waylaid
faithful citizens and negros who give
notice of the presence of parties of the
enemy, but they should always be way
laid ana pursued.
Another matter / will draw your at
tention to: Officers and men naturally
Slip into houses and establish head
quarters. offices, etc, and are about as
useless as If posted in Canada Make
positive order that each garrison shall
build anew a good stockade with earth
works, abatis, etc, not too strong, but
to serve as a stronghold and rallying
point, to hold dash of cavalry in
check. and more especially to allow a
part of the garrison TO hold the post
while the greater portion goes forth 10
battle with the enemy. A fixed garri-
son is harmless and useless. It's only
value is in its power of offense.-'
Sherman Determines to Attack.
1t was absolutely necessary that She--
mans army should be constantly acting
on the offensive. Any continued halt
would offer an opportunity for the tao
tics which Gen. Lee used so successfully
in the East, and invite Johnston to
sweep around the hanks and strike at
the Cracker line" This was becon-
Ing more vital point with every mile
which Sherman advanced, and any in
corruption would be of the most serious
character.
Sherman was welded to the belief
that Johnston's line was so extended
that ii must be thin in some places. and
he determined to seek for these. Thofn-
as, Mcpherson and Schofield were OF
the same mind that it would be dan
gerous to stretch out the Union army
any more, and that, as it was, the rail-
road back to Chattanooga was in grave
danger. Therefore, it seemed impcrs-
tive to Sherman that he must do what
he had so far carefully avoided. attacs.
lines which the enemy had had the op-
portunity to strongly fortify. He says
that he reasoned IF we would make G
breach anywhere near the rebel center
and thrust in a strong head of column,
that with the one mOiety of our army
we could hold in check the correspond
Ing wing of the enemy and with the
other sweep in flank and oyerwhelm the
= pther half"
Sherman now thought that Hood was
In front of Schaiield's part of Hookers
Corps and that therefore iIardee had
TO be well stretched out to hold the
center agains. the remainder of the
Twentieth Corps and the Fourth and
Fourteenth Corps on Johnsron's ex-
treme right was Polk-s (now Loring's)
Corps, which held a large part of Kene-
saw and the spurs TO the eastward, re-
fusing Johnston's right flank. All mill
= tary history bears out the fact that
strong positions generally beget care
less confidence on the part of their
holders Thus IL has been in every war
as 1t was with Wolf at Quebec, and
Hooker at Lookout Mountain, where
the most unassailable cliffs became a
source of weakness to the defenders,
1t Is the unexpected that happens mere
often In war than in anything else, and
the most hazardous ventures are fire.
guently the easiest successes.
Therefore, it was within the range
or probability that even such works as
crowned along the nights of Kenesaw