Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1909-01-08
Var. Past md Future

from q Richmond, Virginia, dispatch Of
January list:
Major Eben Swift, OF the general
staff, United States army, in discussing
the "Wilderness Campaign declares
that the battles of The present day are
fought by soldiers who shoot five times
faster, FIVE times farther. and Ave
times oftner than the soldiers who
fought in the Wilderness campaign.
In dealing with this subject Major
Swift took occason TO compare the
battles of the Civil War with the
present. his conclusion being that the
tendency OF modern warfare is TO
lengthcn the duration of battles.
The artillery of 1861 was - un-
certain" said Major Swift, that l will
not venture TO describe its effectiveness.
At the present day a battery of four
guns firing shrapnel can accurately
place 10000 bullets on u ten acre lot,
two miles away, in two minutes. By
the method of indirect fire 4 single
observer a direct the fire Of artillery
which is sheltered behind a hill in such
a way that it can fire over the hill and
hit its target inst as accurately as if it
were firing in the open In the Wilder
ness Campaign the smoke of powder
gave information of the position of the
army. obscured the view and made the
aim uncertain. But with smokelcss
powder it is exceedingly difficult 10
locate tina firing lines, but aiming is
easy for both sides.
The Wilderness Campaign called
for n Drawer soldier than ever fought in
var Battles called for the utmost
limit of physical and moral force, but
the results were often negative and
partial. Since that campaign. increase
i'll the destructive power of weapons
has acted TO lengthen the range at
which battles begin. They end where
they always did"
Major Swift stated that the most i'm.
portant point derived from a study of
the battles of the Civil War, compared
with those of the present, is the ques.
ton of g~eneralship and strategy.
Lee was the only general of
NapOleonic type who ever lived" de.
clared Major Swift, and whether
greater or not, who shall say? OF all
great soldiers no one but Lee probably
encouraged as dangerous an adversary
rs Grant. Napoleon yielded at the
last to smaller odds and his disaster
was complete, but Lees army ut the
end Of the Wilderness Campaign. was
as aggressive and high spirited as ever.
Lee made five campaigns in a single
year, no other man and no other army
cvcr did S much. Napolcon's luck
star often brought victory which his
combination had not prepared and saved
him from disaster which he had not
forcsecn. 1t will be hard to find where
luck and good fortune ever retrieved 4
mistake of Lee, or where the happy
inspiration of Il subordinate wei gave
him a victory or saved him n defeat
Lees opponent belonged to Il different
type. He was the modern embodiment
of force on war. He cared not for rust
or strategy i'll its accepted form. Al
though he made nine thanking move
mcnts between the Ropidan and tn,
james, lie seems to have perfcrrcd tin,
frontal attack. Strategy was reduced
by him to II study Of detectives, ant
detectives were reduced to Onc-tht
hostile army. Grants campaign wa.
hardly over when another great STRAIT
cgist came upon the field of war
Moitke conquered Austria and France
He introduced many new elements int
the art Of war. but in his strategy w,
will observe the counterpart of Grant
In his five days battle around Metz hi
proportion of loss closely approached
what / have given for other modcrr
battles. In the great war in eastern
Asia we watch Oyama's battles and w
are tempted to believe that he is model
Ing himself upon the strategy of U. S
Grant.
"a certain class of stratcgists hay,
gone so far rs 10 argue that ever
battle is blundcr; that II general VIII
knows his business should he able t
manncuvcr his troops SO that if he Ia
the superior force and other condition
i'll his favor as Grant had, he coul
place the opponent in such IN impossibl
position as to force him to surrender
With equal skill on both sides we ma
easily forctcll that the game would cor
tinuc indefinitely"
.r