The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-10-06

martial themselves in coopS
cloSe-drawn lines in full view ~ ~
eheHy-but out of range of his c,rs
IN preparation for an assault and
80 ~ me peat of drums, go roar
ihS up to and over the en.,,,.
trenches. No longer can a .ra.
u soldlery. spread out in fun view
"'iihe terror to the foe by a show ~
eis. ouch as these
Soloh enough a half century ago
n.e[eiy invite utter destruction TO-DAY
ciHdPS the best way to get a clear
a0oIa nhodern infantry barge is to
Nonnpdre lt tor rather contrast il
witn-similar movements in the civil
WAL ana note the differences.
.. compared With Our War.
IN 'hoSe days cannon VIC had
were not effective at a distance great
81 Ihan or l,ee0 yards: 600 was
oe.'er. Inc muskets nd rifles used
ers and were effective no more than
eVo or 800 yards, if, needed that
I urtnermors it took from three tn
tour minutes to load and fire a can
non. After firing in had to le swan
pea out, pushed back into position
from where the recoil had flung if.
ioaded. primed and aimed The
inuskets and rifles could not be fired
oftener thar one a minute. and owing
10 the lack of uniformity in the am
IhunltlOn the matter of sighting at
anything more than 100 yard; was a
matter of g~uesswork.
Under these conditions an infantry
attack upon the enemy's lines was a
simple timing, compared to mclern al
TACK. rake, for instance, the most
celebrated charge in the civil war
the chaTge of Pickett's division al
gettysburg. Here $4,000 C~onf.derates
formed themselves in three battle lines
dt distance OF about a mile from the
Federal lines and marched. with a
front a mile in extent, over open fields
mat afforded no kind of cover or pro
tecuon, straight up to the trenches OF
Inc Union soldiers. Here. after re-
manning for fifteen minutes, they were
driven back. Their loss was but FIVE
or SIX thousand. The Whole battle Vas
over in less thar an hour.
Il Go not mean to detract from th1
bravery of those daring men, whose
iame has gone down in history, but
merely to note that, compared to wha1
Such a body of attacking troops Wpult
nave to today under tn,
same conditions, their work was a.
least possible, as the result showed
me enemy cannon could not piaN
upon them with effect until hey were
we'll on their march, and the rifles ct
the Union infantry could not reacf
them until they were within 300 OF
400 yards of the trenches. nor did il
become highly effective until they were
We'll within 900 yards. Moreover, the
defending riflemen could only LOAD
and ire two or three times before tn
attacking troops were upon them"
How would a commander attacI
reply Such an order would be in.
was asked the officer.
lie would not attack it." was thu
sac n -.AI a.
slant murder Of every soldier in thu
attacking force. While such an &C
Is wlthou precedent, l SHOULD say
that the subordinate commander:
would, in all likelihood, refuse to obey
such a command on the ground Of The
insanity Of the commanding officer
With the rapid-firing cannon ant
rifles of today every man of the A.
000 would be killed half a dozen time!
before he had gone 100 yards acres.
those open fields
Attacking Entrcnchcd Positions.
But battles are fought and in.
fantry do attack ntrenched position.
today, do they not?' vas aueried.
Yes replied the officer. but il
vastly different manner. Let US sup
pose a modern campaign, such as il
taking place in France. The con
fronting lines. with their hosts @
men, stretch for countless miles aff(
the battle is really made up of z serie.
OF battles along these lines. The out
!, come Of the battle is the net result O
all these smaller conflicts.
Let rs take a section of five mile,
in this battle line and see how a bat
tie is conducted. Both sides are en-
trenched, their trenches being severa
miles apart probably, so as to be on
of nj OF cannon. The general @
one side commanding the troops alen;
this front, on determining to make al
assault. first ~endeavors by every pos
5 sibie means to find out the strength
and disposition of the enemv's force!
along this five-Hile line. for it mus
be borne in mind that troops are nc
placed shoulde to shoulder. like post:
, in a row. along the whole line.
5 Rather, they are concentrated a
favorable positions at intervals afOns
> the line with artillery and horse ant
foot soldiers so disposed as to guard
, and protect the intervals. Thus, Their,
may 10 a Snaco of a mile ar more he