and accurate fire by artillery."

These servile imitators of foreign pen soldiers were destined to see
all their pet theories exploded by the grim old mountain puma from
California and his brave Fifth Corps. They were to learn, so far as
they are capable of learning, that the American Regular makes tactics
as he needs them; that the rules of war established by pen soldiers do
not form the basis of actual operations in the field; that theories
must go to the wall before the stern logic of irrefutable facts; and
that deductions based on the drill-made automatons of European armies
are not applicable to an army composed of American Volunteer Regulars,
led by our trained officers.

We shall see that an army destitute of cavalry, and hence without
"eyes"; not supported by artillery; in the most difficult country over
which soldiers ever operated, and without maps or reconnaissance--in
twenty days shut up and captured an army of twice its own effective
strength, in a strongly fortified city, with better served and more
numerous artillery.

We shall find that when the "sledge" was not at hand, American
ingenuity was able to use the "mallet" instead, making light machine
guns perform all the function of artillery, and dispensing altogether,
so far as any practical results were concerned, with that expensive
and much overrated arm; that the Regular private is capable of meeting
all demands upon his intelligence, and that the American non. com. is
the superior of foreign officers.

It is also hoped to place before the intelligent American public some
correct ideas of the new arm which was tried thoroughly at Santiago