This Journal refers to the minimalistic role that the bayonet played militarily throughout the entirety of civil war. John Buechler discusses different accounts of various Generals who discuss the obsolete use in which the bayonet has come to. He also provides numerous accounts to show the factual data of deaths/wounds by bayonet's to that of the accounts in which General's and soldiers alike used to tell stories of courage and bravery.
We have all heard stories of which men latched their bayonet's to the end of the rifle and charged heroically into battle, to violently fight face to face with the enemy to a brutalizing death. however with the invention of the rifle and the ability to battle in relatively long distances, the use of a bayonet, sword, or knife became something of the past. Due to the heroic stories, this realization to the common person, outside that of the military has become unknown, and has found a way to slide its way into history as a formidable weapon, when in reality it was used very seldom.
I find that the research and facts Buechler found are very informative and understandable. In his article her writes that many soldiers comments during the civil war commented on the use of bayonets for camp use. This involved using them for tent stakes, knifes, skewers, and cutting. Buechler remarks the words of General Sherman in which I wrote my first blog, he states that Sherman "an old regular" states that "Rarely did the opposing lines in compact order come into actual con-tact, but when, as at Peach-Tree Creek and Atlanta, the lines did be-come commingled, the men fought individually in every possible style, more frequently with the musket clubbed than with the bayonet, and in some instances the men clinched like wrestlers, and went to the ground together." Buechler backs Sherman's statement up by providing prof of battles. During the two week battle of Spotsylvania, stats show that only 14 were wounded by the use of a bayonet, while 8,218 were wounded by bullets.
This article shows the little use the bayonet played during the civil war. I find it odd that after the civil war and the small role it played as a weapon, how it still became an issued weapon throughout the first world war and later.
I must admit that I am a little surprised by the statistics you cite at the end of your post. However, it is perfectly understandable because the rifles primary function would be the preferred choice in these battles. We couldn't expect men with ammo remaining to take an heroic charge at the enemy. As a matter of fact that would contradict his heroism and instead make him a fool.
ReplyDeleteWith that said, I do not believe we should allow those statistics to take away the importance of the bayonet. You also mentioned in your post that it was used for many other things such as making shelter. Beyond that, we must place ourselves in the shoes of the men out on that battlefield. If given the option to place a bayonet on their rifle; I must presume the majority would take the bayonet. Certainly, it may prove to be unneeded in most situations, but if you find yourself out of ammo, injured, and lets just say on the lower end of the food chain, that bayonet may be the difference between life and death. Need we look further than the military still equipping them to some firearms today. Albeit limited. I think the purpose of this is simply for the reason I just stated...you never know what circumstances one may find themselves in, and since the bayonet on the rifle poses no real nuisance, I say they are a worthwhile addition to a soldiers equipment.
Well written post.