South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900)(about) |
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Tuesday 14 September 1858
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TO THE EDITOB OP THE EEGI8TBB.
Sit— The publication of the report of tho 'Commission upon our Defences induces me to offer a rough outline of the plan upon which it seams to me thev should bo based.
norm a neavy nailery ot z zi-pounaer howitzers, 2 12-pounde? howitzers, and 2 9-pounder guns ; and a light battery of 2 12 pounder howitzers and 4 6-pounder guns. Raise two regiments of light cavalry, each 500 strong, inclusive of all ranks, and four rifle regiments, each 500 strong, exclusive of officers. Erect field battoriss for six guns at each of the principal landing places— say Guichen Bay, Pore Elliot, and Glenelg ; also a similar bat tery on Lefevre's Peninsula, to cover the en trance to the river. Let the Lightship ba ready to slip her moor ings and be taken in tow by a steam-tug. Prepare the inner buoys to be taken up, and, if possible, arrange for reversing the colour of the outsr ones so that they may appear like what the inner ones were. Let every vessel at the Port be ready to strike her topmasts on a given signal. Establish signal-posts at the most suitable points on the coast, and let these posts communicate by com mon wooden telegraph with the nearest eleo trin telepr&nh station.
Arm tbe uruicaen Hay battery permanently. 3tation the heavy battery centrioally, say at or near Willunga. Keep tho light battery or troop of horse artillery at Adelaide. L?t the head-quarters of one cavalry regi ment be. in the Port Elliot District, tho3eof the other regiment in Adelaide. One rifle regiment in Adelaide, a second at Willunga, the third at Port Elliot, and the fourth at Guiohen Bay. By these m3an,i a strong force could ba concentrated on any threatened point, except Gruiohen Bay, before a landing could be effected. With a field work of six guns and a riflo. corps, Guichen Bay ought to bo able to hold, its., own under ordinary circumstanceaj at all; other places tho horse artillery and cay.alry would keep an enemy in oheck till, the heavy guns and infantry could be brought up. Pay all ranks liberally, dress them neatly a nd appropriately, and establish an honorary ro ward for, merit; but above all things bo care ful to. provide tha means of maintaining strict discipline. If our colonial stomachs are too, proud to submit to military discipline, then we must adopt the dignified course of purchas ing protection from abroad ; for without dis cipline, the greater the crowd, the greater the confusion, and no officer would' much, relish
Ihe responsibility of leading an undisciplined mob into actual service. - Do we, in defence of our homos, desire to emulate the deels of tha British army ? If so, we must needs learn out of their book. Tho discipline necessary to make a soldier is not a natural gift, but an acquired habit ; nitlitaty obedience is not a thing so readily learnt as some people imagine. If tho British Govern -nent will give us puns aud arm?, let us learn how to use them ; if they give us gunboats let us us j them ; but don't let us play at soldiers as wo did a fow yeaw ago. If we cannot ourselves do the thing properly, theu let us humbly beg that those who can doit effectually may be sent to take care of us. I am, Sir, &c., . ? W.