STRATEGY. 505 



many corps ; each corps consisting of one or more divisions ; each 

 division, of two or more brigades ; and each brigade, of two or more 

 regiments or battalions. In smaller armies, a single brigade, or 

 even a battalion, may be considered as forming a distinct corps. The 

 principal arms, so called, which compose the strength of an army, 

 are the infantry, artillery, cavalry, and engineering or fortification. 

 As cavalry and artillery are far more expensive than infantry, the 

 latter constitute the great mass of modern armies. Thus, the whole 

 French army, in 1804, consisted of about 500,000 infantry; 20,000 

 artillery; 70,000 cavalry ; and 10,000 engineers, including sappers 

 and miners. The regular army, authorized to be raised by our 

 government, in the war of 1812, would have amounted to 62,448 

 men ; but the number in service at any one time was far less. The 

 present army of the United States, consists of eight regiments of 

 infantry, four of artillery, and two of dragoons ; which, with the 

 staff corps, form a nominal aggregate of 12,539 men. 



Troops are raised or recruited, either by voluntary enlistment, or 

 by draughts, or conscriptions, under the direction of the civil govern- 

 ment. Although the militia are the great resource for the defence of a 

 nation, still they cannot generally be depended upon, until they have 

 been drilled and practised in warfare, so as to acquire somewhat of 

 the character of regular troops. The importance of drilling a suffi- 

 cient body of our militia, to be ready to suppress insurrection, or 

 repel invasion, seems to be too evident, and urgent, to require an 

 argument here in its favor. The means of providing supplies of 

 every kind for an army, have already been indicated, as far as our 

 limits would allow, in treating of Hoplistics. (p. 490 and 492). The 

 Staff Corps and Departments of our own service, are 1. The Adju- 

 tant General's department ; 2. The Inspector General's department; 

 3. The corps of Engineers ; 4. The corps of Topographical Engi- 

 neers ; 5. The Ordnance department ; 6. The Quartermaster 

 department ; 7. The Subsistence department : 8. The Purchasing 

 department; 9. The Medical department; and 10. The Pay de- 

 partment. The chief officers of these different corps and depart- 

 ments, present with the army, together with the chaplains and 

 the aides-de-camp (or aidecamps) of the commander, constitute the 

 Staff of the army ; on which its efficiency greatly depends. The 

 Adjutant General, keeps all records relating to the personnel of the 

 army, or the officers and men ; and issues the orders and regulations 

 directed by the Commander-in-chief. The duties of the Inspector 

 General, are implied by his title ; and can here require no farther 

 mention. 



Before taking the field, it is customary for the commander to 

 digest a plan of operations, proposing the accomplishment of cer- 

 tain objects, and based on the best information which he can obtain ; 

 but liable to alteration from the various and uncertain chances of 

 war. As such a plan generally has reference to a whole season, it is 

 also called a plan of the campaign. It depends upon a knowledge 

 of his own strength, and that of the enemy ; and a knowledge of the 

 country which is to be the field or theatre of war. If the objects of 

 the campaign be purely defensive, as the protection of a certain 

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