282 



MILITARY TACTICS. 



tresses, or posts, or detached corps. Or we should en- 

 deavour to out-flank him in his position, by occupying 

 tenable places, or positions for separate corps on his 

 flanks, to enable us to get into his rear, and attack all 

 his convoys and foraging parties. 3. If our purpose is 

 to be executed by means of detachments, we must 

 previously observe upon what grounds the effect of a 

 detachment rests. So long as our main army remains 

 on the spot, it is presumed that the enemy cannot 

 move; for otherwise the position must have been ill 

 chosen. A corps is then detached from the army, as 

 strong as is required and can be spared, in order to 

 execute some enterprise injurious to the enemy. This 

 enterprise may consist either in a particular blow, such 

 as the attack of a post, the cutting off a convoy, the 

 destruction of a magazine, &c.; or in preparation for 

 some blow, which is to be executed afterwards by the 

 whole army ; such as the investment of a fortress, throw- 

 ing bridges over a river which the army is to pass, oc- 

 cupying the entrance and debotiche of a defile, &c. It 

 is not always necessary that the corps should actually 

 execute the enterprise, but only that it should be so 

 placed as to be able to execute it, if the enemy takes 

 no measures to oppose it. 



General The following general rules are to be observed, with 



rules. respect to the position of the main army and its de- 

 tached corps. 1. The main army'must never weaken 

 itself so much by detachments, as to be under any ap- 

 prehensions for its own safety. 2. No corps must be 

 detached in such a way as to be exposed to danger. 

 3. In sending out detachments, we must always pro- 

 vide for the junction of the whole army on the neces- 

 sary point to secure its safety, or to execute the pro- 

 posed enterprise, or any other that may offer. Be- 

 sides, the position of every detached corps must be 

 chosen, so as to enable it to execute an enterprise dan- 

 gerous to the enemy, and at the same time, if opposed, 

 to have the means of executing some other. 

 Positions In a defensive war, the art of positions is of the 

 inatlefen- greatest consequence. 1. A position may be chosen 

 ivewar. which covers the whole parallel. Such a position must 

 be strong in itself; the enemy must not be able to get 

 round it at all, or only with his whole army, and that 

 not without exposing his own parallel or communica- 

 tions. 2. The position may cover the greater part of 

 the parallel. Such a position, besides being strong, 

 must have obstacles on both sides, which, although 

 they do not reach to the end of the parallel, force the 

 enemy to make a large circuit to get round, while he 

 can be opposed by a much shorter movement. 3. The 

 position may be such that the parallel can be covered 

 only by manoeuvres. This may be done in three ways. 

 In the first place, a central position is chosen for the 

 whole army, from which the object of every movement 

 made by the enemy may be frustrated by a shorter 

 movement. In the second place, we may follow the 

 enemy in all his movements, always choosing positions 

 of proper strength, and so near to him, that, from fear 

 of being himself attacked, he can undertake nothing, 

 unless with his combined force. In these circumstan- 

 ces, we must endeavour to beat or at least annoy all 

 his convoys, foraging parties, and detachments. Third- 

 ly, we may extend our line in proportion as he extends 

 his. When he makes a movement in his parallel, we 

 make a corresponding one in ours ; when he detaches 

 a corps, we do the same, always calculating the time 

 it will require to join the main body, in order that we 

 may always be in a situation to unite more rapidly than 

 the enemy. Should he expose a detachment, a com 



munication, or magazine, we must endeavour to take 

 advantage of the opportunity, and to change the rela- 

 tive situation of the war. We must beware, however, 

 of committing any such fault ourselves, and that is a 

 matter of great difficulty; for as the enemy begins all 

 movements, and we must regulate all ours by his, it is 

 scarcely possible to avoid some dangerous exposure. 

 Hence, this method is the most hazardous of all. 



An army with both flanks secure against the possi- 

 bility of being turned, is in a most advantageous post ; 

 but where defensive mea&ures are to be literally fol- 

 lowed, such positions will seldom occur. If it is more 

 easy to gain a flank in an open country, it is more de- 

 cisive where there are mountains ; because, in moun- 

 tainous ground, the enemy may be hemmed in, and 

 cut off from his magazines. These are, indeed, ma- 

 noeuvres of a delicate nature, which require to be con- 

 ducted by a general possessed of more than ordinary 

 abilities, and commanding an excellent army. A\ ith 

 these advantages, the assailant certainly has the best 

 chances of success, provided he is sufficiently cautious 

 inthuMng positions which do not expose his own com- 

 munications to a counter operation on his flank or rear ; 

 by which the enemy might force him to fight on disad- 

 vantageous terms. No corps whatever must be posted 

 in a valley, unless we are masters of the mountains 

 which form it ; and if we cannot occupy both sides, 

 we must at least occupy one ; for though, at first sight, 

 mountains, rocks, and woods, may appear inpassabie, 

 yet, upon a diligent inquiry, the contrary will be al- 

 ways found ; for in every country that is well peopled, 

 there are, and must be, communications between the 

 villages, at least for infantry. We ought, therefore, to 

 occupy the mountains and woods with our infantry, 

 and the valley beneath with our cavalry, which will 

 hinder any enemy from passing through it. 



The conduct of a defensive war is always a matter 

 of great difficulty. In defending a province, it is ne- 

 cessary that our movements in every direction along 

 its frontiers may be made with facility ; or, that a po- 

 sition he selected, which the enemy cannot attack with 

 the prospect of success, nor turn without being exposed 

 to be cut off from his own magazines and line of ope- 

 rations ; in short, a position from which he cannot force 

 us to retreat. Posts of this description, however, are 

 rarely to be found ; for if the enemy be active, reso- 

 lute, fertile in resources, and possessed of an army 

 well versed in manoeuvres, he will constantly find 

 means to penetrate, at least with infantry, and turn 

 our flanks. The attempt to cover every town and vil- 

 lage will always be found impracticable. The perfec- 

 tion of defensive war consists in preventing an enemy 

 from obtaining any advantages, which may enable him 

 to accomplish his main object. When, therefore, the 

 precautions are so carefully taken, that at the end of 

 the campaign he finds himself no nearer the attain- 

 ment of this object than he was at the beginning, then 

 a defensive war has been properly conducted, notwith- 

 standing any other advantages or acquisitions of terri- 

 tory he may have obtained. 



There is in every camp some one essential point, or Key of a 

 hinge, which may be called the key of it ; and on position, 

 which the strength of it most immediately depends ; 

 while you keep this, the enemy has nothing, and when 

 you lose it, all is lost. The same holds good as to po- 

 sitions. The choice of this point, with regard to posi- 

 tions, depends entirely on, and must be regulated by, 

 the object which the general has in view ; by the situ- 

 ation of his magazines, and by the number and species 



