MILITARY TACTICS. 



28.3 



rnpeetiof 



j . ,.:.u:-.s. 



Of Poi- of his troops, that he may not only have a good posi- 



''"* tion, but likewise a good field of battle, in case he is 



S " P V 1 ' attacked. On the talent of discovering these points, 



depends the science of camps and positions, and the 



method of attacking and defending them*. 



Gnrnl ob- We may conclude this branch of the subject with 

 erration the general observation, that no position, however 

 strong, can secure an army remaining immoveable 

 within it from being overwhelmed, or turned at one 

 or other of its extremities ; and that the only certain 

 method to prevent such a misfortune is by manoeu- 

 vring in the same sen^e as the "enemy, that is offen- 

 sively , and by threatening his own line. 



SECT. V I . Of Movement*. 



f Move- An army ought never to make a movement with- 

 rncnu. oat having some object in view, and measures should 

 always be taken to secure that object with as much 

 safety and convenience as possible. A movement may 

 be made forward*, or towards the enemy ; to the rear, 

 or from the enemy ; aside, in our own, or, at the 

 same time, into the enemy's parallel : and the object 

 of all the-e movement* may be, to give battle ; to 

 avoid a battle ; to change our camp, for the better 

 maintenance of the troops ; to prevent such a design 

 in the enemy ; to entice him into some other quarter, 

 or prevent him from establishing himself there ; for 

 the purpose of passing a river or defile, or of prevent- 

 ing the enemy from pasting it ; to invest a fortress 1 , 

 or prevent the enemy from investing one ; with the 

 view of making a feigned march, in order to deceive 

 him, and then to attain our object by another movement. 

 Two rf qui- In every movement, two things are r- penally requi- 

 e in ihe to enable ua to attain our object. In the first 

 place, celerity; and, secondly, good arrangements. 

 Celerity is of two kind- ; it coniists either in the rapi- 

 dity of the movement it-r!(', or in its continuance. 

 Both are called forced marches. Cavalry perform 

 forced march in the one way, and infantry in the 

 other. But as both are destructive to men and horse*, 

 they ought never to be undertaken without urgent 

 neceitsity ; and a ikiltul general will not often be 

 obliged to have recourse to them. The arrangements 

 coniist, first, in lightening the army, by removing all 

 heavy carriage* that can be dispensed with ; secondly, 

 in preparing the roads; and, thirdly, in the occupy- 

 ing ot post*, and tending out detachments, in order 

 to facilitate or secure the march. 



A movement is rendered secure, 1. By concealing it 

 from the enemy ; which may be done by breaking up 

 Mi<ll- uly, by marching at night, by avoiding every 

 thing t.iat can betray the march, such a* drawing in 

 the posts, extinguishing the fires, striking the tent*, 



Wo may cover the march by occupying the passes Of ! 

 through which the enemy could reach us, or such ob- 

 jects under the fire of which the enemy would be 

 obliged to pass, should he wish to attack the army in 

 inarch ; or we may place cavalry in such a situation as 

 would enable them to fall upon the flank of the ene- 

 my on his approach. For the convenience of the 

 march, it is necessary that we have pood roads, and 

 make no circuits, nor eipose the troops to any unne- 

 cessary fatigues. 



We shall afterwards have occasion to treat of the March t* 

 march forwards, for the purpose of giving battle, as the rear ' 

 well as of the movements in passing and defending oi(i btl " 

 defiles. In marching to the rear, in order to avoid a 

 battle, we must pay particular attention to our own 

 situation and circumstances, and to the probable en- 

 terprizes of the enemy. If he be quite close to us, 

 and can immediately attack us, we must take every 

 possible precaution to conceal our march, and to per- 

 form it in safety, especially if we have a discouraged 

 army. All the heavy artillery and baggage must be 

 sent to a distance before us : the march must be per- 

 formed rapidly, hut without disorder; and we must 

 endeavour, before the enemy can attack us, to gnin 

 some defile* into which he cannot follow us. If he be 

 at such a distance from us, that he cannot follow us 

 with his whole army, but only harass us with a corps 

 of cavalry and dragoons ; in that case we tmy , accord* 

 ing to circumstances, diniini.-li the hardship and fa- 

 tigue which the troops would otherwise have to un- 



of 



The other kinds of movements are such as are made MoTcme m* 

 with a view to the attainment of some particular ob- Tor a parti, 

 ject, or to prevent the enemy from executing some de- cuir ob- 

 sign. In marching with a view to attain some parti- J cc!l 

 cular object, we must take especial care that our own 

 parallel remains covered, and for this purpose three 

 thing* must be observed. 1. That our communica- 

 tions be not cut off. This rule, however, may be 

 overlooked, a* long a* the army carries a sufficient 

 supply of necessaries along with t't, or finds those ne- 

 cessaries at the place of it* destination. 2. That the 

 enemy do not carry any place, or destroy any of our 

 magazine*. 3. That the enemy l>e not in a situation 

 t.i prevent us from returning, if necessary, into our 

 own parallel, a thing which might easily happen, if 

 he were to take up a strong position between the army 

 and our own territory. 



When sufficient precautions have been taken, with 

 respect to the points above mentioned, movements of 

 this kind may be made in a threefold manner : I . With 

 the whole army. 2. With divisions at the samp time, 

 which is called a combined movement, and is often 

 employed in marching towards the enemy, with the 



&C. or by deceiving the enemy with illmory appear- view of giving battle, or to force a defile, or invest 

 ances, such a* smoke, dust, ttc. 9. By providing town. 3. With divisions following each other. In 

 against every accident. Fur tliU purpose, the ordi- every movement, two thing* are to be apprehended. 

 nary disposition* for a march, which we formerly no- an attack while on the march, and an anticipation on 

 ticed, are to be observed ; and we may calculate in the part of the enemy. We have already spoken of 

 wh.it point- 1. 1' the march we can take up positions, the dispositions which ought to be adopted, with a 

 and how much time will be required to place the view to prevent our being attacked while on the 

 troop* in order of battle in every point ; post* and march, or to render such an attack harmless ; and 

 detachments may be sent out, in onler to obtain early we shall have occasion to revert to the same subject in 

 intelligence of the enemy'* motions, that we may have a subsequent part of this article. To prevent the one- 

 time to form in order of battle in every such position, my from anticipating us, it i* necessary that we should 



*r* either naraeroos nor dHBcult to discover. On tuUMtt line, we mart look for them in the centre, from 

 miaocied M at Pranc, Manage. Auuerlitz. On a eontigura* lint, they ate on the cMremitjr of that 

 vilh the gcactal basis of U* OTBIIMPI ss atlxuthco, Casriglianr, Ulm, and Wagram. 



