MILITARY TACTICS. 



285 



Of Move- An army, weak in numbers, cannot make detach- 

 ments, ments while near a superior enemy ; because they may 



V """V^'' be cut off, and beaten in detail. With a small army, it 

 should be a maxim to act constantly in a body ; for it 

 cannot attempt to form any enterprises but by the ob- 

 servance of this rule. The system of covering every 

 point must be abandoned, and our endeavours solely 

 confined to the preservation of that object which event- 

 ually must determine the success of the campaign. If, for 

 example, the enemy should detach a corps to operate a 

 diversion, capture a magazine, or undertake a siege, 

 opportunities may arise of attacking him with a force 

 otherwise far inferior. Should he be defeated, his de- 

 tachment must likewise retreat, and his whole project 

 is rendered abortive. A small army it also sometime* 

 enabled to fall upon these detachments before they can 

 retire, or be sustained by the main army*. 



SECT. VII. Of the Pcutagt of Riveri and other Dtfilet, 

 and the Meant of Defending them. 



Every place where it is necessary to march with a 

 very small front, including, of course, bridges, i* call- 

 ed fUfile. It is necessary to distinguish the entrance, 

 the defile itself, and the outlet, or dtbatche. Now, 

 a* troop*, so long a* they are in the defile, are in a 

 defenoeKM state ; and if one part be on one aide, and 

 the re*t on the other, neither can come speedily to the 

 Mi'ttanm of the other ; the passage of a defile is diffi- 

 cult, and easily opposed. Defiles, therefore, have al- 

 way been of great importance in war. 



There are two description* of ca*f in which the 

 passage of a defile ia attended with difficulty. 1. When 

 the enemy ia potted on the other tide, and we wish to 

 march toward* htm. 9. When we are on the came 

 side with the enemy, and our object i* to place the 

 defile between him and ourselves. In the first caae, 

 the enemy may either be aware of the point at which 

 we wish to pa**, and be prepared to dispute the pas- 

 sage ; or he may be in doubt with respect to the point, 

 and we endeavour to paa* nnperceived. It must be 

 observed, that a defile cannot be said to be passed, until 

 the whole troop* are through it, or, at least, until so 

 many are placed, and in such order, on the oppoeite 

 side, that the enemy cannot prevent the paaoge of the 



!,:,. 



In the case of most defile*, the road* are already 

 prepared. But river* have generally this peculiarity, 

 that the passage must first be prepared by throwing a 

 bridge over them, which i* commonly a bride* of 

 boat* or pontoon*. But, in order to enable u* to throw 

 over those bridge*, and to defend them, it i* nercieairj 

 to have a body of troop* on the other side. And a*, 

 in almost all case*, the fire of our artillery, and some- 

 time* even of our small arm*, can reach the opposite 

 and thus cover the construction of the bridge, the 

 pttfamge, and the deploying of the troop*, a river may 

 often be passed, but any other defile seldom, by force. 



In order to eflert the pa**age of a river by force, it 

 w necessary,!. That we should have a convenient 

 situation for constructing more than one bridge ; and 

 hence the bank should neither be too high nor too low. 

 it we should have an advantageous position for the 

 artillery, and also, if possible, for the small arms, so 



or ih 



rier by 

 force. 



that they may have a cross fire at the pkce where the Of 'he Pat- 

 bridges are constructed. The heights, therefore, on * a * " 

 the side from which we are to cross, must be more ^'"bV" 1 

 elevated than those on the opposite side ; at the place fi | es an(1 

 where the bridges are formed, the river should have the meant 

 a bend inwards ; and the river itself should not be too of Defend, 

 broad. 3. That there be no new defiles on the other ing then:. 

 side of the river, but a good free space where the troops S """Y""" ' 

 can easily form under their fire, and then proceed U> 

 attack the enemy. 



The following dispositions are then made for the 

 passage. 1. The artillery and troops are stationed 

 at those points where they can act with roost effect 

 upon the opposite side, and, if possible, they should be 

 placed behind breast-works. 2. Troop* are sent over, 

 partly for the purpose of constructing the bridge, and 

 partly in order to throw up entrenchments before it, 

 which must be the more strongly constructed and <>i-- 

 cupied, the less we can depend upon the effect of the 

 fire from our own side for protecting the entrench- 

 ment, the bridge, and the deploying of the troops on 

 the opposite side. These troops must get over by 

 means of fords, boat*, or rafts. In fording, the caval- 

 ry generally cross over, carrying the infantry behind 

 them. The cavalry remain on the opposite side, if 

 they have nothing to apprehend from the enemy's fire, 

 and under the fire of their own people, keep themselves 

 ready to attack all that approach the entrenchment or 

 the bridge itself. As soon as the bridge, and the 

 works on the opposite side are completed, the troops 

 commence the passage, in such order as circumstances 

 reauire, rapidly, but without too much haste. The 

 order depend* upon the nature of the ground. If the 

 country be level, and favourable for cavalry mana-u- 

 vres, the hone must pas* first, in order to cover the 

 passage of the infantry. If it be necessary to occupy 

 an advantageous position with artillery, a corps of in- 

 fantry, with a brigade of the park, take* the lead. The 

 situation may be *o favourable for the passage, that the 

 troop*, a* soon a* they arrive on the other side, can 

 deploy and march forward* ; it frequently happen*, 

 however, that they must first place themselves in the 

 entrenchment, and gradually advance and deploy as 

 they receive reinforcement*. 4. When the enemy per- 

 ceive* that the paasage U certain, Jie generally retires. 

 If be doe* not, as soon a* the requisite number of 

 troop* arrive, he must be attacked according to the na- 

 ture of the ground and of hi* position ; and he must 

 be beaten, otherwise we should be in a most perilous 

 situation ; and therefore such a passage must never be 

 attempted without a moral certainty of being able to 

 accomplish it. 



In order to effect the passage of a river by strata- or the pas- 

 gem, it i* necessary, 1. To choose a position from tig* of 

 whence we can speedily reach several places where a " by 

 passage may be accomplished ; and in such a manner """gem. 

 that when the enemy place* himself so as to oppose us 

 at some of these point*, he will be obliged to make a 

 circuit before he can reach the others. 2. To make all 

 kinds of feigned dispositions, and feigned movement*, 

 with the whole or a part of the army, in order to mis- 

 lead him. 3. Should he expose any part, we must en- 

 deavour to send over a corp* of cavalry and infantry, 

 with the article* necessary for forming an entrench- 

 ment, at such place* where they can best effect a pas- 



G*ntnl 



_*"*"* Henry of PrasMfSTt twoenaptaof tUslandrooBeyeu(m.)by defeating Gencrml VchU it HoTcnwerd*. MX) Gtne 

 Two mb prapooui rrtal* often fhrc UK tupcriority to wwkcr nny, tiid compel ' stronger nug<mi-t 



