286 



MILITARY TACTICS. 



Of the Pas- 

 sage of 



Kivcrs.and 

 other De- 

 files, and 

 the means 



of DeSend- 

 ing them. 



Of the pas- 

 sage of 

 other de- 

 fies. ' 



Of defend- 

 ing the 

 passage of 

 a river. 



sage. 4. These must construct bridges, and entrench 

 themselves as rapidly as possible, and, at the same 

 time, occupy, as far as their force will permit, those 

 places from which the clebouche can be covered. 5. 

 If these measures succeed, the army prepares for the 

 passage, and the support of the corps. 6. When the 

 dispositions have been so far completed, the army 

 passes, after having previously occupied all those points, 

 M uich can cover and secure the passage and the de- 

 bouche. 7- As the troops arrive, they must be so 

 placed as to protect the passage of the rest, and to se- 

 cure all the further advantages. 8. Should the enemy, 

 notwithstanding, still attempt to dispute the passage, 

 our movements must depend upon circumstances. If 

 we are too weak to drive him back, we must stop and 

 observe his motions, and make our dispositions accord- 

 ingly, either to continue the passage, should he ne- 

 glect the proper opportunity, or to secure a safe retreat 

 for those who have already passed. In the latter case, 

 the enterprise has failed, and we must attempt it in 

 some other manner. But if we are strong enough to 

 bid defiance to the enemy, we must either prepare to 

 receive his attack, if our position be a strong one which 

 covers the passage ; or, if the passage cannot be com- 

 pleted without driving back the enemy, we must attack 

 him without hesitation, with the troops which have got 

 over, before he is aware. 



In the case of other defiles, the dispositions are much 

 the same, only that, in general, we have no occasion to 

 be detained in preparing roads. Almost every thing, 

 therefore, must depend upon our having secured the 

 debouche ; which must be done by throwing forward 

 a corps to take possession of some tenable place, or 

 good position, at the outlet of the defile. If this has 

 been effected, we have gained every thing. But the 

 longer the defile, and the more difficult the roads 

 through it, the less easy will it be to effect this ob- 

 ject. Hence, the passage of this description of defiles, 

 is considered as much more difficult than that of rivers ; 

 especially if the enemy has fortified the passes, be- 

 cause these must first be forced, and then the debouche 

 secured. 



In opposing the passage of a river, it is presupposed 

 that the enemy can find no points at which he can 

 effect the passage by force, or, at least, that he has not 

 the superiority necessary to enable him to accomplish 

 that object. The following are the general dispositions 

 for preventing the passage of a river. 1. We must 

 break down all the bridges in the neighbourhood, and 

 destroy all the fords, and secure all the boats and ves- 

 sels above and below, as far as we can reach. Should 

 any bridge be left standing, it must be sufficiently se- 

 cured by a strong entrenchment, or tete-de-pont. 2. 

 We must occupy all those posts from whence we can 

 obtain intelligence of the enemy's movements, and at 

 the same time obstruct his passage. 3. If we have 

 sufficient time and means, we should throw up en- 

 trenchments at all important points which command 

 the passage, in order to occupy them as soon as we 

 learn that the enemy intends to pass at that place. 

 These entrenchments must be so situated, that if the 

 enemy had suddenly occupied them, we should still be 

 able to drive him out. After these preparatory dispo- 

 sitions, we may adopt one of two plans. In the first 

 place, we may take a position on the river, opposite to 

 the enemy, and follow all his motions with the whole 

 or a part of the army, in order to oppose his passage 

 at every point. Or, secondly, we may take a position 



with the whole army, not quite close to the river, but Of the Pas- 

 at a distance to be determined by its course, which will * a S e of 

 enable us to arrive at any point where the enemy ""."f'J"" 1 

 might attempt to pass, before he can accomplish his ^ r ^ 

 object. The country on and about the river, must be lnc means 

 strongly occupied with posts, in order to obtain early of Defend- 

 intelligence of every one of the enemy's motions. As ing them, 

 soon as we are assured that the enemy is seriously at- """Y"" ' 

 tempting the passage at any particular point, we must 

 march thither and attack all that have already crossed, 

 or destroy the bridges, or at least prevent him from 

 persevering in the enterprise, if we can do nothing 

 more. We must beware, however, of allowing our- 

 selves to be drawn too rapidly to any one point, as the 

 enemy might then really effect the passage at some 

 other place. So long as we are in a state of uncer- 

 tainty, we should merely hold ourselves in readiness to 

 march, or send a corps in advance, for the purpose of 

 obstructing the operations of the enemy. The advan- 

 tage of this method of defending a river consists in 

 this, that the army is not separated in consequence of 

 the passage of the enemy, nor receives any serious 

 blow, nor is forced to expose a great part of its parallel, 

 in order to unite at a great distance behind. There 

 is still a third method of defending the passage of a 

 river, but which can only be employed by an army 

 which is nearly equal to that of the enemy, when the 

 course of the river does not admit of our adopting the 

 second method, in consequence of the river presenting 

 a convex bend to the defending party. This method 

 is, to pass the river ourselves, to take up a strong po- 

 sition close to the enemy, and then hold ourselves in 

 readiness to beat him while he is engaged in the pas- 

 sage. Bold as this method may appear, there is no 

 doubt that it may be attended with singular success 

 under proper precautions. Jn all enterprises of this 

 nature, indeed, especially where troops can only be 

 brought successively into action, much will always de- 

 pend upon activity, boldness, and decision ; and the 

 fortunate issue will generally be determined by the 

 first attack. When the leading columns have crossed 

 a bridge, or penetrated through a defile, and have 

 maintained their ground until the army is come up and 

 enabled to support them, the success of the event is 

 determined. Hence, it is always of essential import- 

 ance to prevent the deployment of the leading co- 

 lumns ; not a moment must be lost in charging them ; 

 the least hesitation may produce irretrievable ruin. 

 The attack being resolved upon, it must be made with 

 impetuosity, because, should it be repulsed, there 

 can be little hope of making a second more success- 

 ful. 



The defence of all other defiles may also be conducted Defence of 

 according to all the three methods above described ; and other de- 

 the two first ul way sdepend upon preventing the dcbouehc. files> 

 But in the case of these other defiles, another method 

 still remains ; which is, to establish ourselves within 

 them, by means of fortresses or redoubts. If such 

 posts cannot be turned, or when placed on hills, if they 

 are not commanded by higher eminences, they render 

 the passage of the defile impossible. In establishing 

 such posts, therefore, we must have these circum- 

 stances particularly in view, and also to keep the road 

 itself completely under their fire. 



The passage of a river or other defile, with the view of the re- 

 of placing it between us and the enemy, is, on this ac- treat 

 count, a matter of difficulty, because there is a period through 

 at which the army is divided, and the enemy can at- defiles> 



