MILITARY TACTICS. 



889 



Different 

 mode* at 

 attacking 



r Batiks, fold nature. I. The front of the position n :.t no 



"~~. -~^ ail vantages to any part, and may be attacked along its 

 whole extent. This i-the case in large plains, and *iioh 

 ground, then-lore, is sought by tv. . ho are de- 



aJtMO/COaiillftoa decisive action. ,'. 'I he; e m;.v be 

 an obstacle before the front, which must tir>t be >ur- 

 : ited. .1. The po.-!tion m iv be such that we can 

 only attack certain parts of the front. 4. The enemy 

 may be placed behind entrenchnii 



In a tu^e where it is in our power to attack the whole 

 of the enemy's front, those who are skilled in military 

 science notice several modes of attack, or orders of 

 i eoenj' tunic. 1. To attack the whole of the enemy's front 

 " oat> with the whole of our own. 2. To throw forward ur.2 



of our wings, with the view of alt it-king t!ie o; 

 wing of the enemy. 3. To throw forward l>t!i v 

 in order to attack both of the enemy'* wings, and keep 

 back the centre, i. To ad\.. ontre, and keep 



back tin- > .ire'. y employed with 



our large armies in modern times, and can only take 

 place with small corp*. It i* never advisable, unless 

 we chtue to place every thing at hazard. The second 

 is universally acknowledged to be the beat mode 

 tack, because it enables us to concentrate our force up- 

 on the point ot* attack ; and, by employing it, we ri.-k 

 lea* in case of a retreat, because the array can easily be 

 cover, a by the refused wing. The third mode i 

 employed when we wish to outflank the eneiin 

 when our wings consist of cavalry, who commn 

 attack by overwhelming eicry thing opposed to 

 in order to fall upon the flank* of the enemy. The 

 fourth mode i* bad, because every projecting angle in a 

 position is a weak point, ami in thi mode there would be 

 two such angles. It can only be employed, therefor*, 

 when we have to attack the enemy i . 

 in which we arc apprehensive of l>. ; inked, it' 



the wings should leave their leaning \ r ex- 



ample, if on passing a river, we were obliged to drive 

 off the enemy, without permitting the wings to leave 

 the apfMi of the river. All attacks, in 1,-t-h parts of 

 the army advance, and others remain behind, thus 

 forming an oblique line, are best made, on the part of 

 the infantry, en n hel',n ; the cavalry, on the olhi-r hand, 

 rush out of the line, and make a separate attack, sup- 

 ported by the infantry. Hut we shall have occasion, 

 by and bye, to explain more particularly the various 

 orders of attack. 



u-cessary, before proceeding to the attack, to 

 make ourselves master* of some o: front, we 



must examine wherein the obstacle consists ; whether 

 we cannot get round it, or how we can rapidly surmount 

 i<b obstacles may be of two kinds; 1. Such a* 

 from their nature obstruct the approach. 2. Such as 

 are occupied with troop*, and, by the fire from them, 

 prevent the attack, because we should be compelled to 

 present a fl ink to them ; such as villag. 

 It the obstacle* are of the first kind, we must endeavour, 

 1. To force the enemy to leave his position, by a rapid' 

 movement toward* hi* Hank or rear, by which means 

 wr may be enabled to avoid or surmount the obstacle ; 

 . It thtlbe impossible, we should endeavour to disco! 

 ver some place, which, either from the nature of the 

 'I, or the want of prudence on the part of the 

 "" posed to his fire ; 3. We should examine 



whether, from some point, we may not be able to bring 

 a superior tire to hear upon him, and thus silence his 



fire at those points where our passage is obstructed. 

 At all event*, our troops must be supplied with all that 

 is necessary for forming a road over the obstacle ; in- 

 deed more than one road should be prepared, and the 

 breaking off and deploying ought to be performed in 

 good order, and with rapidity. In the case of ob- 

 stacles of the second kind, we should, 1. F.ndeavour, by 

 an oblique attack on the flank or rear of the enemy, to 

 relieve ourselves from the necessity of attacking the 

 obstacle it- : : . If that be not practicable, we must 

 endeavour to pave a way for ourselves by artillery ; in 

 which case, howitzers, used against villages and en- 

 tiendiments, will be of great service ; :i. Wo must 

 an attack upon them, according to the nature of 

 ' cumstancea, supported by the whole army. 

 If we can oirly get at the cnein in point*, 



where we are sure that he has concentrated his whole 

 force, we mu>t endeavour to ascertain the number, 

 situation, and nature i nts ; whether some 



of them inny not have been neglected, and which of 

 them have the weakest fire ; whether we may not be 

 able to draw off his attention from some of them, by 

 false attack* or otherwise; or whether, by means of 

 batteries well placed, we may not be able to silence his 

 fire on the points of attack. Our dispositions must be 

 made accordingly, and we must determine the number 

 of attack*, and the time at which each is to he made ; 

 the number of troops to be employed, with the order in 

 bub they are to attack, a* well as the position of the 

 troops which are to sustain each attack ; as also, what 

 is to be done after a successful or unsuccessful attack, 

 and how a false attack, which has made good progress, 

 may be sustained. 



The following disposition* are necessary in the at- 

 tack of an entrenched camp. In the first place, we 

 rau*t examine the whole entrenchment, in order to tind 

 out it* weak parts. These may have been occasioned 

 ,e fault of the enemy ; as, for example, when the 

 flank* are not secured ; when, at some points, the works 

 are not complete, of a weak profile, or are ?o construct- 

 ed, that we can approach them without bring exposed 

 to their fire ; or the weakness may be occasioned by 

 the nature of the ground. It is also necessary to as* 

 certain the means which the enemy possesses within 

 his entrenchments, to renew the contest, or to make a 

 good retreat In the second place, having sufficiently 

 investigated these matters, we proceed to make our 

 dispositions for the attack. These consist, 1. In de- 

 t< running the number of attacks, false and real, with 

 the tune at which they are to be made; the number of 

 the troops, their order, &c. a* above. 2. The troops 

 mui>t be tupplied with all thing* necessary for the ac- 

 complishment of their purpose, such as hurdles or fas- 

 cines, if there are wolf- holes*, or marshy place* to be 

 passed, or ditches to be filled up, and axes, when pal- 

 lisades, &c. are to be attacked 3 We must deter- 

 mine the signals, and the time of the several alt 

 W ah regard to the latter, we may observe, that night 

 attacks have the following advantages : We can the 

 more easily surprise and alarm the enemy ; while we 

 conceal our own dispositions, and have little or no- 

 thing to apprehend from his fire until we come up 

 to tin- entrenchment. But thm mode of attack has like- 

 wise great disadvantage* : the column* may easily lose 

 their way, and miss the time and place of attack ; we 

 must dread the most dangerous kind of defence, by the 



Of Battle*. 



Attack on 

 certain 

 point* of 

 the ene- 

 my's line 



Atlsct of 

 sn en- 

 trenched 

 camp. 



Night at- 

 tacks. 



into the 



VOL. xiv. rT r. 



I Mo feet in dismctei st the top, oae si UK bottom, and Dear two deep, with s sharp pointed (take driven 



So 



