MILITARY TACTICS. 



293 



W Bitttcj. the manoeuvre with precision. 5. When the arniy in- 

 > *"V'' tending to out-flank the enemy has reached the pro- 

 per point, by a concealed movement, and is in the ne- 

 oessarv direction for that purpose, by suddenly form- 

 ing into line, the enemy will neither nave time to form 

 * polem-t, nor to change front entirely ; and, con- 

 sequently. he will be overpowered on one of his extre- 

 mities by a mass of forces which it will be impossible 

 for him to resist. This was more clearly proved at 

 Leuthen than in any other battle >> It it lie not ad- 

 TMable to form the army into two columns, of the same 

 length as the line nf battle, they may be converted (if 

 the ground will permit) into four, by doubling the 

 linen, or by marching by wings, without, on that ac- 

 count embarrassing the formation of the line. When 

 the four columns, moving in the order ofduublcd lines, 

 have Arrived within a short distance from the point 

 where they are to form, the even columns (second and 

 fourth) will halt, and protect the further movement uf 

 the others, until their head-, are disengaged ; when tin- 

 first platoons will immediately fall in at a proper dis- 

 tance from the last of the leading columns; and thus they 

 will be in position to wheel up, and form a contiguous 

 Ptvrr line.(Plat. t > t I AXXIll Fig. 41.) If they are form - 

 eecLXtxiii. **' u >' wings, to draw up in two lines is executed by a 

 Pig. 41. simple change of direction, simultaneously made by 

 the head and rear of each column. The order of march 

 at the battle of I^euthen explains this at first light. 



To the method above described, we may attribute 

 the facility which Frederick displayed, in manoeuvring 

 upon the flanks of his enemy ; and the means of keep- 

 ing his army in column-, until the inomi nt of attack, 

 when they formed line in an instant. The system of 

 keeping his array constantly united, of opposing mas* 

 to isolated parts, a whole fine to a single extremity of 

 a line, could only be put in execution by means of the 

 order above described, which united promptitude of 

 formation, with connection and simplicity. 



Of turning We have already observed, that in making an ob- 

 n .neim't ijq uc attack upon one of the extremities nf ilu- enemy's 

 line, measures must be taken to make this attack prac- 

 ticable, by masking the preparatory movements ; other- 

 vise it will be in the power of the hostile army to 

 < in a corresponding direction with the column* 

 intending to turn its flank, and to continue to present 

 a front to them, or even to turn their own flanks. As, 



i hen two armies march in the <lir. 

 ami AB, they will form an angle in tin- j* 





Whence it follows, that whichever first readies the 

 point K, will have gained the flank of the other, 

 and will consequently turn it. Let A B be the army 

 Marching by divisions, or otberui.-e, with a strong 

 corpa of cavalry at its head, to attack anil gain the 

 ink of (I) with all roMible speed; if CD be vigi- 

 lant, there will be no difficulty in frustrating the man- 

 ouyre, by reaching the point E before the enemy. 



For, having timely information, AB cannot anticipate Of Battlci. 

 his antagonist, because the distance from D to E is '""V^ 

 IMS than that from B to E ; consequently CD has the 

 advantage, and AB may be considered as defeated, 

 provided proper care is taken to profit by the circum- 

 stance, and the attack is made boldly. To be con- 

 vinced of this, we need only examine how AR can op- 

 pose it. As soon as the cavalry CD has passed the 

 point E, the army AB has no other resource than to 



form an angle or patence BF. This movement being 

 executed in haste, will not be very orderly: while the. 

 cavalry in E having already formed in line, will ad- 

 vance, and gain still more on the flank by continuing 

 to incline to the left, while moving to the attack. 

 Hence they will outflank, and make the onset In-fore 

 the enemy's horse in BF can be ready. Another in- 

 convenience arises from the formation en potenrt. The 

 army, having previously inarched with proper distances 

 between UK- mlunm.- or lines, is thus suddenly thrown 

 together by the lines forming to the rear, which may 

 ice such confusion, that both the first and second 

 line may be routed together before they can be disen- 



U liile the cavalry CD is making the attack, the in- 

 fan try will have time to reach the point E ; and should 

 they be only a few battalions, they must nevertheless 

 advance, without waiting until others are come up. 

 Nothing would be so injurious as to lose time by irre- 

 solution, because it is evident that they can march for- 

 ward without standing in need of being supported by 

 the army ; for, supposing CD to have marched by di- 

 the left, and the cavalry by superior speed 

 to have gamed, during the movement, six or eight hun- 

 dnd |>aces in advance, the infantry will arrive at E, 

 about the time that the cavalry, niter having made tlie 

 shock, will be engaged in forming anew, end will 

 thus be in readiness to protect it while busiid in that 

 operation; after which they can march on both toge- 

 ther again*! the enemy, who, finding his cavalry over- 

 thrown in the first charge, will be found endeavouring 

 to form his right wing of infantry en potence, or with 

 an angle thrown back ; but a* in this mana-uvre his 

 disordered cavalry will ob-truct him, he will order 

 them to move < If to the right. If at this moment 

 the infantry CD advance, they will find the enemy 

 still in the act of forming, and defeat him with ease. 

 Admitting that these battalions have preceded the 

 others by some hundred paces, they will soon be fol- 

 lowed by the sin en ding, who having in their turn 

 reached the point, will advance in a kind of echelon of 

 battalions, and thus come gradually, and in proper 

 time, into action ; and if the whole take the precau- 

 tion to incline towards the left, while advancing, the 

 enemy, in a short time, will be so completely taken in 



