BAT 



mg cliir-ed whew in column. Tlic general ofRcers w ho con- 

 ducl tUcfc columns fhould alfo carefully obfcrve tlic motions 

 «)f each otljcr, fo that the heads of their divilloiis may at 

 lead prefcrve a front ; and that, when arrived at the ground 

 where the army is to deploy into line, the niovcmtnt may be 

 executed vith dili<;encc and caution, and at too great a 

 diftance to be attacked by the enemy before all the batta- 

 lions are drawn up in "the pre-concerted order. 



The commander in chief (liouid poll himfclf where he rnay 

 bed and moll conveniently remark the effect of the lirll 

 charge, and whence he may with the leall difficulty difperfe 

 his orders, either to fuftain the troops who may have broken 

 the enemy, or to replace fuch as have themfelves been 

 thrown into diforder. For both thefe purpofes he (hould 

 make ufe of the fiipcrnumerary forces llalioned between the 

 two Hnes, or of thofe of the referve, as he may judge moll 

 advifable. Every other general officer ihould be al his par- 

 ticular nation, either to lead to the charge, or to remedy the 

 diforders which may arife in the brigade entrulled to his 

 command. 



If t!ie battle becomes general and bloody, and fucccfs in- 

 clines to neither lide, the commander in chie^ (honld dirccl 

 his principal cflort againft that part of the line where the 

 enemy's relillance is mod oblliiialc ; and in this cafe he 

 fiiould himfclf hallen to the fpot, to animate the troop? by 

 hii prefence, and induce them to charge, under his eye, with 

 greater vigour. If fuccefs is complete throughout the lirlt 

 line, and it entirely overthrows that of the enemy, the princi- 

 pal attention of tlie general, and of the other officers, (hoiUd 

 be employed to rellrain the foldiers, prevent them from leaving 

 their colours to follow up the flyers, and, committing the 

 purfuit to fome detached corps of cavalry and infantry, to 

 march in good order, at a Heady pace, to fullain thefe de- 

 tachments, and alTail the fecond line of the enemy. The 

 artillery Ihould always accompany the firll line, iu the order 

 already dillributcd, in cafe the nature of the ground allows 

 of it. The remainder of the army (liould follow the move- 

 ment, always obferving, without confullon, the dillancc be- 

 tween the two lines appointed by the order of battle. 



Should the lirlt line give way, or be thrown into diforder 

 by the enemy, the battalions are to retire through the inter- 

 vals left between thofe of the fecond line, behind which they 

 are to halt and rally. Great care is here necefTary to be 

 taken by the officers, that inllead of paffing through the in- 

 tervals, the routed troops do not diredtly rufli in upon the 

 ranks of the fecond line, and either tarry them ofi' in the ge- 

 neral flight, or throw them into fuch confulion and diforder 

 as it may be impoffible to repair before the enemy are upon 

 them. 



On the firll line's giving way, the fecond ffiould march up 

 brilldy to its relief, and charge furioully upon the enemy 

 without giving him time to repair the diforder into which the 

 aAion and purfuit mull c f courfe have in fome meafure thrown 

 him. By executing this with promptitude and determina- 

 tion, it is often eafy to retrieve the ground whicli has been 

 loft, and to defeat and render nfelefs the enemy's firll line, 

 already confiderably weakened and deranged by the former 

 attacks. It is the fooncr efFetted, as the enemy's fire which 

 docs moft execution is thrown away ; the fubfequeiit dif- 

 charges, from the great hurry of loading, being ot little con- 

 fequence, in comparifon with the firil. The great mifchicf 

 is, that tlie fecond line, on feeing the firlh give way, are 

 ufually flruck with a panic which magnilics the enemy, and 

 on his nearer approach, either betake themfelves to flight, 

 or make but a faint refillance. 



If, on the other hand, the viAory ftill remains conftant, 

 and the adverfe fecond line is overthrown, the general in chief 

 fhould ulc ftill greater care than i'oraierly to prevent his fol- 



C A T 



diers from difperfing, It 11 they llionld be charged and routed 

 by the firll: hue of the enemy, which may have retired and 

 raUied behind their fecond. He ffiould pulh the beaten 

 troops. Hill keeping his men in good order, and in lii\e, till 

 their confufion is general. He mult then progreffively aug- 

 ment the number of his detached forces ; without, however, 

 once fuftering any individual to quit his colours, unlefs com- 

 manded. It is at this moment that he fliould employ his 

 referve, and the diflerent corps which have not been en- 

 gaged, to purfue the enemy, prevent them from rallying, 

 and, hi/! of all, to make prifoners, which the men fliould 

 never be fiiffered to do during the combat, or even to think 

 of the booty, till the victory is abfohitely gained, and the 

 enemy fo fecUtercd and ac a diltance, as to leave no Ioniser 

 any fear of their turning upon the difftreiit detachments cm- 

 ployed in the purfuit. The general may then, for the reft 

 of the day, fuifer his foldiers to collect the booty. If, in full 

 purfuit, the detachments fall in among the enemies' baggage, 

 they mull not be fulTered to difljand inflead of following up 

 tiieir advantage. Their officers inuil with extreme atten- 

 tion, feveritv, and even blows, if milder methods are of no avail, . 

 pulli them forward till they have got clear of the baggage, 

 e.npioy them only in taking the enemy prifoners, or cutting 

 them down, and leave the pillage for the rtfl of the troops. 



The lirll care of a general after the gain of a battle, fliould 

 be to pay proper attention to his wounded, and vifit, or at 

 lealt fend to vilit, the principals among tl.em ; to learn what 

 valiant actions have been performed in diflerent parts of the 

 field ; and to praile in general the whole army, particularly 

 thofe who moll deferve it. He fhould collect the trophies 

 of his conqiiell, fuch as the prifoners, colours, ftandards, 

 kettle-drums, and artillery, taken from the enemy ; give, 

 without delay, a firll account of his victory to his court, and 

 follow it up liy another and more circumilaiitial detail, accom- 

 panied by the colours and flandards he has won. Then, af- 

 ter burying the dead, dilhurtheniiig his camp of the wounded 

 of both parties, the prifoners, artillery, and other fuperflui- 

 ties, and fulfered the army to take a little repofe, in the exe- 

 cution of all which the leall pollible delay fhould be made, 

 the victorious general may apply himfelf to derive from his 

 fuceefs every advantage which time or place can furnilli, io 

 execution ot the plan already concerted or refolved on. 



Cut as ths fortune of war is changeable, and notwith- 

 Handing every poffible precaution taken to enfure fuccefs, a 

 defeat will fometimes happen, the whole care of a general, 

 as well as his officers, fhould fuch an unforeleen event lake 

 place, muft be exerted to prevent an entire rout. The com- 

 mander fliould have this poffibility always prefent to his mind. 

 His own experience and fagacity, pointing out to him the 

 critical moment preceding the lofs of a battle, will alfo tcacli 

 him to take all thofe meafurcs proper for diminifhingthc dif- 

 order of a flight. A laft effort may be made with fucli 

 troops as yet remain unbroken, to give time to thofe al- 

 ready routed to re-afTemble and rally in the rear, and thus 

 fecurc an orderly retreat. A poll may be occupied impreg- 

 nable to the enemy ; or a dehle be fecured through which 

 the defeated army may pafs, and re-form behind it in fafety. 



As the lofs of the battle generally involves that of the bag- 

 gage, fhould it accompany the troops, and almoft always 

 that of the artillery, the general fliould only remain in the 

 flrfl politiou to which he has retired for fafety, as long as 

 may be necefTary to colIcA the remainder of his forces, after 

 which he may conduft ihtm to a fortified camp, and there 

 repair his loflcc,, as well with cannon and arms brought from 

 the adjacent garrifons, ps by the fuccours which may arrive 

 to him. If the lofs is fo ferious as to threaten that of fome 

 confiderable place, he fhould throw the befl of his infantry 

 into the garrifon, and keep the field with the cavalry, in 

 4 order 



