TACTICS. 
^treatly on the success of the fonnev ; name- 
ly, the arrangement, or disposition, of a 
line, in such manner as may allow each 
description of force to act with effect : this 
can be done only when the nature- of the 
service to be performed is suited to the 
nature of the troops by which it is to be 
attempted. In this we necessarily mean to 
restrict the operations of infantry to storm- 
ing parties, cavalry to champaign operations, 
and artillery to situations where it can be 
duly protected, while rendering essential 
service. Hence the able tactician always 
arranges his force in such manner, as to 
allow each to perform its duty without in- 
terfering with the evolutions of any other 
class ; and in, what is called, manoeuvring 
his army, never fails to estimate the dis- 
tances, and the time in which each may 
execute tlie assigned duty ; so that the whole 
may coincide with one great intention, and 
insure success by the accurate execution of 
its respective functions : were it to be 
otherwise, the whole must be subject to 
disorder ; one failure often leading to the 
most serious consequence ; the same as is 
caused by the want of a cog, or tooth, of 
any wheel in a piece of machinery. From 
this it may be seen how great a superiority 
that commander must possess who, by 
means of this science, fully comprehends the 
most ready arrangement of troops, where 
change of position becomes necessary ; and 
%vho has, in the first instance, so disposed 
them as to be able to make those changes 
(even under the disadvantages ever atten- 
dant upon such necessity) with celerity, 
and in good order. 
But, however skilful the commander, the 
whole of his good qualities will be abortive 
unless the materials wherewith he is to per- 
form his part be duly prepared in every 
respect. It is indispensably requisite, that 
every individual soldier should be so far 
trained, as to corapreliend fully the general 
intention of every internal service of the 
company of which he is a part. He must 
have a complete knowledge of the parade 
duties, and consider himself as a mere auto- 
maton under the guidance of a superior, or 
disposing, power : he must be cool, obe- 
dient, and passive; and he must possess a 
sufficient share of physical powers, and of 
activity, to enable his participating in the 
movements of the company at large. - This, 
which is assuredly a most important matter, 
nevertheless has been only within a few 
years properly attended to : it was formerly 
considered fully sufficient if the soldier 
could wheel, face about, and fire with cofr 
rectness ; the conducting of a regiment 
through its evolutions during an engage- 
ment being left entirely to its commander. 
It is true, the pageantry of home duties 
was rather ostentatious, and wondrous pains 
were taken to go through a review with 
eclat; but the drum and fife were consi- 
dered indispensable ; without them the sol- 
dier could mot preserve the cadence ; he 
had no regtilated length of pace — no regu- 
lated time for various evolutions. Now, 
that we see how much the whole depends 
on its parts, each individual is trained sys- 
tematically, and enters the field fully quali- 
fied to act vyithout more instruction, at the 
moment, than is needful to convey to the 
corps at large the general intention : this 
not only prevents confusion, but gives to 
each a certain confidence, both in his com- 
rades and in himself. Habituated to cer- 
tain regulated paces, independent of musieal 
bias, each soldier preserves his situation 
with correctness, and feels himself, in all 
situations, fully competent to fulfil the 
orders of his officer. 
We shall endeavour to explain, in as brief 
terms as the subject may admit, the manner 
in which the British forces are now trained; 
commencing with the first stages of the 
recruit’s tuition, and proceeding, in a regu- 
lar course, through the operations of com- 
panies, battalions, and lines ; whereby the 
chain of connection will be best preserved, 
and the whole be duly exhibited. The fol- 
lowing preamble, taken from the “ Rules 
and Regulations for Formation, Field-Ex- 
ercise, and Movements, of his Majesty’s 
Forces,” is so admirably suited to our pur- 
pose, that we present it to our readers as 
the best preparation we can afford : 
“ The great object in view is, one gene- 
ral and just system of movement, which, 
directing the government of great as well 
as of small bodies of troops, is to be rigidly 
conformed to, and practised by, every regi- 
ment in his Majesty’s service. To attain 
this important purpose, it is necessary tq 
reconcile celerity to order; to prevent 
hurry, which must always produce confu- 
sion, loss of time, unsteadiness, irresolution, 
inattention to command, &c. ; and to insure 
precision and correctness, by which alone 
great bodies will be able to arrive at tlieir 
object in good order, and in the shortest 
space of time ; to inculcate, and to enforce, 
the necessity of military dependence, and 
of mutual support in action, which are the 
great ends of discipline ; to simplify tlie 
