THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
249 
I found that the division had been out since the 3rd September,, 
quartered in the villages round about, and carrying out a plan of operations 
of which the general scope had been pre-arranged and made known. 
There were present at the manoeuvre 
General Herwartli v. Bittenfeldt, Commanding corps d'armee. 
Maj.-General v. Schlottkeim, Chief of Staff of do. 
Lt.-Gen. v. Barnekow, Commanding 16tli Division, with one chief of staff, 
and one adjutant. 
Maj.-Gen. Graf Gneisenau, Commanding a brigade, and one adjutant. 
Maj.-Gen. v. Glumer, Commanding a brigade, and one adjutant. 
Colonel v. Bantzow, Commanding cavalry, and one adjutant. 
The force comprised two brigades, each of two regiments containing 
three battalions, thus twelve battalions in all. There were six batteries 
on the peace establishment of four guns each, three of these w r ere Horse 
Artillery armed with 4-prs., two field batteries armed with 6-prs., and one 
field battery armed like the Horse Artillery with 4-prs. There were 
present also five squadrons of Hussars; a lancer regiment which should 
have been present had been sent back to quarters on account of glanders. 
The general system on which these manoeuvres of the Prussian army are 
carried on in peace has long been established, it was fully detailed with 
much other interesting matter in the little Book of Instructions published 
in 1861, entitled “ Allerhochste Verordnungen iiber die Grosseren Truppen- 
ubungen.'” I found that the rules therein laid down were closely followed. 
The great peculiarity, which gives such a superiority to this system of 
field manoeuvres lies in the character of reality which is given to the whole 
of the operations ; in my opinion our manoeuvres are too often on the plan 
of a gigantic drill field day, and those of the Prench, though workmanlike^ 
fail in interest from the laborious detail of their plan; the Prussians, on the 
other hand, place two opposing forces in the field, give them a strategical 
plan of operations, and then leave the two commanders to plan their own 
tactical movements; the troops work every day over fresh unknown ground, 
and so the interest never flags. The general of division superintends the 
whole, issuing as before said all strategical orders. The General command¬ 
ing the corps d’armee with his Chief of the Staff is present, with no 
function but to observe and subsequently criticise. 
A law permits the troops to be exercised anywhere over the country ; 
an officer is detailed to accompany each detachment to take note of any 
damage done to the crops, &c. (at this season of the year, September, it 
cannot be very heavy) and when the manoeuvres are over a commission 
consisting of a regimental officer, an intendant, and a civil employe assembles 
and assesses the compensation to be paid to individuals. The system does 
not appear to lead to dissatisfaction, the troops seemed always well received^ 
and the population turned out every day in numbers on every eminence to 
witness the show. 
The daily marches were from thirteen to eighteen English miles including 
the manoeuvres. The troops, except on one day wdien they all bivouacked^ 
were quartered in the peasants houses in the villages, the distances 
