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consider I learnt more of my profession in Prussia in six weeks than 
in the previous many years of peace training in the English army. 
Of course I exclude the training of actual service, which is the true 
training of an officer; as in one campaign a man learns more than in 
ten years of common barrack-yard training, which is so unlike real 
war, that General Trochu says in his pamphlet on the then state of 
the French army in 1867 (three years ago), “that the exercise of 
troops in time of peace gives them absolutely no conception of a real 
struggle in real warfare.” 
This is, I am afraid, to a great extent, perfectly true; and the only 
exercises that I have ever seen, in my tolerably wide experience, 
that can possibly make troops, and especially officers—and by 
officers I mean leaders of troops—are such exercises as are con¬ 
ducted in Prussia either on the Prussian system or one founded upon it. 
When I speak of officers I mean commanders or leaders of men ; 
for, on looking into the English dictionary, I find an officer defined 
as a “ commander ” or “ leader of men.” 
This should be borne in mind; for I find English people have 
strange ideas of an “ officer.” Some think him a man finely dressed, 
with nothing to do ; others, again, think anything an officer in a sash 
and gold lace, There are officers, again, who write “ Captain ” on 
their cards on the strength of having been lieutenants in the 
“ Bungay ” militia! The officers I speak of are commanders or 
leaders of men ; and the instruction of all officers should be to make 
them leaders of men. 
In the piping.or, more correctly speaking, in the pipe-claying times 
of peace, the object of an officer’s training is greatly lost sight of; 
and his time is taken up principally with small regimental duties 
and small regimental details, many of which have been invented to 
give him occupation and fill up his time. 
In war-time, about one-half of these regimental duties and details' 
go by the board, and officers are thus all at once and suddenly 
thrown on their natural resources—their energy, and their real pro¬ 
fessional knowledge. Then comes the time for the exhibition of 
military talent and professional training. It is too late then to look 
at books, and study the art of war; generally, on a campaign, no 
books are to be had. A perfect knowledge of the “ Queen’s Regu¬ 
lations,” “Royal Warrants,” and “Regimental Standing Orders,” 
though all good and necessary books in their way, will not help you 
out of a mess, nor make you a commander or leader of men! 
Officers must be taught the higher branches of the profession—as 
well as the lesser and smaller parts—in time of peace, and before they 
arrive at the rank of field officer. 
If there is one thing we pride ourselves upon more than another it 
is this, that our “ regimental system is perfect.” How a system 
can be perfect which neglects the training of regimental officers in 
the highest branches of the profession (which is admitted now to be 
one which requires the highest and best qualities which an educated 
man can possess), I cannot understand ; in fact, such a regimental 
system must be allowed to be imperfect in one of its most im¬ 
portant parts. 
