THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
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and skill, including railways, 'telegraphs, and rifled artillery and 
small arms. 
English Officers. 
Taken as a body, English officers are as good as any body of 
officers in Europe, and I think ready enough to receive instruction, 
if properly administered; but, as matters now stand, they are pro¬ 
fessionally “untaught officers,” as the great majority of officers of 
the army know nothing of their profession beyond what may be 
called “barrack-yard knowledge;” that is, drill, interior economy 
of regiments, some military law and practice of courts-martial, and 
certain experiences of military practices and customs; and it is the 
general knowledge of things, good liberal education, large amount 
of travel and experience of foreign countries, hunting and shooting 
experiences all over the world, and mixing with general society, which 
make the English officer a better man “ all round ” than the officers 
of most continental armies. 
His natural energy, dash, and high temper and spirit, pull him 
through war generally successfully. 
There can be no reason why the English officer should not be made 
as good at his profession as he is at other things. 
Captains should be responsible and highly-trained officers ; but, in 
order to make them so, the companies, of infantry especially, must be 
increased considerably in strength. An English captain with a weak 
company feels that he is a cypher in the battalion, with nothing to 
command, and scarcely any responsibility or power. 
Staff College. 
If Aldershot is to be a real military school, all military informa¬ 
tion ought to be obtainable at Aldershot. I would therefore advocate 
the transfer of the Staff College to Aldershot, and the turning of the 
Staff College at Sandhurst into a barrack. The officers at Aldershot 
would then be able to attend the lectures of the Professors of Military 
Science, and see the model works of all kinds constructed; and the 
officers training for the staff would have the advantage of practical 
work with the troops on the staff of the generals, which they lose at 
Sandhurst, seven miles off. 
SJceleion Army. 
The Prussians use a skeleton army differently from us. At Aider- 
shot we use sometimes a small skeleton army, which is attacked by 
the division, and driven from position to position. This is infinitely 
preferable to manoeuvring at nothing; a visible enemy is necessary 
to excite interest in the troops; but, with us, the skeleton army is 
an independent command. 
With the Prussians the commanding general orders the different 
movements of the skeleton army and manoeuvres against it; in fact, 
it is used as a target. The skeleton army, from want of troops, may 
be represented by lines of flags, placed by an intelligent staff officer, 
assisted by a few men. 
