THE KGYAL AltTILLEKY INSTITUTION. 
07 
people used the flag-pins last year in tracing from day to day the 
positions of the various armies in France; but the idea of extending 
this method to the devising of games of war was worked out by his son— 
a military officer of considerable talent—Baron von Reiswitz, then a 
lieutenant in the Artillery of the Guard, and subsequently an aide-de- 
camp to Prince Augustus. This officer, after giving promising signs. 
of a great career, was unfortunately cut off by death at an early age, 
but not before he had developed his system, and had had the honour of 
explaining it at several foreign courts. 
Amongst the warmest enthusiasts in the game, when Reiswitz first 
introduced it to his brother officers, may be mentioned the three follow¬ 
ing distinguished soldiers : von Griesheim, then a lieutenant in the 
2nd Foot Guards, the author of the excellent work on Tactics which 
bears his name; von Decker, an officer of considerable reputation, who, 
as Commandant of the Artillery of the Guard, took considerable pains in 
promoting the success of the game among his officers; and thirdly, 
von Muffling, a well-known officer of the Prussian staff. 
Reiswitz took his invention to Russia, where it was received with 
great favour by the Emperor Nicholas, and at first by the military 
authorities, and although the Emperor remained a very warm partisan 
of the game, the military authorities, for some reason or other, did not 
seem eager to adopt it. It is said that the decline of its popularity was 
due to the following incident. It so happened that Reiswitz, when in 
that country, introduced, in his position as instructor, a series of games 
on the memorable ground of 1813, among which the battle of “ Gross 
Gorschen/'’ better known under its French title of Liitzen, came on the 
It will be remembered that in that battle the French moving from 
Erfurt had arrived in the vicinity of Leipsic. The allies from their 
position near Leipsic, prepared to adopt the plan proposed by the 
Prussian General Scharnhorst—viz., to fall unawares on the flank of 
the French while on the march, using their cavalry, in which they were 
very superior, to prevent the French columns from coming to the support 
of one another. This bold scheme failed in the execution, owing to the 
faulty dispositions of the Russian staff, under Wittgenstein. The 
columns moving to the attack crossed one another, delaying the march, 
and instead of striking the enemy’s flank soon after daybreak, they did 
not come into line until nearly noon. 
The intention was discovered by Napoleon, and the battle ended at 
nightfall by the retreat of the allies. 
In the game at which Reiswitz was presiding, the officer acting as 
commander of the allied forces adopted Scharnhorst'’s leading idea, at 
the same time avoiding the mistakes of Wittgenstein, and just as the 
game, by the turn of events, placed the French force in a very un¬ 
favourable position, a Russian officer of high rank entered the room. 
This officer was Diebitsch, who afterwards became Field-Marshal and 
Commander of the Russian Forces in the Polish campaign in 1831. 
Diebitsch, although a warm supporter of the game, was a personal 
friend and Chief of the Staff to General Wittgenstein. 
It is said that he was not so much displeased at the turn of the game, 
