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COMMENDED ESSAY, 1892 . 
the moment. Without a fixed standard there can be no true com¬ 
parison, nor uniform system of marking credits in the competitive 
practice. 
In the dictionary the meaning of the word “ discipline" includes 
education, instruction, rule of government, method of government, and 
punishment. It is doubtful if the sort of punishment permitted by 
regulation in the English Army ever has the slightest effect on men 
who are unable, or deliberately unwilling', to learn what is necessary. 
Terrible instances of the abuse of punishment in the German Army 
have lately come to notice. They are mentioned here simply as having 
evolved the most recent definition of “ discipline " by a soldier of 
authority. In his despatch to the Reichstag, Prince George of Saxony 
declares that “ True discipline, while severity and energy are main¬ 
tained, is based on the fear of God,, on education, on individual training, 
and on the development of the sense of honour.” This has been 
proved over and over again in English history. Contrast the conduct 
of Havelock's “Ironsides" and the “ God-forgotten" soldiers of John 
Company in the Indian Mutiny. Equally gallant under fii e, the latter 
were not worth their salt, no matter what depended on them, if there 
was a chance of drink or looting. The former were sneered at as 
“ Havelock's Saints." But their uniform good conduct elicited from 
blunt old Sale the characteristic aspiration :—“ I wish to God the 
whole regiment were f Havelock's Saints' for I never see a ‘ Saint' in 
the guard-room or his name in the defaulter's book." 1 2 
All these considerations help towards a definition of <e Fire Discip¬ 
line." To fulfil them it must combine a process leading to certain 
results and giving full play to the personal qualities, with a fixed 
standard of perfection as its aim. For the purpose of this essay it 
may be defined as:—The education and instruction of each individual, 
the rules and method of government of the whole battery best adapted 
to enable every man to act on the battle-field, even under the most 
trying and dangerous circumstances, with perfect obedience, intelli¬ 
gence, accuracy, and fearlessness, and to ensure such control and 
management of the fire of the battery as to obtain the best results 
from the weapon with which it is armed. 
Its Necessity in a Battery. 
It seems strange to modern ideas that anything need be written in 
proof the necessity of Fire Discipline. It appears obvious that officers, 
men, horses and harness, only exist in order to get their guns to the 
tactical point at the proper moment, and to shoot well when there. 
Yet the general recognition of this truth by the Regiment has been 
gradual and progressive. Even now it is not accepted in its entirety. 
Within the last three months Lord Roberts has said—“For some 
reason, inexplicable to me, it has not been the fashion in the Horse 
Artillery to pay so much attention to shooting as in the Field, Moun¬ 
tain, and Garrison Batteries. This traditional neglect of a most 
essential military requirement may have arisen. 
but, be the cause what it may, the fact is much to be regretted." 3 
1 “ English Men of Action. Havelock.” By Archibald Forbes. 
2 Speech at Artillery Practice Camp, Delhi, 1892. 
