1800. ] 
To the Editor of the Monihly Magazine. 
SIR, : 
Hereby fulfil my promife to fend you 
fome remarks on the prefent ftare of 
the French troops, drawn from my own 
obfervation, as well as from the informa- 
tion which I have been able to obtain from 
the moft intelligent French officers I have 
had an opportunity of converfing with in 
the courfe of my travels. 
The main fpring of the French military 
force is at prefent the artillery ; and this 
branch of the fcience of war, which has 
completely overthrown the ancient fyftem 
of tactics, and fubjected the modern mili- 
tary art to the moft rigorous calculations, 
feems entirely to engrofs the attention of 
the republican military. Whether they 
are right in this, cannot as yet be afcer- 
tained, fince the advantages which they 
have hitherto obtained, have been fie- 
quently the refults of events that have no- 
thing in common with taétical operations, 
No correct judgment at leaft can as yet be 
formed on the merit of their manceuvres, 
as they are conttantly connected with poli- 
tical combinations, and form an integral 
part of that refined, yet complicate, fyf- 
tem, which guides the conduct of the 
French government. 
Every battalion of foot, compofed of 
one thoufand men, is attended by a fqua- 
dron of horfe or light artillery, which 
forms one battery, confitting of four eight- 
pounders, and two fix-inch howitzers ; in 
addition te which, each battalion receives, 
according to circumftances, fome pieces of 
light or heavy ordnance, This numerous 
artillery, which the Auftrian armies can- 
not but find an arduous tafk to counterba- 
Jance, the French government would have 
hardly been able to fupport, but for its 
having hitherto fucceeded in the well- 
conceived and ably-executed plan of carry- 
ing on the war moftly in fruitful foreign 
countries, where the fubfiftence of nume- 
rous armies gives the rulers of the French 
repudlic no other trouble but that of or- 
dering contributions to be levied, and re- 
guifitions to be raifed. In order to obtain 
a decided fuperiority over the ficld-pieces 
of other troops, the French have turnifhed 
their horfe or flying-artillery with eight- 
pounders and fix-inch howitzers. The 
former carry a ball, at fix degrees eleva- 
tion, upwards of 6oo toifes, and at 26 
lines, 480 toif’s; and at this diftance 
whole ranks may be deftroyed, or difabled 
from fighting. The fix-inch howitzer 
throws a grenade, at fix degrees elevation, 
to a diftance of 600 toiles, and is weil 
known to gall, in particular, the horfe molt 
Mon7Tuiy Mac, No. 66, 
Prefent State of the French Army in Germany. 
40t 
feverely. It alfo throws toa fmaller dif- 
tance a cartridge with fixty-one balls of 
feventeen lines diameter, the effect whereof 
is extremely murderous, 
On analyfing the aim and purpofe of 
horfe-artillery, the beneficial refults of the 
above organization of that of the republi- 
can armies mutt be obvious on the flichteft 
view. This artillery is defigned to execute 
every movement with the utmoft rapidity, 
and to repair, with or without cavalry, in 
greater or lefler numbers, to every point, 
where, according to the experienced coup 
dail of the Commanding General it can 
act to the greateft advantage. It muft ens 
deavour to make an impreffion on the ene- 
my’s batteries by the rapidity of its 
movements, and on the enemy’s foot and 
horfe by the execution of a well direéted 
fire, which from its extreme mobility it 
cannot find difficult to effect. 
The French have it at prefent in contem= 
plation todiminifn the length of a great part 
of their ordnance, for the double purpofe of 
ufing many of their cannon at the fame 
time for throwing fhells and grenades, 
and confequently a deux mains, and of 
rendering their ordnance lighter, in order 
to increafe the rapidity of their move- 
ments.* Fiainy &evi VoN 
On ihe Rhine, 
Sept, 1800. 
P.S. I was yefterday prefent at a grand 
field-day of feveral regiments of foot: they 
went pretty well through their different evo- 
lutions, yet it appeared to me that the officers 
were not altogether what they fhould be. 
The manceuvres were executed with rapidity, 
but not with that precifion which charaéte= 
rizes the movements of our troops}. I alfo 
obferved, that they never advanced in front, 
but always in column, whether from a clofe 
adherence to the fy {tem of the Chewalier Folard, 
who fancied that his column, like the Gre- 
cian phalanx, fhould be able to bear down 
the enemy’s troops with irrefiftible force, or 
from want of fkill and praétice, I know not 5 
yet laminclined to think thatit was done from 
the latter caufe: for I found, in the courfe of 
converfation with feveral ofiters, that they 
were at a lofs to conceive how our troops 
were able to move im dine over a difficult 
ground, as every buh, ditch, é&c. appeared to 

* Short and light 24-pounders, occafional- 
ly intended for threwing fhells or grenades, 
were invented in 1794 by Cit. Dorfacr, gene- 
ral of divifion, and infpettor of artillery, or 
matter of ordnance, in the French fervice 5 
or, more properly fpeaking, their ufe was re- 
vived by him, for the thing itfelf is not new. 
Edit. 
+ The Praffians, 
sk them 
