MARLBOROUGH AND HIS METHODS OF WARFARE. 129 
science and an art that he knew, not only from study, but I may say intuitively 
also. If you wish for an illustration of the strategy which Napoleon afterwards 
illustrated so grandly, throughout his life, do read Marlborough’s campaign of 
1702. He started from a place called Nimeguen, celebrated for its treaty. His 
plan was to suddenly cross the Meuse and by marching south, compel the French 
to abandon the position they occupied on his left higher up that river. It would 
require a large map to illustrate this campaign, and therefore I shall not attempt 
to do so; but it was most successful from beginning to end, although Marlborough 
was kept back and restrained by stupid deputies and dull and jealous Dutch 
generals who did not yet believe in him and would not consequently take his 
advice. The campaign ended in some remarkable sieges on the Meuse of which 
you have just heard. 
The Lecturer has referred to Marlborough’s power of obtaining information, 
and he also spoke of his being master of ruses in war. Ido not think there ever 
was a man who did so thoroughly and completely understand the science—for it 
is a science—of deceiving his enemy-as he did. He always began by deceiving 
his friends. In other words, it became in his day a maxim that has come down 
to us, that if a general in command of an army wishes to deceive his enemy, 
his first aim should be to deceive his own staff, his own aides-de-camp, and even 
the generals around him. The moment he trusts anybody and tells anybody what 
he intends to do, the chances are many to one that somebody else will know it. 
When two people know of any projected plan, it ceases to be a secret. That 
was evidently Marlborough’s opinion. On one particular occasion to which the 
Lecturer referred, he even pretended to be very much put out by the French 
having taken a certain place, although he had intended them to take it. He had 
expressly left the place weakly garrisoned and very badly supported on purpose 
that they should take it. He took them in so completely, that he went into his 
tent and moped there, pretending to be immensely put out, as Caesar had done 
upon one occasion, following his proceedings as precisely that it almost makes 
one believe he had copied Czesar upon this occasion. He carried out the decep- 
tion so well that he took in, not only his enemy, but his own army, and the result 
was a complete success. or ever afterwards, whenever he announced it to be 
his intention to attempt some special operation, his announcement gave rise to a 
suspicion in the minds of his men that he meant to attempt the very opposite. 
It is a capital matter of first importance to leave your enemy so much in the dark 
that he does not know what you are about or where you mean to strike. The 
moment you have achieved that result you have obtained over him a great moral 
superiority that gives you a great advantage before you have even fired a shot. 
Gentlemen, I have referred to all the different points I noted down as the 
Lecturer proceeded. I have listened with great interest to Major Murdoch’s 
statement and to all he told us about the guns used by Marlborough. There was 
a question asked as to the ranges that guns were then fired at. I think if you 
take a good map of Blenheim, it is easy to measure what the ranges were at 
which the field guns came into action. I cannot tell you right off, but I think 
the ranges were from 600 to 900 yards. It is a mistake to imagine that field 
guns did not then range up to those distances. I have recently been studying on 
the ground the operations during the battle of Boyne, where the guns made use 
of were exactly the same as those at Blenheim. I only quote from memory, but 
I think the extreme ranges at that celebrated battle were from 600 to 900 yards. 
I have nothing more to say, gentlemen, and I feel that I have already detained 
you too long. Besides it would require a great amount of preparation in the 
way of maps and plans to enable me to enter further upon this interesting 
subject. But Lam glad that you have had this subject brought before you by 
one of the ablest Lecturers we have got in England, for it will, I hope, induce 
