mately connected with all the rest, and that, in order to execute its various da, with any degree of accuracy and use, it was necessary to have acquired a knowledge, of the elementary principles of other branches.Such a man must have felt astonished at the deficiency of system, and the want of rules; and he may probably have lost some time in endea vouring to find out a clue, to guide him through so vast and complicated a labyrinth.

"In order to form an accurate idea of such an institution, and to ascertain its state and progress, at different periods, it is necessary, that the isquisitive should call to their minds, the manifold objects to which it is applied, together with the several denominations by which those objects are distinguished.

"It is well known, for instance, that in the German and English armies, the quarter-master-generals and their assistants were seldom, if ever, employed in direct military operations.* Their attention and time were rather confined to the closet, in keeping the details of service, and in communicating orders, than to the active duties of the field; which were perfarmed by the several adjutants attached to the generals. The quartermaster-general was entrusted with the whole interior œconomy of the army, and his functions, in this respect, corresponded minutely with those of the ammissary-general.

" The regular establishment of staffs (or états majors) in the French aries (of which we now propose to give a cursory view) was soon adopted in all the armies of Europe. It is but justice to remark in this place, that while the professional characters of France paid the greatest attention to the most minute details of elementary knowledge that were recommended by the Germans, they supplied the latter with models of the higher branches of the profession, and taught them to apply the different arts and sciences to the purposes of war.

"Before the revolution, there were three sorts of staffs belonging to the French armies, viz.-The general staff; at the head of which was placed a gearter-master-general, who had assistant quarter-master-generals under kn, without any specific rank attached to their situation.

"Secondly, the cavalry staff; the chief of which was likewise called quarter-master-general; and thirdly, the infantry staff, whose chief had the rank of major-general in the army, and subordinate to whom were the staffs belonging to the park of artillery, and to the engineer depart

ment.

The Austrians did so during their late war with France.
C 2

"The

"The duties of the two staffs attached to the cavalry and infantry services, were limited to a regular transmission of orders of movements, to the superintendance of good discipline, and to a careful attention to the maintenance and supply of the troops, as well as to the interior œconomy of each particular regiment. The administration and charge of the army at large were intrusted, as they now are, to a commissary or intendant, who was only accountable to the general of the army, and to the minister. In the duties of the general staff of the army were comprehended, all the preliminary arrangement and subsequent execution of the plans of war, together with the particular operations determined upon by the commander in chief; the survey and reconnoitring of ground; the facilities for the march of the troops; the measurement of ground upon the principles of castrametation; the establishment of head-quarters and subordinate cantonments; and, finally, every thing which related to topographical distribution. It is natural to suppose, that those generals who were solicitous to make a proper choice of their principal aids and assistants, would appoint such officers to the staff as were capable of seconding their designs. But as interest, favour, and partiality occasionally forced them to receive men less informed and less experienced, the service of the staff of the army (which is always more or less an object of jealousy to those corps that pride themselves upon executive knowledge) could not acquire a necessary stability and consequence. These three channels to promotion produced, of course, a multiplicity of candidates for situations; the instant the army was put upon a peace establishment, the advocates for reform and œconomy thought it right to reduce the staff; the officers that had composed it, returned to their several corps, under more or less favourable circumstances; some, indeed, and those only that had been particularly distinguished for assiduity and talents, and who were destined, as it were, to preserve the records of the several details of this particular branch of service, were retained by government, without any military rank, for the purpose of being sent upon specific missions, during peace. The labours and researches of these individuals, have produced the most fortunate circumstances in favour of the service in general, and for the better arrange, ment of military staffs in particular.*

"It was not until after the war, which France had voluntarily entered into, to secure to the Americans their rights and independence, and which

*To this wise distribution of intelligent officers, during peace, may, perhaps, be attributed that superiority, in topographical knowledge, which has so ably seconded every movement of the French armies.

terminated

termined in 1783, that a permanent staff establishment (in which no dis teon was made with respect to corps) was, for the first time, instituted : the French army. The superior officers in it retained the rank of assisat quarter-master-generals, to whom an equal number of deputies or sancts, with the rank of captains, was attached, and all obtained or kept certain rank, independent of the line*. This corps, thus composed, and under the immediate direction of a general officer, obtained some stability; the official and field duties became more regular, and nothing seemed Eting to complete the establishment, and to lay the foundation of a miLary school for staff service, but the means of connecting it with the repostory of charts and warlike plans, and with the geographical institution belonging to the engineer department.

"All the correspondence, orders and instructions, which had passed between the generals of the French army, and the different ministers of vrdning the space of thirty years, had been carefully collected together. Abie men, selected for the purpose, had scrupulously analysed these documat, in order to ascertain the causes of success or defeat; every one felt the necessity of drawing and of expressing, with greater precision and perspicuity than had hitherto been done, the charts of the different theatres of war, and of those frontiers, whose outward aspect, or front, it was in contemplation to attack or defend. Hence arose the wonderful improvement which has been made in that useful knowledge of topograp; and to that conviction is owing the high degree of perfection to vich the taking the dimensions of ground, whether by the naked eye, or by instruments, has been brought. A large assortment was collected of itary memoirs, which not only related to the frontiers, to the coasts of France, and its foreign possessions, but likewise to all the countries into which the war might be carried. It must indeed be universally acknow

ed, that this depôt of military charts and plans forms the richest collection of the kind that has ever existed. The staff officers who had accurately taken, and carefully preserved those historical and topographical documents, which grew out of the researches of this institution, at the concasion of a war contributed to the general stock, by bringing with them, not only the fruits of their own labours, but the improved result of original formation.

"In thus describing the origin, and making known the principles and necessity of a sound theory for the service of military staffs; we do not

The staff-corps, on the British establishment, probably owes its existence to system.

pretend

pretend to attach to either, false importance or exaggerated latitude and weight. Military men cannot be too much impressed with the idea, that the science of war is only to be acquired amidst the activity of warlike operations, (or, as the ingenious writer of this work expresses himself, Que la guerre ne s'apprend qu'à la guerre); that the most profound theorist must at every step experience incidents and wants, which bid defiance to rules and calculations; that the particular tactics, which suit each branch of the service, can only be learned in the actual experiment of the field; and that combats alone can determine the particular kind of tactics which are adapted to each corps or description of armed force; which suit the country, the soldiery, and the class of men that fall under their command. Even in known countries, and in places where battles have been often fought, and are so well remembered, that nothing seems left for sagacity or foresight to provide for, but where there are only examples to be followed, or marked errors to be avoided; even in such places as these, all suppositions are fruitless; war is always presenting some thing new or rather there is no fixed plan which can be deduced from former ideas, and be fitted to the actual circumstances of the moment. It will be natural to ask, whether from these observations one can with propriety infer, that the study of good models, the contemplation of the plans of the most skilful generals, a comparative view of their means of execution, and a minute and scrupulous examination of their several dispositions in action, are objects of useless attention and trouble? On the contrary; the investigation and review of what has passed in preceding times, either prepare the way for great talents, or serve to ripen such as have been developed and seconded by experience. The best modern generals have never lost sight of the brilliant examples that have been left; they have never ceased to call into practice the tactics of the ancients, as far as the difference of arms and a change of manners would allow. To those who peruse the histories of the 17th and 18th centuries, and read over the actions of the most celebrated generals of those times, this observation will appear peculiarly apposite. It is justified in the uniform conduct of the great Condé, Prince Eugene, Tu renne, Marlborough, Marshal Saxe, and Frederick the Great. Their several military institutions, as well as their private commentaries, afford the most ample testimony to the truth of what we advance; and if it were meet or necessary to corroborate the same by instances, that are reserved for posterity to consecrate to fame, we might bring forward the opinion

and

and the practice of the most celebrated of our cotemporary captains. The sublime conception is visible in all their operations; it is manifested their writings, and hourly proved in their conversations; nor must it

tributed to that natural elasticity of genius which hurries similar mads to the pursuit of similar objects, and mingles together the congenial elements of which they are composed; but to that quick and just percep tion, in minds of a superior cast, which instantly attracts them to all the essential relations that exist between the objects of their mutual speculafior. Impressed, as it were, by the result of contemplative reflection, they overlook intermediate occurrences, plunge into futurity, and snatch out of the womb of time the ultimate issue of events.

Thus in the extensive field of modern and ancient military history, every one may find the particular kind and degree of instruction to which he is ambitious of arriving; in those repositories of knowledge, individuals may collect wherewith to adorn their memories, to sharpen their understandings, and adapt them to a variety of combinations; to animate their courage, to raise their genius, and by useful comparative views to enrich, and by degrees to bring to perfection, not only the basis of the fcience of war, but likewise the various arts that have been made tributary to it.

"To this end must all the labours and all the attention of a good staff officer be constantly directed; hower arduous, however complicated and extensive this species of military encyclopaedia may be, it is wholly his; and must be laboured through with indefatigable industry. Let the genius and talent of the individual be what they may, this truth must be always pressed upon his mind, that they will be useless, unless he have resolution to assist them by intense labour and application. It will be easy to form some opinion of the good, that might be derived from a more extensive and better planned system of instruction in this line, by what was ef fected by the French during the American war, in consequence of a wellconducted staff; notwithstanding the disadvantages to which it was sub. jected on account of the frequent changes it underwent, the rapidity with which it was necessarily formed, and the desultory nature of its functions.

"It must not, however, be concluded from these remarks, that this essential part of modern warfare has been neglected. Staff service has, on the contrary, been considerably improved, its functions have been clearly defined, and the effects which have been produced by gradual ameliorations ought to be carefully preserved. Among the alterations which have taken place for the better, there are two principal instances that de