ducting those observations than in ranging a division in order of battle. Their gifts are different.

But although common sense, coolness, a quick eye, good nerve and judgment, a good seat on a horse, and activity of mind and body are qualities indispensable to the formation of a good Staff officer (and they are not far to seek among English gentlemen); their possession would be of little value at a pinch in a military point of view, without habits of reflection on military subjects and practical acquaintance with the working details of the profession.

The object of all military education, then, will be best secured by the judicious combination of theory and practice.

French System.

In the French army all the departments which have been above mentioned are centralised into two,

viz.

Adjutant-General,

Quartermaster-General,

Military Secretary.

Medical,

Commissariat,

Land Transport,

All comprised in the Etat Major, which is a distinct corps.

Comprised in the Intendance.

No officer is eligible for the corps d'Etat Major who has not passed through the Staff school, after which

*

he serves for two years with both infantry and cavalry. He is then of the Etat Major permanently, which knows no distinction of departments. It should be remarked, however, that there is a special topographical department attached to the headquarters of an army for the purpose of making maps. The General-in-Chief of an army has his general Staff, consisting of a Chef d'Etat Major, who controls all the departments of the army; and a certain number of subordinates holding specific rank in the corps d'Etat Major. In like manner a General of division has his divisional Staff, composed of a Chef d'Etat Major and subordinates. The Generals of artillery and engineers are similarly provided.

It is evident that business must be simplified by this unity of the staff. In the English army if a soldier has to be equipped his arms and ammunition are obtained from the Ordnance, but not until an order for their issue has been procured from the Adjutant-General; his great coat, blanket, and boots must be applied for to the Commissariat, but the order in this case for the issue must come from the Quartermaster General.

The head of the Intendance is responsible for the due provisioning of the army, for the efficient supply

* The artillery and engineers have special schools; and the staff officers of those services are artillery and engineer officers who do not belong to the corps d'Etat Major.

of surgeons, medicines, and comforts for the sick, as well as for the whole of the transport.

Each division of 10,000 men has its own branch of the Intendance, which accompanies it everywhere. This branch is composed of infirmiers or hospital attendants, bakers, butchers, and field train or transport. These non-combatants number 450 men, of whom 300 belong to the field train, the other three classes making up the total. The number, 300, engaged in the field-train service must appear small, seeing they have to carry provisions, medical stores, ambulance, &c., for 10,000 men; but the French soldier carries his own tent, and rarely less than six days' provisions, which lightens the transport materially.*

There is no regimental hospital system properly so called: the medical officers are all under the Intendance, and are what we should call Staff surgeons. A surgeon and assistant-surgeon are attached to each regiment in the field; but they treat none but the slightest cases, or such as absolutely demand immediate remedies. The sick and wounded are sent to the divisional hospitals which are under the immediate charge of the Comptable, whose peculiar business it is to maintain an ample supply of everything that can be required.

*These are the numbers kept up in time of peace; when in the field some addition is made to the number of non-combatants attached to each division.

The amalgamation of so many branches in the French army, under one head, secures greater unity as well as promptitude of action than can obtain with us, with our multiplication of independent departments, the heads of which are sometimes jealous of their dignity and more intent on exacting a rigid etiquette in the manner of addressing them, than eager to forward the public service.

This digression over, we will now suppose that the difficulties of the march have been successfully surmounted, and that the different columns have effected their concentration in the neighbourhood of the enemy, who is now to be approached, and beaten if possible.

Outpost Duty.

The safety of an army in an enemy's country materially depends on the manner in which the outpost duty is performed. The outposts, picquets, and advanced sentries are the watch-dogs of the army, whose peculiar business is, to detect and give timely warning of the approach of an enemy; as well as every circumstance which may appear to threaten its safety. An officer in command of an outpost should invariably act as if the safety of the whole army depended on his individual vigilance, and he should impress the same feeling of responsibility on the mind of every one of his sentries.

The advanced guard of a column of march serves the same purpose for that column as the outposts serve for an army in position.

Choice of a Position.

The next consideration is the choice of the position in which the army is to fight; it does not fall within the limits of this chapter to enter minutely into the circumstances which must determine such a choice. A few general remarks must here suffice. If a General advances to attack an enemy, the nature of the position he takes up must be regulated by that in which he finds his enemy posted, and it is probable he will have to attack at a disadvantage as relates to ground; should he consider the enemy too strongly posted to be successfully assailed, he must manœuvre to turn his flanks or to wile his opponent from his vantage ground, and he must look out for an opportunity to attack him while making a change in his dispositions; but he must be careful, in his eagerness to bring on a battle, that he does not expose his line of retreat which is also his line of supply; in other words, he must always take care that the position of his army covers his line of operations. In general terms a position may be said to cover such line when the troops which occupy it can reach

*

*The same definition applies to any place or point.