of Arbela, where it is faid, that Alexander formed a wedge of the cavalry of his right wing, and the infantry nearest to it, in order to throw them rapidly into the chafms he might perceive in the Perfian line; it is ftill lefs probable, that he fhould have formed a wedge of all his royal companies, than that Epaminondas fhould have done it with regard to his left wing, at Mantinea; the object of the latter, as I have already faid, was to hide part of his forces; and this he might have done by breaking his line, and making them form an angle, with its point foremost. Alexander had not the fame motives for this difpofition at Arbela; all he wanted was to throw himfelf directly into the chafms of the enemy's line; and this he did in the order of march; that is to fay, in column, which is the difpofition neareft akin to it. The term embolos, employed in this place by Arrian, does not fignify the fame thing that Xenophon means by it, when speaking of Mantinea. Here then we have already a ftrong proof, that the Greeks ufed this word in different fenfes.

But fuppofing us ftill very much in the dark, with regard to the true fenfe of this term; to understand it of the angular difpofition, we fhould be firft convinced, that the angle is easier to form than the full fquare, of greater depth than front; that its march must be more rapid; and its shock more impetuous. Let us examine this one moment. The ftrength of the Grecian order depended on the pressure of its ranks; and the degree of this preffure, on the number of them it is on this principle the column ought to act.

:

For

this purpose, all the parts of it should unite their strength, to carry it, in concert, against the fame point. The ranks and files, therefore, fhould be all parallel and perpendicular, to the end, that the weight of every man falling directly on the man before him, may give thofe in the front such an impulfe, as the enemy fhall not be able to withstand. Now, a real impulfe of this kind can only be found in a square body; fince it is in a fquare body alone, the motion of every part is direct; and each communicates, as much as poffible, to the other, the entire mafs of its own motion.'

This work may not only be read with great advantage by the military gentleman, but with pleafure by the antiquary. For befide a judicious fyftem of modern tactics, the author has given an ingenious and inftructive commentary on the tactics of the earlier ages, particularly of the Greeks and Romans, His theory is drawn from practice; his precepts confirmed by appofite examples; and he has illuftrated the whole with plates, exhibiting the various fubjects in a clear, accurate, and fcientific view,

Tactics,

Tactics. By Lieutenant Colonel William Dalrymple, of the Queen's Royal Regiment of Foot. 8vo. 5s. in Boards. Faden.

IT

T affords us pleasure to find, that, while fome French writers are exerting all their ingenuity to improve the tactics of their own nation, Great Britain has also her men of fcience, who cultivate the fame fubject, and are no lefs ardent for aggrandizing the military fame of their respective country. Of this work, which is dedicated to his majesty, we fhall lay before our readers the introduction.

It is a melancholy reflection, that the fpeculations of men should tend to the improvement of an art for the destruction of their own species; but till the bounds of ambition be more justly ascertained, and legislatures refine on government, a great part of every community must be employed in the profeffion of arms.

On taking a view of the different ftates of Europe, it is furprising to behold the number of men engaged in this honourable fervice: the British army, like others, has increased to a moft enormous magnitude; but it has not made an equal progrefs in its regulations and tactics.

Confining my obfervations to the field difcipline, it must have been obvious, that the troops at our feveral encampments, have appeared the armies of different ftates: there are not two regiments that form column from line, or line from column alike; we fee one battalion taking up its ground in front, and another in flank; fome regiments march on their front rank, and others on their rear in the fame manoeuvre; the commanding officer of one corps prefers open, another clofe files; and this irregularity must prevail, till an univer fal tactical fyftem be established, and the whole army trained upon the fame plan: the mechanical operations of troops once afcertained, a more ample field in the great theatre of war would be opened to our officers, who are now to study the common rules of their profeffion when they should enter on the practice: Sir William Howe fays in his narrative," that the troops at Halifax, in 1776, received great benefit from being exercised in line, a very effential part of discipline, in which they were defective till that time,"

Thefe confiderations, and my remarks on the progress of military science in other countries, have led me to enter into the minutia offorming troops for service; and I have here detailed it in fuch a manner, as would ferve for a bafis, upon which the field-difcipline of the army might be regulated: but before I make any obfervations on the fubject, I must take notice of what has fallen from a very eminent military author;

that

that "land forces are nothing in this country, and that ma rines are the only fpecies of troops." If we were never to be engaged in any offenfive land war beyond the defultory attacks on an enemy's coaft, or if our enemies were never to make any ferious attempts upon us, fuch an idea would be very juft, and our tactics might be confined to the mere ufe of the firelock; to prime and load; prefent and fire; but whilft there is a poffibility of more extenfive employment, our troops fhould not move in fuch a circumfcribed sphere: it would be very useful for both officers and foldiers to have a little knowledge of naval affairs, as every operation of war in which we may be engaged from this island, must be connected with the fea; but if they were fixed to that fervice, we fhould be totally unacquainted with the fublimer branches. of our profeffion, which require an education different from the marines.

In America, it has been the practice to adopt the formation of two deep; but as troops may be employed in different countries and fituations, we fhould have an establishment calculated accordingly; whenever the depth of our battalions is reduced, the extent must be increased, and the column of march being lengthened confiderably, the movement of great bodies becomes more difficult; befides, in an open country, the fire of three ranks must give a manifeft fuperiority over the feeble efforts of two ranks.

The fyftem of formation I have here established is three deep, conformably with the European school; the hint is taken from the Memoires Militaires de Guischardt, Preface du Traducteur fur la Tactique d'Arrien, tom. zde p. 1II. It is calculated principally for an open country, and fuppofed to be the most perfect arrangement for troops armed as we are at prefent; but to act in an enclosed, woody, or mountainous country, it may be not only neceffary to reduce the formation to two deep, or even to one rank, but to open the order confiderably; for as irregular fortification is to regular, fo is this irregular kind of formation, to that of three deep, the primitive and fuppofed moft perfect arrangement; whenever the country permits the ufe of the primitive formation, it is to be preferred; but in fituations where a change may be neceffary, it must be left to the genius and skill of those who command.

In a neighbouring nation, there has been much controverfy about formation; I fhall venture to fay, that our tactics muft be fubfervient to the arms, not the arms to the tactics; and I am of opinion, that impulfion by close combat, in the manner of the ancients, is inconfiftent with our prefent mode of arming,

The

The clothing I have propofed is for actual fervice; when troops are not immediately employed, drefs and parade produces cleanliness and favours fubordination.

• As I have not introduced grenadiers or light infantry into my establishment, I thought it neceffary to give some reasons for rejecting them.

Much more might have been faid on arms and accoutrements, I have only made fome general obfervations on thofe fabjects.

The mode of training has been practifed, and attended with fuccefs in the queen's regiment, which I have had the honour to command; I have endeavoured to introduce what is only effentially neceffary.

• The movement is combined with the French ordonnance of 1776: I have made it fubfervient to my own establishment; but the principle will answer for any establishment or body of men whatever.

To fpare criticism, I fhall again obferve, that the fabric is not altogether of my own conftruction; it would have been impoffible to have kept clear of the works of others, there having been already fo much written on the subject; nay it would have been abfurd to have attempted it, for a military point once fettled, becomes permanent, and cannot be reversed by opinion. I have endeavoured at mathematical correctness to produce conviction.

There may be many military fentiments taken from other authors, and, though not marked as fuch, I fhall most readily acknowledge them; for wherever I have found an idea that corresponded with my own, I have adopted it.

The abfolute neceffity of a military code to regulate the field difcipline of the army, induced me to offer my aid towards fo effential a point; there is ftill, no doubt, much room left for improvement, and I trust a more able pen will complete what I have only begun."

The author of this treatife confiders the fubject under the following heads, viz. drefs, arms, accoutrements, the efpontoon and halbard, officers, training, exercife, march, march of route, march of manœuvre, points of view, points of alignment, from line to break and form column, march of the column, the open column to form line, clofe column, deployments from clofe column, to march en echellon, to march by divifions in file, to march in front, to march to the rear, paffing a defile, on the attack of infantry, on the defence of infantry against cavalry, of the different pofitions that a line in order of battle can take up, central movements, fome general rules for the movement of fecond lines.

This

This treatife is confined to infantry, relative to which it is both explicit and practical; with the additional merit, that colonel Dalrymple appears to have drawn many of his rules, from perfonal obfervation and experience.

FOREIGN ARTICLES.

Des koeniglich Preuffifchen Feldmarschalls Grafen von Schwerin Ges danken über einige militarische Gegenftende; or, Thoughts on fome military Subjects, by the late Count Schwerin, Field-Marshal of the Armies of the King of Pruffia. 8vo. Vienna and Leipzig. (German.)

WE

are not indeed informed to whom we owe the publication of this very interesting and inftructive performance; but it has been judged worthy of the famous commander under whofe name it appears. It evinces an intimate acquaintance with the conftitution of armies, with their former defects, and the disorders arifing from them, and with the moft effectual remedies. The greater part of the author's reflections are illuftrated and confirmed by real ftriking facts, judiciously felected, and accurately stated.

The reflections treat of the following fubjects: 1. Of marches, and the methods of fhortening the way. We have feen, fays the author, that wherever the king was prefent, marches were always conducted with greater rapidity, and advantage for the troops. A meadow or foft ground are often confidered as impracticable, merely on the affertion of interested country people. Generals alfo keep often too strictly to the orders received, and rather chufe to lose an opportunity than to swerve from an order, given merely by the infpection of a map. Marches are often obftructed, when orders are not given with fufficient diftinctnefs; or when, from partiality or other private views, they are misinterpreted; when on any thing's lagging behind, a whole column ftops; when the generals always continue in the van, without caring for the progress of the columns; finally, when the commanders of battalions or fquadrons do not stop at every narrow paffage, and endeavour to get their corps quickly paft it.' The bridge-waggons, a contrivance for paffing brooks and ditches, are here greatly commended, and fully defcribed. 2. Of the marching into camps and quarters. What dif orders must, in the author's time, have still prevailed on such occafions, when we are told, that villages were plundered, that half of the provifions were spoiled and trod into the mire; that furniture was broken; that wells were exhaufted and spoiled; that the general's own quarters and property were plundered, that officers were infulted, and that no quarters were provided for prifoners and for fick people? The noble author propofes remedies, which promife to prevail on the country people to stay at their homes, and to benefit the army. 3. Of the means of guarding camps from the entrance of spies: the inconveniences of the propofed means will be greatly outweighed by their advantages. 4. Of the meffengers, and majors of guides: a very useful inftitution, as guides and meffengers, forced into the fervice by chaffeurs, huffars, and blows, are apt to betray officers themselves into the hands of enemies. 5. Of main quarters, they ought by all mean to be ftrong. 6. Öf

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