Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1840-12-15

| ny 10 w dtt HiG OIlgIudIHE Oh tue SI6dnl-
engine, as to Napoleon the being an nven-
tor in military science. The great step
which Frederic made was the connecting
together all the operations Of an extensive
campaign in various quarters, and espe-
caIly the moving vast bodies Of troops ra-
| pidly on a given point. SO as TO fight his
,dversarIes there at a certain advantage
This required q brave neglect Of the esta-
blshed rules of tactics; it required firm
| determination to despise formidable obsta-
cles; il required an erasure of the words
. difficult, and impossible; from the gene
ral's vocabulary. In proportion 10 all the
hardhood Of these operations, was the high
merit of their author, and also the certain
ty of their success against the regular me-
chanical generals OF Maria Theresa, 10
whom he was opposed. So much the ra-
Their are we to wonder at the successors Of
those generals, the produce of the same
Germanic school, showing themselves as
unprepared for the great extension of the
Prusslan system, butin the same direction,
which Napoleon practised, and being as
completely taken unawares by his rapid
| movements at Ulm, and his feints at Wa
gram, as their masters had been at Ros-
back, at Plrna, and at Prauge.
The degree in which he thus extended
and improved upon Frederic's tactics was
great indeed No man ever could bring
such bodies into the field; none provide by
combined operations fortheir support; none
move such masses from various quarters
upon one point; none mannuvre at one
fight the thousands whom he had assem-
bed, change his operations as the fate of
the hour or the moment required, and tell
with such absolute certainty the effects Of
each movement. He had all the knowl-
edge in minute detail which the art of war
! requires he had perfectly accurate APP
probation Of what men and horses and
guns can do; his memory told him in an in
slant where each corps, each regiment,
each gun was situated both in peace and
war, and in what condition almost each
company of his vast force was at any mo-
! ment Then he possessed the intuitve
| knowledge of his enemy's state, and move
ments and plans; SO nicely could he unra-
| val all conflicting accounts, and decide at
| once as by intuition which was true. In
tho field his eye for positions, distances,
! elevations, numbers, was infalliblc. All
! his generals at all times submitted their
! Judgment 10 his and without the least reluc-
tance or hesitation, not dcfcrring TO his au-
thority, but yielding to an absolete convic-
ton Of his superior skill; nor ever doubling
because firmly assured he was in the right
His own self confidence was in the same
proportion, and it was uncrring.
Lying under some coverin fire, he would
remain for an hour ortw receiving reports
and issuing his orders, sometimes with a
! plan before him, sometimes with his face to
! the ground in his mind only. There he is
with his watch in one hand, while the 9TH
or moves constantly from his pocket, where
! his snufl-box or rather his snuff lies. An
! aid-de-eamp arrives, tells Of a movement,
answers shortly some questions rapidly,
perhaps impatienty, but is despatched with
! The order that is to solve the difficulty Of
some general Of division. Another is or
! dered to attend, and sent off with directions
20 make some distant corps support an op-
Grafton. The watch is again consulted;
| more impatient symptoms: the name Of one
| aId-de-camp Is constantly pronounced; and
! question after question is put, whether any
one is coming from a certain quarter; an
| event is expected; it ought 10 have hap
pened; at length the wished-for messenger
arrives-'' Eh bien! Qu'a-t-on raitIa-bas?"
LA hauteur est gagnee; lie marshal ct
Ia" ''Qu'i tienne ferme-pas un pas de
movement" Another aid-de-camp is Or
dered TO bring up the Guard. "Que lie
mareshal avance vers lie tour en- defiant
par sd gauche-et tout &C qui Sc trouve
sa droite est prisonner" Now the watch
is consulted and the snuff is taken no more;
/ the battle is over, the fortunes Of the day is
! decided; the great captain INDUCES in plea
! santry; ror doubts any more Of the certain
ty and CT the extent Of his victory than If
he had already seen lis details in the bull
letin.
After all, the grand secret or both FREE
! deric and Napoleon's successes, the move
mcnt OF the masses which were 10 place
their enemy in Instantaneous position,
appears 10 be like all great Improvements,
sufficiently obvious; for it is founded on the
very natural principle on which the mo-
/ dern naval plan Of breaking the line pro-
! cecds. If either at sea, or on shore one
party can place his enemy between two
fires, or on any material part of his battle
bring double the force 10 bear upon his de-
tenders Of that point, the success Of the op-
Grafton is certain. In order 10 execute
such plan on shore, prodigous combl-
nation Of military resources is required.
and they only who are SO amply furnished
can venture TO attempti;. That Napoleon
had this capacity beyond other men IS al
| together incontestable.