The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-16
Men tciM arms
and baggage.

He further states that these steamers could, by
taking somewhat smaller number Of troops, carry
100, 90, 30 horses with their equipments respcc
lively; that merchant steamer could embark rs
horses with their riders and merchantmen of
from 500 to 500 tons, 90 horses, and ~ Carriages
steam-frigatc, he adds, can tow two ships OF 80
or 100 guns at slow rate and ship oil 800 at
a moderate speed. Finally, he observes, as a
species OF test for these calculations, that steam
ers OF the first cnss above mentioned, of the Sc
cond, and Of the third, with a couple of trans
ports in tow, did in ls4a, embark at Touon, carry
to Civita Neccha, and there disembark with their
whole mafntei and baggage, 900 men within 10
days OF the receipt OF the order from Paris.
Applying these results to the question before him.
Captain Maurice shows that the strength OF the
French navy, as given from the rcturns, would
suffice, If augmented by 29l merchant steamers
and sbo sailing vessels of the description, To
transport across the channel l5l 500 men, ~ 5I2
horses, 1916 carriages, and $50 guns, ieaying "a
$50 horses and 023 carriages TO be supplied "by
reputation" from the resources OF the country iu-
yaded.
There exist, therefore, in France botn the forces
for composing an army OF invasion, and the means
of carrying them the water to the opposite
shores Ia what way, then, might invasion be
conducted with the best prospects OF succe~~ 70
this question, after admitting the "openness TO die
putation'' Of most of the points involved Captain
Maurice gives the following reply; He says that
the powers VI steam would enable the French take
u much broader base of operations than could be
attempted by Napoleon, and that the whole coast
between Brest and Calais might be thus employed.
He assumes, however, Brest and Cherbourg as tho
two points of departure and since ON these points
the distances are to Plymouth loo miIss. To Brio
toll IiO, To Rye l3S, and to Portsmouth 81, he acts
the longest time required for passage at 30 or "a
hours. For points OF debarcaton he selects three
places Bristol, Plymouth, and Rye-st each Of
which he would land a division of the invading
| army, which, by THE psration. would not only
obtain horses and means OF transport more easily.
but would still further damage the weak point Of
the defence by compelling the English to divide
their already inferior forces. To the "army of
Bristol he assigns 81 l6l men, II los horses l9<
carriages, and 100 guns, TO be conveyed from rcst
in ships OF the line, 10 lrgatcs 20 steamers. 90
merchant ditto and Is transports. The "army ct
Plymouth" would comprise a3, l37 men, 1907
borscs, ASIA carriages, and 100 guns. to sail also
from Brcst, in 10 ships of the line 10 frigates 80
| steamers, 60 merchant ditto, and 50 transports.
From Cherbourg would depart the 'army of Rye"
mastering 76.502 men, D ,6s6 horses. Dos car.
rsges and 27O guns, embarked upon ~ ships Of
the line, lngato5, l24 smaller yessols, - trans.
| ports, IS steamers, 1859 merchant ditto, aud 1919
/ sailing vessels Of the latter dcscr ption.
Supporting these squadrOus TO have crossed the
Channel, with or without encounter, the army Of
Bristol would establish itsolf at that point and opc-
rate from the Avon TO the Thamcs, thus cutting OF
| oil communications between the northern and
southwestern counties Of England. The army Of
| Plymouth would discmbark at Whitesand bay, col
Icct engineering materials from Dartmoer Forest,
/ and commence the siege Of Plymouth from the land
side, the fall Of which town would place Devon
shire and Cornwall, with all their secondary pUrts
|
The army of Rye would operate directly upon Lon
don, from which II would only be three marches
distant, and the general movements Of the thrco
corps would he 80 concerted as to allow them 10 adj
vance concentrically the metropolis. After
| taking Plymouth, the second division might ap-
! pear before Portsmouth on Its march; aud eve
have little doubt" writes Captain Maurice, tibet
| an army debOuching by the Southampton road on
| the peninsula terminated by Cllicka point and
extending itself from Elson 10 Alverstokc would
succeed in ioreing Gosport, the defenccs Of which
are weak; and Portsmouth, with is docks and mr.
scnals, thus taken in rcycr,c, must necessarily 10
surrendered or burned.
! Such IL the plan Of Invasion drawn out by Cap
tain Maurice, and we have been careful in specify
ing iis dctsils, that our readers might verify he
| calculations according TO their respective oppor-
tunities. But ia England 10 be idle all ths while?
Far from IT, Captain Maurice proceeds 10 estimate
our means Of defence. and not illiberally, will
coon be seen.
lie gives va $50 ships of war and 1877 war steam
| ers. lie computes our cavalry upon an avorage
strength mt 1871. our artillery at III 04 and our
infantry ut l26.79I; and, after doducting 80, 600
Tor troops on foreign seryice, he assumes gencr-
ally dsposablc force Of l0,5l6 for the defence of
the British sles, or 10 COS for reat Britain only,
one third being detached for Ireland Ho notices
also our great facilities of railway aud telegfaphic
! communication, and specifics all small fortif.
cations with great attention. On the alarm of in
vasion he considers that the guards TO the amount
oi o'5bo men, horse and foot would bo retained in
| windsor and London, and that the garrisoDs Of
Portsmouth, Plymouth. and Chatham must needs
take S,OOO troops more Revising, Therefore, his
calculation by the latest estimates, and taking ac-
count OF the pensioners and dock yard brgados lac
allows us diFpOssblc army Of 6l,I22 trained sol
! dicts. Thcsc, he prcsNimcs, must be divided into
| three cofps TO encounter the three invading
forces, and he rcckons accordingly that on
TOE signal being given, three British armies
OF 2l.41I mon and eighty four guns each would
be despatched TO Bristol, Plymouth, aud Rye
as fast a. steam could carry them. But how fast
/ 10 that Here, also, Captain Maurice has entered
into most elaborate rcckonings. Each of our corps