Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-06-11
gbe Ohio 6tatesnrarr
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tRrom Fraser's Magazine
soldiers and Their scionce-PTORress
-tv OF Modern Military Tactics.

[Rrom Fraser's Magazine
soldiers ana Their scionce-PTogress
~. or Modern military Tactics.
FRESH IMPETUS.
Apart from all questions of the merits or de-
merits Of Frederic's strategy, there cannot be q
question that he gave fresh impetus to mill
tary science. He was the first In modern times
to appreciate the value of thoroughly edu-
Gated staff And here we may observe that In
the Peninsnlar war, especially towards its
close. the Importance of such corps was equal
ly appreciated in our own army; and 80 high
was the opinion the French entertained of our
Quarterraster Generals staff that they care
fully studied, after the peace, the system Of mill
tary instructions at the Statf College of that
day, and ultimately founded upon Ii the EcOis
d Etat Major We may rest assured that what
Alexander and Frederic found necessary for
their armies, and what Wellington encouraged
10 bis, must be matter of the greatest import
ance to the we'll being and skillful direction of
the troops, and hence the necessity of carefully
watching the effect Of the present Staff College,
which has been established on the broadcast pos.
sibe basis for the instruction of future stafPofi
GERS, at the public expense, and which we be-
lieye Is well adapted to the purpose for which 1t
&c
f-.. THIN hANAs'
Another great advance In military science is
due to Frederio-in the lightness and rapidity,
as compared with the tactics of the times before
him, which he infused into the movements Of his
troops OF every arm. His infantry was formed in
three ranks, thus presenting striking contrast
to the formation of Gustavus Adolpbus, cen
tury before, In six ranks. which was itself an
innovation upon the usual order OF that liue in
sen ranAs. tne cnanee 10 jug W 'ne graou4i
ertinction of the nike mon and IN the necess;tU %
which vas At once fell of deveIonins to the fni
Ter extent the line of the FIRE. while there was
M Hangar tbe sa q raason for ,ha dson mass 81
anciene t;m.s for moe we;oh. and nbve;osi
force which conId IN verv fav Instances hs nov
bronobt into nlav
Tbe Britisb armv. "a IA wall knovn. has for
many years adopted still thinner formation,
that OF two ranks, and 1t would appear that the
rrencn army, since the ltallan campaign, hafI
followed our example. In point OF fact, another
element mas made It's appearance In the question
since the Gays OF Frederic ana even otthe First
Napoleon, namely toe tremendous force and ac'
curacy OF modern firearms. vi the aecur.
acy' however, we can as present say little In
regard 10 its pracacai enecs on war; saying that
10 the recent lsaiian Daities the Improvements 10
tnis respect does not appear 10 nave rendered
me contess snor.e. snan were general actions IN
ine aaya oi good oia brown bess' MOT were tne
iss OF KIiieo ana wounded greater though IN
Poins OF Iac. " was nosto De expected tnat tney
snouio DC, since one Oh tne moss certain lessons
taugnt Us I'm military history ID mat the more
iormlosoie 'ne Weapon tne Tess VIII 90 tne earn,
age lns lesson ID snas sue enar ID nearly al
cases oecioeo peiore " becomes nand TO hand
CONNECT ana the more accurate the nrearms the
greater VIII oe the distance between the ADVERSE
lines az wnien snis decision taxes place. ano
consequently !ne iaciiisy auorded 70 the beaten
party OF making gooo its retreat. 'but tne In
creased force Oh peoeIation o. modern nrearm'
form form M alton ia tbrse or even In two lines. s;nc
ills certain that the same bullet will in YER
many, perhaps IN the majority of cases, prov,
the destruction ofboth front and rear rank mar
together ...
We see, then' that the order ofiormatlon has
become more ana more shallow from the time
OF Gustavus 10 the present DAY; and the question
49, has It reached its hmitsf There is much to
De saio on both SIDES 10 the reply; but upon the
whole tt seems not impossible that the ultimate
formation is not yet attained, and that the next
great change In tactics will be the advancing to
attack In single rank, followed by second, and
possiDly oy Q third rank, suthciently near TO re
place the nfst In case, OF disaster, or at the
critical moment to join with It In the contests
thus presenting succession OF waves OF attack,
each light In iteelf and easily stemmed, yet ir
their accumulation Irresistible. But this ques-
tion merits far more space and time than We
have to giveit, and we merely suggest it fol
the consideration Oh those interested In such
specuiations'