Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-05-02
OFRENsIvE AND EFaNsEvE wan.

with defensive, operations. The attack is rene
rally considered the more successful, and. c0use
guently, armies acting on the defeusive-.haC d
to say, in wars OF q strictly defensive nature
often initiate offensive campaigns, and even IT
defensive campaigns deliver Offensive actions
In the former case, the object TO 10 gained T.
that the defending army, by shifting the plac,
and scene of operation, distuTbs the calculations
4 of the enemy, takes HIM away iIom his base o.
operations, and compels him to eight at ,ime.
and places different from those which he EXPECT
ed, and for which be was prepared auG, per
bapB, positively disadvantages 70 huu Tho
two most remarkable instances of offensive cUa.
ratCus and direct attacks, Used IN strictly de-
feus,ye campaigns, occurred in The two wonder
i'll campaigns of NapoleCn-tEat OF 1915. which
resulted in hs ba- ishment To ElhG and that 1
1915, which was terminated by The rout of VS.
| te-'oo and tie surrender Of Psris.
IN both these extraordinary caIpags le
leader, who was acting strictly IN the dotetsa OF
an invaded country, attacked his enemies Oh all
sides and on every occasion; and, being 8 ways
vastly i]aledOr, On the whole, t. tao invaders.
cou5ilyed always 10 be superior, ala generally
victorious, on the point Of attack The uUiol-
tUnate result Of both these campaigns datracts
nothing from the conception or Jne details or
Ioithar. They were both lost tfou causes entire
ly independent of their plan Or execution,
causes both political and strsgeticai. the pr,uci-
pal Of which were the vast superiority OF the
allied ma3us, and the iEpos-i5ni5y has any one
nation. exhausted by wars OF a quarter os a
century, should resist the attack OF q word -E
erm5 against i. L has been said tlat when Two
armies are set fsce 10 face IN the field, tha- army
which takes tho initiative, or IN other word,
Attacks, has tho decided adgGntas tl would
appear, however. that those who have adopted
this yisw have been dazz.ed by Ebs splendid
achievements Of q few great generals, aud Of
one or aT0 great military nations vhiCb have
owed Their successes to attacks on the g-enaasJ
scale. and that tho opinion require mach mod.-
fcsaou EpaminontAs, Alexander Hannibal,
Cesar, ard. last not least, Napoleon 7, wore
e~mnlaucaliy attacking generals, and won all
then great victories. as, IN the man, tEey az
51Te5 all their great revsTses, IN actions wherein
themselves assumed the initiative.
The French owe everything to the imretuosity
oG their almost irresistible onset, and 10 their
rspid intelligence in following up successes and
converting disasters, Oh the part of their enemy,
into iTetrievable ruin. They are b. 40 means
equal in the defensive The history Of the great
ess 5a55!a- IN tae world seems 70 sEow thar, where
he attacked army has solid and obstinate cnIur-
auce sufficient TO make Il r. resist uubryktu sn-
III the fire Of the assai!an.s begins 70 die ont, and
exhaustion and reaction to succeed, and cen then
assume the offensive and attack I'm its turn, the
defensive action Is the safest. But Ulera arc faw
armies, o., indeed, races Of men, who can be en-
Trusted 70 fight such battles. Even Thc Romans
though magnificent Ia me defense o. walled
towns, and wonderful N offensive field opera
tions, were never celebrated In tho defensive,
AID saeir history shows no battle n which a'.er
fighting sil day under reverse and on the lerU-
sive, rhey .l tho end attacked ana won.
The same Is generally characteristics OF tao
French armies and leaders TIE Greeks, ON The
contrary. fought many Of their bas- BATTLES.
la-7o o.! Marathon, IhermorylU. P.a.ma, and
nauy alIers, But the latter especially. 0a d.
plan OF receiving tho assault until n a].aaiaus,
and then a--ag.siUE he haiEezE2Gs.-d AMI -a
rr.ssL assaacaf5 Tao same has been tho a
lisa, and. 10 a great extent, ;he Swiss and Ger
man, system i0T many age, ami generally sle-
cssstUi with those troops, as It has been in later
5gvs with the Americans. The battles of Cr-cv,
Po.tg-s, Agincour-, Waterloo, A5psr6, a4I
Ess.u-, and many others t0y numerous TO b,
recorded, were fought exactly On the el'na pIu-
cip.r; and Ii may Do added that IN thc war of
lSi2-lf the Americans euccesstgly Ia.grted ou
the English, ~Go almost invariably attacked
Them. and tna' t'3-coutrary TO saeir usual
uudG-Iu column, The plan which they had
proved to be So valuable against she French,
which they have ssll more recently proved
against the Russians.
The ordinary modes Of attack arc tine follow
lug, when two armies are opposed, face TO face,
ie the field, and when both intend o. Grut
First and simplest the direct pa-li.l attack.
the GssaiIing JTCo joins battle % once
along Tho whole front, from wing 20 wing, and
6ra.s !. cut by sheer force. Second, the attack
by the wings, either or beth simultaneously, or
on one FIRST. anu then on the O.he-, sucegs lively, |
tue center retired This was N4Duisan'a /
.- ...r. F IL. IL al J
enemy tSwsaEsu his center in order 70 strength
fortified by immense reserves Of cavalry. ur
fuzlly rushed into the central gap and finished
the action with su cZte.minatiG@ blew. Third
the attach hy tie center, keeping In, wines
and i'm reserve. This is the most ieuI-v
OF al attacks, and has rarely been Ia r.-d and,
IS believed. never successful. 4 gu army b.
forced ia this position, it is generally surrounded
and auuiH.ll1cl, a5 was ths Roman attacking !
army st CaHuc9. Il il. an the contrary, aL ode
ETabis position OF defense.
Fourth, the 0bngus attack, invented by Epq-
.uui0uda5, and p.aCGcsd By him with splendid
success NJ LeuCrra and IautiCCa. II consists i'm
attacking one wing Of tie enemy, with one wing
secretly and excessively reinforced, while tla
seutag aud other airg ale retired, but are SO ma
-elveyed &c 20 threaten a constant attack and
preventing tho defending party from strength
sniHE lis own week. point until it j. 700 Int
Tins vas the av0rits method of the Austrian
ClalIf8t, by which he constantly defeated the
Turks and Of Frederick the Great, vino was
g. say sUaa d" lao was only fighting Ina
nfEoIdas his battles over again in MS own fin
es5 victories. It IS worthy of remark that the
Greeks, tae French generally, As wei a5 Ito
Russians and the Austriaus, have gained all
their best battles by attack of columns. which. /
0Hcu they are not efFectually checked f4F
brought 20 a stand, break through the center
and Gerry al before them.
The Romans, the English and the Americans
almost invariably have fought. and still frHf.
IN attack or on defense, in line. in which
formation they have ALWAYS proved able 70 r.
and hold IN check the 8ssaulrinr column
with ,hsir center, until, by the advance of their
"GGs, they can overlap the euemy's tanks and
crush him It is worthy of remark sLar where
ayer the English have varied from what may be /
called their national order of attack, in limo two
deep aud have assailed in column, as at Foute
and Chippewa, they have suffered disaster
lha inference Is nearly irresistible that ihe con
T2l attack by column Is radically faulty ~scsipst
1rn and steady troops, although it IS sure ell
against az enemy Of inferior nhV-iarp
and discipline, especially If he be dsnoIa'izs4
q spirit In attacking a Ie6oubt or fed forfi-
II il be defended only by infantry. the
'~ssalauts may march Immediately 20 the attack;
I it be defended also by cannon, it is necessary
90 silence cannon.
Ire cannona3e IS row conducted III such "a
way as 70 break the palisades, dismount he
2iecas5 and plow up the parspet, and thus e.
2biGe the defending cannon 10 be Withdrawn
ntO he interior. After the attacking ~..ti.Ea
SIS thus produced its effect, the light infantry,
principally nhemen, envelop & part OF the work,
1lrectng their fire upon the crest Of the parapeI
70 IS 90 ohNge the deenders eitncr. IL :. -.