The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-11-07
Napoleon as n Soldier,

In considering the place of Napoleon
among the great soldiers of the world, We
must. says NJ. Theirs in some sort retrace
the history of war. War ON the grand scale
has rarely been witnessed, for it requires at
once great nations. great events and great
men. The wal fare Of Alexander can hardly
be said TO belong to this category. 1t was
simply Macedonian discipline oonquering
Asiatic stupidity Alexander. though q
miracle # audacity, was nothing more
Caesar, with all the talents necessary to
great general, was prevented by the military
usages of his time, and especially by the
Roman system Of encamping. from develop
ing the art of war by daring movements and
grand and novel combinations. Hannibal,
on the other hand, man without a weak
ness, with one passion, patriotism, freeing
himself by the power of genius from the re-
srictions and hindrances of ancient warfare,
has left name commander which his
tory cannot hope to surpass He alone Of
antique generals appears upon the stage of
war with that liberty of movement, that
certainty of action. that vigor and daring,
that fruitfulness OF mind and felicity of com
binaton, and that remarkable steadiness
under i'll fortune, which make a soldier of
the highest order.
Coming down toward modern times, we
find that in the Middle ages the military art
had, SO to say, disappeared and Charlie
magne. the great figure of all that period,
while admirable ruler, does not illustrate
the idea Of a great captaiL. But with the
development OF the middle classes the for
nation Of modern infantry began. first in the
mountains of Switzerland, aud then in the
German, Italian aud French cities. Then,
with the inven ton of gunpo y der, before
which the old style of Notifications, with
lofty walls and high round towers, crumbled.
the cities sunk their defensive works in the
ground, and the modern art of fortification
originated. With this. scientific and daring
war, war on the grand scale, once more re-
appeared. Its first great masters were the
Nassaus, William the Silent, Maurice, and
Frederick Henry, who, in a war which ragged
through nearly three-quarters of century,
conquered the Independence Of the Neither
lands But while they exhibited eminent
qualities, and constancy whose fame time
has not touched, their warfare was confined
to the defence end Attack Of fortified places
Following upon the contest for the Neither.
lands came the thirty years war, in which
Gustavus Adolphus, a, the head Of poor,
-obust and brave nation, resisting the King
OF Poland with nation on horseback, de-
voted himself to the organization Of his
Infantry, which he rendered more mobile
aud effective. Having de teated his antago-
mist. he went down 10 the defence Of the
Prolestants of Germany, and there released
war somewhat from its 6xedness about for
tilted places, and finally, delivering against
Wallenstein at Leutzen the second great
battle OF his heroic career, died like Epam
inondas in the bosom of victory.
Tic rEyf dua IN Cop1a nd
Turenne, the trss boldly fighting on the |
field without waiting for the tedious cere-
moay OF entertainments and sieges. and the |
second performing marches hitherto impos- |
sible, and by celebrity of movement holding |
in check superior enemy. after these |
came Frederic the Great, the first Of modern |
commanders, except Napoleo1. whose father
had not only drilled his infantry for him.
but had armed them with that great inven-
ton of Vauban which has created modern
tactics the bayopet Breaking away from
the traditional formula which required the
infantry in battle to be posted in the centre,
with the artillery in front and the cavalry
on the wings. Frederic placed the different
arms according to the locality where he was
to fight He revolu,ionized, too. the elias
steal proportions of artillery, cavalry and
infantry, and having TO contend with the
forces Of all Ea,ope. debouching against
him now from Bohemia, now from Poland,
now from Franconia, be rendered war in-
dependent 0: fortified places, enlarged The
circle of its great operations, and fell with
destruction upon one foe after another
wherever be found them. After him, con
.inues NJ. Theirs, came the French revoiu- 4
ton. which. having only popular masses to
oppose to Europe united against it. resisted !
The old armies by numbers ard enthusiasm
alone. The infantry, the expression VI the
popular development. now definitely took its
place in modern tactics, while the more
arms lost nothing of their value
md finally. Napoleon. wirh profound and :
vast intelligence. ard a character as auda
cious as he revolution of which he was the
product. brought the ar, Of war to its per.
ectiOn- Studying profoundly the geograph-
cal confguration Of the countries where be