The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-04-14
DEATH OF GENERAL JonINI.


Baron Henry Jomini, the most distin-
guished authority on the art of war, died
short time since in Brussels at the age OF 80
years. Jomini was Swiss by birth, but en-
tered the French service In the year 1904
Treatise on Grand Tactics" which he had
published in the preceding year had at
tracted the notice of the Emperor Napoleon,
and Jominis rapid promotion in the army was
due not to actual service but to the sound
Judgment and acute critical ability which he
had displayed in that work. Soon afterwards
he published Memoir on the Probabilities
of War with Prussia, and large five volume
work entitled the "Critical and Military
History of the Wars of Frederick the Great
compared with those of the Revolution. He
served on the staff of Ney till 1908, when he
quarreled with that officer, rendered his resig-
nation and attempted to procure commission
in the service. But Jomini was too valuable
an officer to lose, so Csrnot declined to ae-
cept his resignation, and offered him the alter
natives of prison or brigadiership. Jomini
not relishing the prospect Of prison,
especially with the fate of Pichegru before
his eyes, accepted the commission instead
and subsequently did good service on the re-
treat from Moscow. At Boutzen, one of Napo-
Icons last and most brilliant victories, he dis
ting1ished himself, and was recommended
by Ney for the rank of general of division;
but Berthier, who was an envious, narrow
minded man, and who disliked Jomini,
sighted the recommendation, and even
placed the latter under arrest for some
trihing irregularity. Jomini was so much
incensed by this treatment that he deserted
to the Russians Immediately after his release,
and was appointed an aide-de-camp on the
staff of the car. 1t is creditable to him,
however, that he refused to communicate his
knowledge of Napoleon's plans, or to take
part in active operations against France.
Nevertheless, q court martial sentenced him
to be hanged, should he be captured. Among
the military family of the car, at this time,
was likewise General Moreau, the conqueror of
Hohenlinden, and, next to Napoleon, the
most distinguished commander in Europe.
Moreau had fallen under Napoleon's dis
pleasure, and, after term of Imprisonment
had been exiled to the United States. Upon
the failure of the Russian expedition he
entered the service of Alexander, and was
killed by q cannon shot at the battle of Dres-
den. Jomini was more fortunate. He went
through the war unscathed, and entered Paris
with the Allies in 1915. During the restora-
ton from 1919 to 1924, he published his great
work lin fifteen volumes, "The Military and
Critical History of the Campaigns of the
Revolution 1893 to 1901" He afterwards
wrote the political and Military Life of Ma
poleon" and "Precis of the Art Of War"
and several smaller works. He served in the
Russo-Turkish war of 1928, and in 1880 he
organized the Russian Military Academy.
Since 1856 he has lived in Brussels. Jominis
works all relate to the art of war, and they
are considered standard authority on that
point. Notwithstanding the changes in
modes of transportation, and in all warlike
enginery during the last fifty years, these
differences are rather quantitatiye than quail
tative, and consequently the principles and
cancellations developed by Jomini, are APP
plicable to the presentpnd even to any concei-
vable system of warfare. He did not make
the laws of the art of war-he simply codi6ed
and rendered them comprehensive, and in
this, notwithstanding certain unavoidable
prolixity, he stands unrivaled.