The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-06-26
LANDING AN ARMY IN ENGLAND.
Some Companions Between that Undertake.
ing and Similar Ones in Our Civil War

Some Companions Between that Undertake.
ing and similar Caes in Our Civil War.
WARRINGTON, June 2l.-The dicussion in the
British Parliament this week upon the posi-
plnty OF taking an army of 100000 men across
the channel from France and landingit in effec-
1--WE condition has aXcited some interest among
army and navy officers here. 1t is, in fact, 10
oar CIVIL war that we must go back for the
latest examples of the TRANSPORTATION of armies
by water ON a large scale. The most prominent
instances of such transportation are those of the
eXpostions to the Carolnas and to New Or
leans, and, above all, the transfer of McClel
lnnis army to the peninsula in the spring Of
1862.
This last was really the only enterprise all
comparable with the one under hypothesis IN
theinyasjon OF England. Ii undertook to trans
Ter III 900 men by water from Washington and
Alexandria to Fort Monroe, besides a. 600 ami
mails, $50 eannen, and a vast quantity OF wag-
ons, pontoons, and quartennasters and COM
nissary stores. For this purpose 400 vessels
including steamers and sailing ships, were
gathered iii few weeks upon the Potomac
Rom all parts OF the coast where they could be
procured. The actual movement of the forces
was one of the most brilliant effected in the
history of the war department during the four
years. 1t WAS asserted at tho time, and the
claim remained unchallenged, that for speed
aud safety it had no recorded parallel; and in
race OF this enormous mass of transportation tho
only losses reported were those OF nine barges,
whose contents We're saved, and few mules A
1orelgn writer at the time declared the move
ment to be the stride of a giant"
This. then, is the one example in the history
OF the last thirty years which can be compared
with the Hypothetical movement across the
channel discussed in parliament this week. 1t
chectualiy shows that an army greater than tho
one there supposed has been actually transports
ed over an equivalent distance Yet the mo-
ment the experience of McClelan's movement
Is examined it is seen to confirm elnphatically
the clements of difficulty stated and not over
stated-by Lord George Hamilton i'll the house
of commons. a part Of the transports had
previously been co lected at Annapolis for the
Urbana movement, and hence could be tho
more rapidly accumulated Mt Alexandria and
yet, with all the extraordinary energy of tho
war department exercised for four weeks,
there were not enough of them to take 10000
men, with their military belongings, Mt single
tmo. The supposition in an invasion Of Great
Britain is that at least 100000 men must he
carried and landed together in order to hold
their own. ient2elnan's corps began the
movement, embarking March H. 1852 Por-
tors followed, on the I'D by the I'd of April
tnere mad arrived on tho peninsula $4,000 men
all three arms and LOO guns. The remainder Of
tho army followed by divisions III various in-
s;allments, as fast as transports could be pro-
cnied. This result, the admiration of militia
ry and naval critics ever since, is quite differ
ent aifar from taking moro than 100000 men
across the channel lIom Drest to HASTINGS,
leaving there one day and landing the next as
described i'll one OF the numerous campaigns
1or the invasion of England invented by inge-
MUS writers of these GAYS.
Besides, 1t will be observed TINT the greater
part OF the course IRON Alandra 30 Fort Mon
roe was down river, which, is quite a differ
ent AFFAIR FROM the choppy sets Of the British
channel. Bat far moro important point, in
fact the key point TO the whole discussion is
that the entire voyage WAS as free from moes-
tation from confederate cruisers as q VOYAGE
over the Same water today would be- whereas
tho British navy, the largest in the world, is
not thcs to be counted ont of the problem. To
give an invasion the slightest possibility of
success, it would be necessary to suppose an
extraordinary cham of circumstances by
which most of tina navy was absent from Brit
ish waters or had been defeated and almost an
initiated in previous naval combats. 1t may
be laid down as lghiy probable TINT for sue
cess 1t would need to be undertaken by an az
gregaton Of continental powers rather than
by one OF them, even Frnnce or Germany as
now existing. 1t would also probably have to
be an event coming after war had been some
time wagCd, rather than as its first movement,
since Ut is impossible 10 conceive any such
movement ono or a series Of prodigi GUS British
naval defeats. AS to the talk of invading eng
land BY surprise, under any circumstances, it
IL preposterous. The accumulation of the army
necessary for that purpose tho collection of the
necessary transports, and the process Of em-
barking absolutely could NOT 90 on without
giving England weeks or months of notice.
1T may also be said that Whilo ZOO men
arc spoken of as the minimum required for sue
ce5sful invasion. such force would have no
easy job on band even il safely landed. Napo-
leon proposed an army of 150 600 men Tor this
task, which he proposed to transport in no few
er than 1000 vessels from Boulogne to the
English shores. This was more than eighty
years ago, Since which time, of course, we have
the achievements of steam navigation to count
on but since then the British navy and the
population of Great Britain have also greatly
Increased.