Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-01-16
NAPOLEON IN THE FIELD.
His Headquarters Arrangements Were Ex-
cellently Well Planned.

ceIlently Well Planned.
The admirable 3elerity and accuracy of
Napoleon's movements in the field were
due to tho excellent arrangements by
which they were made. His two insepa
rable companions were the grand marshal
Duroc and Uaulaincourt master of the
horse. Tho latter had always the map of
the country through which they were driv-
ing OR riding ready for instant USE The
seats of the imperial carriage could be con-
vertod into couch for the emperor's fire.
quent night Journeys but orBnarily Ber-
thier and Murat took turns at sitting at
his side, while Caulaincourt rode close be-
side tho door. Behind, and as near the
wheels as possible, rode adjutants, II
ordnance officers and pages who must
be ready on the instant to receive and carry
orders. Two of the officers must be famil.
lar with the speech of the country. Rus
tan, his Egyptian body servant, rode with
them. There were also two mounted
lackeys, each carrying maps, papers and
writing materials. This escort was pro
tected by a body of mounted chasseurs. In
case the emperor alighted for any purpose
four of these instantly did likewise, and
surrounding him with fixed bayonets OF
loaded pistols pointed outward to the foul
points of the compass, preserved this rela-
tive position as he moved. Last of all
came the grooms with extra horses; for
the emperor's personal use there were from
seven to nine. These were substantially
the arrangements still in vogue during the
Prussian campaign. Thereafter his dis
trust of those about him gradually in
creased, until toward the end of his career
1t became acute, and then, as IL consc
quence, the numbers Of his suit were
| much diminished.
Whenever there was need of post haste
the emperor found relays of nine saddle
horses or six carriage horses prepared at
intervals OF from to 10 miles along
his route. In this way he often journoyed
at the rate of IA miles an hour for six
hours at time. Similar arrangements
on much smaller SCALE were made for the
staff. This body was under the indispen-
sable Berthier and was so numerous as to
be practically capable of subdivision into
several. In 1906 there were 10 adiutants
three heads Of departments, with adju-
tants, 81 staff officers and 10 engineers.
Under the chief of artillery was personal
gineers one of 10, and under the commits
sary general one of 43. Arriving at his
night quarters the emperor found his Of
| fec ready-a tent, or room, with five
| tables, one in the center for himself and
ono at each corner for his private secre-
taries. On his own was map oriented
and dotted with oolored pins, which mark
| ed the position of every. body of his troops.
| For this campaign he had only one in ex-
istence, prepared long in advance by his
| own orders. 1t is significant of the Prus-
sian overconfidence and supineness that
| they had none. AS soon as possible was
| arranged the emperor's bed chamber,
| across the door of which Russian slept,
| and adjoining it was another for the Off
| GERS on duty. Dinner occupied less than
| 90 minutes, for in the field Napoleon ate
little, and that rapidly. BY z in the even
ing he was asleep.
| At l in the morning the commander in
| chief arose, entered his office, where the
secretaries were already at work, found
| all reports from the divisions ready at his
hand, and then, pacing the floor, dictated
his dispatches and the orders for the com
ing day. There is an accepted tradition
thao he olben simultaneously composed
and uttered In alternate sentences two diff
ferent letters, SO that two secretaries were
busy at the same time in writing papers on
different topics. The orders, when conf
| pleted and revised. were handed to Ber-
thier. By in the morning they were
on their way and reached the separate
corps fresh from headquarters just before
the soldiers set out on their march. 1t
was by such perfect machinery that ac-
curacy in both command and obedience
was assured. Professor W. M. Sloane in
| Century.