New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-17

man General staff now going forward. and In
the mean time offers us the first two Of the four
volumes IN which he is to complete his survey
OF Napoleon's campaigns. 1t is a wOrkmanlike
survey. Carried thus far down to the battle OF
Friedland. It embraces much of the most mo-
mentous fighting over which his hero presided.
and. since the author is abundant in detail. his
book promises to constitute. when completed. a
very useful storehouse OF information for the
student OF military history
CHANGING IN his opening chapter at the material
with which Napoleon had to reckon, Colonel
Dodge Is as cand.I he is terse The French
army in 1889 was he asserts, rotten in its or
ganizaton. discipline and morale" But with the
Revolution there came changes in military
affairs Of the san healthy character as be-
longed 10 so mar of the administrative and
social reforms of the period. The army purged
itself Of the nercenary faint. Patriotism gave
the forces OF the government their leading I'm
pulse. and. simultaneously. new type OF officer
arose. impatient of Grass precedent and keen on
achieving brilliant results The younger school
sought newer modes OF military management,
smplihed problems of transportation and COM
missariat. and developed fresh tactics In the
field. The whole fabric of the army suffered
with some rapidity, salutary modification
Even before the appearance Of Napoleon on the
scene this fact was made clear In the operations
authorized by the Convention. But II talent was
common enough among the Revolutionary on
GERS, genius was rare. and It needed the very
embodiment of 1t IN Napoleon to raise the MILL
tary arm OF the nation to n higher power and
make ii paramount In Europe. Toulon gave him
the stepping stone he needed from which to
climb into the saddle. and once he was there he
proceeded steadily to transform the weapon
placed by fate in his hands into a wonderful In
strument of precision.
II he used that instrument with tremendous
effect 1t was because. as Indicated above he pos
sessed the highest order OF military genius; but
Colonel Dodge rightly insists upon the Importance
Of study and hard work in the development of
Napoleon's career. while other generals of
higher or equal rank" he says were spending
their leisure in wondering what was to be done
next or how they could strike safe blow or
indeed In trivial pleasures Bonaparte set him
selI 10 work out the problem with his maps and
charts; ne weighed each factor until he found it's
true value in the whole scheme; he studied the
theatre or war until he knew its every hill and
river; and he only then felt that he could COM
mand success" The idea of the man OF destiny
superstitiously confident of the future and
blindly following his star" is here put I'm its
proper place. In his chapter on the Austrian
campaign Of 1SO4-O5 Colonel Dodge has this in
teresting passage:
his maps; with compass in his hand which cor
responded to about seven eight hours march as
march,. marking the position OF his corps and d.
visions with various colored pins, as well as the
supposed locations OF the enemy. he ordered tho
movements OF his army with an accuracy OF which
one can scarcely have an idea Moving his
cordins to the topography. roads and season. how
many marches any corps required to reach on =