Let me not be misunderstood as wishing to insinuate that the cavalry, artillery, and engineers, did not take an extremely active part in many of those operations; but the best proof, perhaps, to those who may be disposed to doubt the accuracy of my statement, will be a reference to the returns of killed and wounded in all the above-mentioned engagements, and the numerical strength of each arm in the field at the time. The hardships, privations, and dangers of campaigning, must not be considered as consisting only in fighting one, two, or more battles in a year, but in the unceasing nightly watching, and the consequent want of rest, which falls so particularly on the cavalry and infantry; I repeat that those harassing duties devolve exclusively on them, because neither artillery nor engineer, strictly speaking, ever take any share of the very advanced posts. Indeed, from the nature of their service they cannot possibly be supposed to do So. At the conclusion of a march, the guns are parked, the horses picketed, and the gunners encamped for the night; the whole well guarded by posts of cavalry and infantry far advanced in their front. I served many years with a part of the army to which a troop of horse artillery was attached, and had, therefore, innumerable opportunities of knowing, that even horse artillery belonging to an advanced corps, have comparatively an easy time of it. Sometimes a couple of guns are sent forward with a squadron or two of cavalry, or with some companies of infantry, when it is intended that the picquets should make a stand at a bridge, ford, or defile; but even in such cases, the guns are necessarily covered and protected by parties of cavalry or infantry in front, and the artillery man can, therefore, repose for the night, whilst the light troops keep a sharp look-out for their safety. If this is the case with light artillery, how much more so must it be with brigades of heavy guns in the rear! Let me ask my old horse artillery friends with whom I served in the last war, if any of them are still in the land of the living, whether (independent of being exempt from the multiplicity of pickets and other outpost duties, and from the eternal skirmishing which, either in advancing or in retreat, occupied the time and attention of the cavalry and infantry from year's end to year's end,) they had not at all times and in every situation in which it was possible for the army to be placed, the advantage of transporting with them, inside or outside the carriages belonging to the guns, certain little comforts and conveniences for man and horse which the cavalry and infantry very frequently indeed wanted for days together, when the proximity of the hostile armies rendered it necessary to send away the baggage to the rear, whereby the officers, of infantry in particular, having nothing with them, except what they stood upright in, were, not unfrequently, prevented from having access to razor, comb, clean linen, &c. &c. for a week at a time; nor did they know the taste, during that period, of any thing but a short allowance of mouldy ship biscuit, or half rations of tough lean beef, grilled on the lid of a soldier's tin kettle? I am not ignorant of the fact, that it is contrary to the strict letter of the law to affix one iota of private baggage to the gun-carriages; yet I am inclined to believe that many crimes and offences of a far more heinous nature go every day unpunished than that of transporting with the field-pieces a small portmanteau, a bell-tent, a few feeds of corn for a horse, a loaf or two of bread, wine, spirits, cigars, a bullock's heart or the kidneys of the said animal, and other odds and ends, such as were occasionally to be picked up in a bivouac. To the unsophisticated and inexperienced soldier, these may appear "trifles light as air;" but he may take my word for it, that in cold, dreary, wet, comfortless bivouacs, during a succession of severe campaigns, such " trifles" are of incredible value, and are the very best preventives against agues, fevers, and other devilments of the kind. I believe the British artillery to be unrivalled; and, if I add, that no man holds it in higher admiration and respect than myself, I state my real, genuine and unfeigned sentiments. I have served with it in the Colonies, in the field, and at sieges, and I ought therefore to be able to appreciate its excellence. Some apology is due, perhaps, to the members of that distinguished corps, in common with those of the engineers, cavalry and infantry, for the unceremonious manner in which I have discussed the particular nature of their respective services. As long as the present system of European warfare continues in fashion, I feel thoroughly convinced that the drudgery of all armies during campaigns, must inevitably fall on the cavalry and infantry; and more especially on the latter, inasmuch as they take a prominent part in sieges as well as in all other field operations. That the British infantry also has no sinecure in colonial duties, I think I have proved beyond a doubt. Like the artillery, the engineer department is exempt from pickets, guards, foraging parties, skirmishes, advance and rear-guards, and a hundred other trying and wearisome duties which fall on the cavalry and infantry. True it is, that in sieges the engineer has enough to do. If a pontoon bridge is to be established, if field-works are to be thrown up to strengthen a position, if bridges are to be broken down to secure the retreat of an army, or if they are to be repaired in pursuit of a beaten enemy, the engineer takes an active part. Let it nevertheless not be forgotten that all and every part of such duties are actually carried into effect by the infantry, under the fire of the enemy or not, as it may happen. The officers of engineers are distributed to the different divisions of an army, and some of them remain at head-quarters. Whether at tached to one or the other, even the engineer subaltern rides a good horse, he frequently partakes of the good cheer at the table of his division general, and, in nineteen cases out of twenty, he turns into some sort of habitation with a roof on it, and enjoys a good night's repose, at a time when the cavalry and infantry are employed far in front carefully watching an experienced and enterprising enemy. Finally, in most cases, (sieges always excepted,) the engineer accompanies the staff of the army, on which department, the whole military world well knows, the loaves and fishes have always been poured forth in the greatest possible abundance. I have endeavoured to compare with impartiality the general calling (if I may use the term) of all branches, from the first moment a youth leaves his mother's apron-strings, and becomes a soldier of cavalry, infantry, or of the two ordnance corps. I have ever been of opinion, that the infantry, which is the main stay, the bulwark of armies, should at least enjoy the same advantages as their brother soldiers of the cavalry, artillery, and engineers; nor can I conceive that any unprejudiced person will think my notions on the subject outrageous, unreasonable, or unjust. It has been argued, that the price of commissions in the cavalry is higher than that of the infantry; and that, therefore, the pay ought to be better. Be it so; but the knife will cut both ways. The officers of the two Ordnance corps obtain their commissions without paying a fraction for them; yet, their pay is likewise higher than the infantry. Perhaps we shall be told that being scientific corps is a sufficient reason for it. I should, nevertheless, be glad to know, whether the expense of educating cadets at Woolwich is defrayed from their own pockets? If not, the argument is futile. Frederick the Great of Prussia, if certain authors have not belied him, not only paid his infantry quite as high as any other branch, but they, moreover, took precedence of all other arms. Now, I will confess, that old Frederick's opinion on such matters weighs quite as for. cibly with me as that of any human being who ever commanded an army. I will now conclude, Mr. Editor, by assuring you and your readers, lest I should be accused of being actuated by self-interested motives, that whether the British infantry remains until doomsday on the same footing as at present, it cannot affect me directly or indirectly. I have passed the rank of major many, many long years; and, whether the pay of the infantry be increased or whether it remain in statu quo, my income will neither be diminished nor increased. AN OLD SOldier. UNITED SERVICE RECREATIONS AT PORTSMOUTH. THE Naval and Military Officers stationed at Portsmouth, have commenced their cricket meetings with great spirit. We find that the ladies residing in that neighbourhood have subscribed for a bat to be presented to the Member of the Garrison Cricket Club who can make the greatest number of runs during the next three months; and many are the speculations as to who will be the successful candidate. The following epigram from the pen of Miss L. H. Sheridan, was made on the occasion. BAT, OR BALL. I'm told the Portsmouth "ladies fair" intend As 'tis a game for gentlemen to play, THOUGHTS ON THE SYSTEMATIC PRACTICE OF NAVAL MANEUVRES. A WARM feeling of interest for the welfare of the Navy, has led the writer to view with satisfaction the introduction of many changes tending to that end, but a long absence from active service, and a residence at a distance from the naval arsenals, has deprived him of that minute acquaintance with its actual state, with respect to some particulars, that is enjoyed by those who are placed in opposite circumstances: hence it would afford him gratification to learn that the assumption on which the following remarks are founded is erroneous. It has occurred to him, that of the various branches of naval science that are likely to be neglected during a long peace, one of the most important is that which teaches the art of conducting and manoeuvring fleets; and his fear that it does not at present receive proper notice, arises chiefly from recollecting, that it was not practised to the extent that in his humble opinion it ought to have been in the two fleets he served in during the last war, and they were principal ones. This averment affords fair grounds for the inference, that it is not now cultivated so much as the actual circumstances of the service will permit; thus forming an exception to the praiseworthy ardour with which most other kinds of nautical knowledge are pursued. Although it was mostly his good fortune to serve under captains who were not regardless of the instruction of the midshipmen, he does not remember a solitary instance of the attention of the latter having been particularly directed, either to the theory of manoeuvring as contained in the now exploded Signal Book, (the only official authority of that period ;) or to its practice, which never extended beyond the ordinary evolutions, that were required to preserve the bearing of Cape Sicie, north-west. Nevertheless, a practical knowledge of this art can be acquired only by service in fleets, and even there the chance of the young and too often thoughtless midshipmen being led to its study, has been shown to be extremely doubtful. To past neglect, therefore, of remedial measures, is to be attributed the fact, that it is not uncommon to hear officers of respectable professional attainments freely acknowledge their ignorance of this department of their calling. With reference to the probability of disasters arising therefrom, it were of small account perhaps, if this ignorance was confined to the junior grades of the service: as one proof, however, among several that could be cited, that this is not the case, the writer has been informed by an officer who was present upon the occasion, that within a few years, the subject having been incidentally started at a commander-in-chief's table, a captain of many years standing declared his ignorance of it; without, however, seeming to esteem it lightly, as a cloak for what he might, under other circumstances, have felt ashamed of, but rather in a tone of regret that he had never served in a fleet: the blunt candour which induced such a confession may be taken as a gage of its sincerity. Had the death of the Admiral devolved the command of the station upon this officer, there is ample reason to suppose that the honour of the flag would have been in safe keeping, so far as the defence and seamanlike handling of his ship were concerned, (main points, it is readily admitted); but if a sudden declaration of war had sent an enemy's force to oppose him, commanded by a Suffrein, the writer cannot but imitate the candour he has lauded, by expressing his opinion that the above qualities, which would have shone with such lustre in relation to a single ship, might not alone have availed their possessor to lead a squadron or fleet to victory. During the last war, frequent instances occurred of commanders being placed in the temporary command of ships of the line attached to fleets, and it is very probable that some of those officers had never before served in such ships. Pushing our surmises a reasonable degree farther, it might appear that some of them had never sailed in a fleet for a longer time than would suffice to exchange dispatches, and consequently, they could have no practical acquaintance with the duty of even a "gib and stay-sail jack. Now the writer readily concedes, that frigates, sloops of war, &c. form the best school for the attainment of the essentials of seamanship, knowledge of foreign seas, and other useful matter; but he nevertheless considers the education of a naval officer incomplete whilst it lacks the branch of which he is treating. A collateral support of this opinion may be found in a memorial that was addressed to the Admiralty, by three highly distinguished Captains, (two of whom are Flag-officers,) who considered themselves aggrieved by the selection of a junior officer as Captain of the Fleet, upon the last Copenhagen expedition. Quoting from memory, one of the grounds of complaint was, that the officer in question had " never commanded a ship in line of battle!" Notwithstanding he was pre-eminent for the depth and variety of his nautical knowledge, yet his presumed inexperience in that branch upon which the above objection was founded, may have given rise to doubts of his competency to aid the Commanderin-chief in certain contingencies. It would be useless to plead for the utility of the art, whether applied to purposes of attack or of defence, as this was most strikingly illustrated by Admiral Jervis, who, by a promptly-executed manoeuvre, defeated a very superior force ; *The converse of the above statement was injurious both to the service and to individuals. There are lieutenants, who from want of interest, or from the mistaken judgment of their friends, served their whole midshipman's time in threedeckers, that were chiefly stationed off Brest or Toulon, and never visited any other foreign ports than Gibraltar or Mahon. The Queen, 98, was actually out of port for twenty two months, and for most of that time she was off Cadiz, probably a unique fact in maritime records. In such ships, some of the mids, from the force of habit, ceased to desire more active employment, and all of them must have remained practically ignorant of certain duties incident to their profession. A greater number served all this important period in two-deckers, which are certainly a preferable class of ships to the others. It may be questioned, however, if a longer term than three years can be served in a ship of any particular class, and produce corresponding advantages in the formation of professional character: unless the elève should have the good fortune to be placed with one of those ornaments of the profession, who combines the principles and manners of a gentleman, with the best qualities of an officer; let him abide in such tutelage as long as possible, for the happy union here described, although less rare than formerly, is not and never will be very common. In general, therefore, a change of both ships and captains, and between several classes of the former, appears most desirable. The peace custom of keeping ships in commission for the term of three years only, commonly effects this change; but a long war may lead to a recurrence of the evil deprecated, unless it should be officially prevented. See the Naval Chronicle of 1807 or 1808, for this memorial. |