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'f , 1 r V , : , -V ; - V-i ?Jjvv A' 4 OiriirciBi pww v ! 4 -' 1 - J ";:;iflttttarp; Kffi.irARY TACTICS. rmpHUt form, ennuea known tobc M . Esq lite LKOttnwi.Calond in Hie 13tJnStr,? United Stes. ,Tbe subject of with which wc do" not if 'nutamz general aniraidvefsxmi and J? of o ttfc of the, War Deport. Sc "wVch wc fclc no wish to gte cur. rrcl unless of our own knawkdje they were S w?.hou!d pot hive noticed th.s fcfon; Tut that a rtptf has been ftanded to i critSamon the rtgulat.on ordered he . th. Atmv of the Uitited States Vc preface the L, cf CmWcnJ ... . of that nart ol the Critical iract whkh Urcfer, ; . tW is, .o much a, te.aica la the teguLiiionsju quta'ioru , Hau i L 4 Hint Eve ileub From a romper c- - - - - . ciUMlU:arjCceriu vj m The new JKCOLArioNs;in reality, are io mere than a very injuria t r in.. Frrnch inquiry syiteni. i ;v a rnu'iUtion, because some -of thr m t important and ws-mial jarts ol trie i.-k cvem.are totally cut out ahd i ituX ma h m alter inapp'icaDlc to our mi!i:ai y tircu'ns'ances u reUined, cd wishou. Ay a;d or tnsti u.uon. such . , w.uilcL'LCjdmmiKlaie the French sys tem to our h ibus, and to any cc.asisient phnciplri of oranizaUuu twica may be ad spied- t . Whit is required abwe all thnK fof 'ihe U. S:atcsis a.i elkmktary wscirLiNK; without hi. h,alt evolu tion and m-ocjfrei, hv.vcrbcuuMtul cw ;hc puade, or however harmonious ,rx nf rote, like the mncUcn ni4llKuvrts, am- unt onry to a comma mcst.on cf crrr, which will have to be, corrected vvheocr ihye who are so W3tructcd happen to come under the command of an ofTricr ho understands his ptofesion. . The'l'iench fystem of 1791, is la btmously minute and paniMlar in the. . i-mrniv. or the tlnll of the tnUnt- rv, and very properly so. The rtguU ticnt extracted from that system rejects rhc greatest prf of those mstruriions. 3s.d omiis ai opitthcr wna-. ici obluiue or cPis Urts, a pari ox tne.oiv civile on which the Fench set th; hu'lics? value, and v.ih juncc. 4 u Th- rif-w " ltrculations," m imtV f t,r 'Prfu'h work, bemns with (he l aatio i uf theiepnur.t; but thr l u r ch tiant bh ws ttu poa.lio i l tni tc:mcii in teiatirr to he b ig o. in t htn p'octtds totU-futf the arrange v.uv.1 tf Utialto .5 an 'i comp nie. 1 is,r.:i.f i c Jit the rirJl-i tjns , - - - r --- . .w f are "adapted to the rg-n-ii V . 1 im:i!ia and regular in- ps of the United bu.ts' iu these relations the order h ume.l is that .1 6 es i f th. ee deep or lur c ranks i battaitoti; when it is no tonus tha the order ot two ranks is tht eV.blirhrd o gamza-.ion. In fact the drpih cf two i that which is be ad pt d to' our countiy, and all other afrangciucnts of he deplh of files mus. Itst u;on the liaoire e.f the service and the skill of the commaider, who will, svhcri i' may eppr i.ecessiry to makr or retcine charges, strng.hcn his bjt- ta'.rsn u the roawner best ad-p-cU to me occasion. " Aain these ncAv regubtions treat of the regiments in one piace as com posed of ten companies farming one ba'.ttft.cn. .''- "In ihc very .same paragraph it treats cf grenadier and Ugh; ir.fn;ry com-po'ir-gMhc regiintnt, although in the ' rcguiat stri.e wc hive Ui htr the one ucT ihr. o.her. " In l her third column 4t divides the battalion into tiht.anu left wings ; and in the $iiib "ca!s this wibj a battalion . a tatalion of five cpmpaiiUs ; not per reiving that the w:tigs arc themselves babk toaa equal division into half wings c gnnd divisions, or whatever "else the I'- w n ula:ion3 iny intend to call them su that if this baitiltacCiiycrcorapa: n.t be equally mvirlccCnd wheeled u'pf en its nhv into columns trVfin5si fr luiif batalions, there must bS a corn: pany in ech ivtng Scparajed into . two j .its, the rirht hMf of each of which v ill he p.and on the leffof the firsthalf ving ,r half battaltoh,' with its Captai't oti ib rigii commanding ha.f Ins com l uy ; uhde the left half of his compa ny cr plaiooa is on the right of the se txiid half wing or half bittaiion," wJtb. cct any cfliccr or r.on-coiumlssioticd of cer ca ri -tt. t i - Without any previous information or provV.iontKeery next- paragraph describes-the battalion as,composed of eight companies ; and this graduated into 'divisions and platoons, which are to coosilt of half companies. ' "It would be a fruitless labor to pur sue this subject further. The impor. tant ominous and theinsuitable inter polations ; the; inapplicable, muit pueo, ... r .rnnnH inf. und unrailuaty woros oi w.u.-.r f -adoption' of'the ludicrous obiiquc step which the French have themselves abo lished, and tor which they have subst -tutcd the ingenious, simple, and em dent quarter facing or half facing, upon the genera! principle of ob.ique andd recrements ; the backward wbce -ors aid marching which are also abo .JLja .nHVsniifeu of which the move- II3.4t.Ut " - . . c r ihe Fr.ncri are nov n.7f .,;r- vrithont anv conversion of the or- der, but y an actual facing and moving tn.ih noint required and I icing about, a mode vf movement of which m one ot the actions with Cot nwallis, in the Ame: ....... rvnlutioh. the cfucacy was seen. Upon the wst of tScscrregulatio.:, the subject being' rather techmca , and therefore dry to the generslreader. Uhall forbear further commtnt.,at;this tui.e. The bock, "as a relation, calcula eU to o confound rather than uuorm, . i... .tw,n i t vaiia.icc Willi th he re,t- of the work. The pUtt es arc k r-rnvtuin ot tne line; uui ... i'tcchsysCera it is called the formation of ihe tc'n:nrin order of tattle j a distinction very necessary to bem.de ; ccause the line technically sonifies nore than one regiment. In the plate the adjutant is aJo represented as dis ynounted, which is an error that in a book intended for a regulation ought not to have Seen overlooked. ... . " It will appear, therefore, if there b. anr'iust foundation for these animad versions, that the book called icgula lions is not adapted to any ot our csiu hihed military in.ti'utions, n ;r suscep tible of application to any of thrm. " It is evident, ihat to render jour sys arordant. Vou must fix the maxt- lium of the regiment for the wai esub- j 'ihmcnt at some un foim ntimnsr ; anu 1:1 the minimum be the peace establish ment. ... . ; It appears that no provision s ma-it f jr the o' ganiia.ion of brigafles nor divi .'..Mi : and that the seeds of discord arc established in - he dipoponbn btwetn ;he pay of fli-ers of the same grade H-rforming the same duties. It-appears, .v the attempt to foim a system of rc '.ilatifliis, that the want of regulation ii. felt, thouch the attempt to provide tlicm was proved impotent ; and that tin. course which Ought to have been pursu t d first, will be necessarily, resorted to ot Ust ; that of c-nsuUinR tliOse whose ex peiicnce and capacity fit them f ir orcn zition, discipline, aud command of ur ulUa. Jroni the National Intelligencer. TACTICS. - A .7em cf discipline h . be? pa red by order ot the aecrciaiy ui y. , annroved of by the President, ordered to be observed by Hie arm), and submit ed to Congress, who alone c. n prescrioe.ine svstemof discipline for aie militia This system is a brief, plain, mteiiigtr - ... ! t . m. .. ble imitation ot the riencn system, settled in 1791,, which has remained unaltered by the French government, arlntpd to the organization, and in some "respects to the usages of the army of the United States. The author of this book tried with bis own. hand every motion of the manual exercise, tis descubed in the American, French and British syst.-ms ; tried a an instructor the company drill ; tried on ibe.field of exercise, with battalions ol eitrht, and of ten companies, vary often almost every evolution 01 me xrcncu ... r . l 1. 1. batiftlion drill, before he wrote the des senptiohs of them which appear in this 5 This systemgoes less into detail t.han the French system, which is in many parts tedious." It is comprised in abou' kunJr'ed and sixtv paces ; whereas the French system, as translated by Mac Donald, consists .f more thanpur hundred P3ges of equal SiZr : Steuben's Milittrv men will readily perceiTethat the French exercise is described with a mi nuteness that roi Kic not to consider loacf cxnwko nood, beingxofdes of the manoeuvres m he French system, ,wilh the exception :.f thr hrt. Plate, which is denomioaicd the Sht be deemed tedious, were ThJ,. . Kroken inta two step, the men turn tneir snpuiuers,: o,u the. nature of the 'desenp. 1 ?"JlZu obi aue bv.echelbh oW'' (P- O u system might rhake abputAxrVsuch paces r f ' ',' t:'i' ;'j A criticism oh this work has appear eA IHs not materialwhat the critic s wu. r . i ' ' ' i motives were His objections wu oc r futrd, andic will ;be dope wrth calmness. - The writer"; having commenced with the rcguiattons, immediately depart from tncru to criticise the acts of Con- gress and informs us that inemrce rc f the United States and KUiai .- t-- m;ri!ii. are differently .organised. This was .generally known :t fore. It is admitted that the organization ought .k. th ame throughout : But an oth- e'er must be very destitute ; of genm, ' i, ,.n,. nn.dv the V company dm, in the regulations to a company of either sixty, six-y-eigh: Jr one hundred men. a ,nUst bedesitute of talents if he can- no apply the " Oiuauuu.uim - talion of either five, eight, .nine or ten If i1e sys'em now onereu so defective as th critic wjould make ,Lrii.,ns miprht have: bsen mide to it founded on truth : But th?y are founded on error, or misrepresent, t.on. It is much in favor of the rc , u'.. t.i i-i mf:ins tn iindt. rva iuiauor.s mo- J tue 'hem.sriouiu oe rcntu u. objections urged will .be stated, and brxfly answered j ' . . Oujkcti I 41 The regulations had nu the constitutional sanction of the Congress of the U. Stales.' Axswka . That is tiue: nui President IV power to prescribe the discipline of he army. It is not a pro iKrr question for a legislature to answer ia whut mannr r an army shall mauceu-vr,-. The :reen!ations,-drt oflered to C ngres3, thut ihcy may, if they think proper, presoibe them as mc jsic.;. f discipline for the mili.ia, according to un express provision in the constitu tion. ! . , Ocj. 2. " The regulations omit al together what relates to the oblique or cross fires." -y Ans. That is very incorrect. "!1 he niain wi 1 sometimes to the right ( .r JefO oblique" after 4 before " aim." ready', a d (p. 25.) 11 rnrnm-infl the fire., di re'et, obl.que, by tiles, as before " (p- oQ) Osi. 3. " It is notorious that the or- kr of two ranks is the eMablish-d,or-aniztiiof "j Ans. The order of formation prescri bed in Steuben is two ranks : JJur no military man, whose object is, not m.s- representation, win a n inunaw , ' established organization " Lt us s.-t: what the regulations say un this subject ! The formation by three ranks is deemed the most itfeci and effective to oppose dsc.. nlmed troops- Meverheless as two ranks w H be a sum- oent depth tooppose to undisciplined enemies, who d.ai ch erly in fire, the cummandinj effi. ctr will always determine wnether the forma ticn shall be vn two or three ranks." (. 48 ) The order of formation in th French armies is three. rank. The , order of fo:mation in the Bri ish armies is Ihie r . ks. Would it be sifq to oppose on ly two Americans to three French or B i ish s -Idlers i i Pt ii. st-e what other mocern wn lers huve said on the p:bper depth oi r - - - McDonald. A line too wants con- istence and kin-nglh ; and a thud pail 01 us fire may be e'esmid lost. The use ot tne Day- onet s becoming da ly mare general. Col. Daunt. "Theotdcrj ot tormanon 01 Seuben is two ranks For inraniry l ne ot hatii. it is net to be depended on ; and this defectincrcasesas the e.emj employs cavait y " The primitive habitual regulation of in , fintrv should be three ranks, in line of ha tile. o o,l in nrrfe of narade " t J We have laid down tneoraer 01 imw depth as. the proper order ol battle "The established depth should tie tree v -a- ranks" tragc I JHI. 4.' " L IIC iseuuii"'" m. i'r.. tin treat 01 .u. ;o, tn mmnanies as form ing one battalion ...- 1 jtns. The cxurtssion is, A regiment oi ten companies will be form- 1 m.A ;iit! Kittifion.' ' 1 VU I . .1. . J ' In Steuben's system, it is airectea that a refciment, reduced in number, ihallbe formed as a single oauaiiou. Col. Dkant in his military worK says, " Every regiment which' is :!0 c number ot a batuhon. nay be formed as The author of he regulations touna ir nprv 10 direct in what manner -etrirhents composed oi eignt, ten, ;or i4vv"y -igh'teen companies, should respective- W fnnri oh narade or lor exercise ' c 1 r . . ,..-.- a . . . - . 1 . . " I. AM ft -r 1 - svas ot opinion mat cigm ui '"r 1 1 v ni inn iidm iuav vitw w 1 i i tween : Jhem butolight rather to be formed ip oW body. , Hetliereiore5 dU rectedjfiat regiments oreigh or ten companies should foijrn as one battalion without an interval, and , that the regi ment . of v eighteen companies, should form tn two battalions .with an interval between them. Thus t he field ;batta-; lions, whether of, the hrst, second , or tniro armies, or mmvia, nearly the same number of companies. The i plttLS represent oattanons oi eight, ninej and ten companies, inc latter are worthy or particuiarnoticea exhibit ihg the form f r a militia regi ment, having t-jght common compiinies ancf two link companies, which wilt 4prm a division on the fight, ' - The; militia battalions of five compa nies have separate musters, and .the re- nidations direct-io what manner these five companies shouia pe piactu. v this ihe critic has made an objection that is jcurius and novel. Obj.' 5. " If this battalion of five corn panics be equally divided, and wheeled upon its t ightintocolumns of half wing;; or half batialiops, there musi be a com pany in each wing separated into two parts."! . . t li is the first time I have beard of .a; c lumn of " half wings", or " half bat- taHons." Whether this sentence is ai- tribu able to lgno.an:e, or a desire il !miKse on icruorance, I cannot say. tk i ith and 15;h olates exhiBiv three dvision'i bri the righ , and two on the left -of the colors ; the right. di vision is composed of the two grenadier or light companies. The effipercom mandins the militia battalion of pvo compa'uies would place his colors in the centre, ol the common ,companKS, two on each Vide, wi h the flank rompany on the right, and he woujd form his columns, of companies or platoons. Obj. 6. " Inapplicable multiplied and unmditary wc rds of command.' Ans. I he words off commandite brief, expressive and uniform where the movement is the samJ with this ex cepiibti; that those in the drill of the recruit are more full than those in the drill of the company or battalion. : It may be truly affirmed, that the words of command in the regulations. are superior to those in any other work tht? or e-inal French sysiem excepted. In Mi: Donald's translation of the French system, the wcrds of command are rather explanations of the, move-? went, than commands fat to be deliver ed loud and quick on the hnld. The decided superiority. of the regu lations in wards of command, will ap- iiear oh comparison, i -; Let us take five examples from the the regulations and Ar Donald's translation. 1 Kvnrh, Prrtmnte manoeuvre oar le flahc it ' w v a - - . Kesulalions. Prompt raonoeuyre by the xight rir nrmnid. The rear companies wiU'fi ih quick nine, into the new direction, from the right fimk? 2 l'r Face en arriere en battaile. Vm Pif tn the. rear in line. V Mnr. The column w.U form liue on the first comainv ar.d fron.mg 10 the rear ot tne roarcn. S. Fr TroiS derniers peioiuus, Reg Three last companies to tne irwu i" line : r . , .' , .,.' L jlfic The three rear companies win iorra in line's by an echelon movemeot. 4 r. Prauez !es distances par 1a.1cu. uc colonne. -"; ?; . , ; Rer Take distance by the heaa ov coiura.. ir , The column will tKe wnciiiii,vi- tances, by opening out from thread. 1 5 . Chargemcnt ao troni sur ic wuHu.u. neloton, le aile gauche en avant. . . 5 K. .Unange rrpni .iik r -"j: the left wing tlirown forward,' iiuc. The battalion wiilcnange posuion uu the central fifth company, by advancing tne left, and retiring the right wing. :. nai. 7. " The adoption of the ludi crous oblique step, whicji the French nil 1 II hsvt. themselves aoolisneu. I I " ; . , Ans. U is denied that the rrencn hvf ahnlished the-obliuue step. it. is denied that the best traiped battalion in h-iPnrh service could advance in line obliquely fifty paces, by half facing and oreserve the- alignment. : On the con- trary the French regulai ions isay ot the oblique step, " u is f refy r T i VntQf the line 1 beside art fX;Wflrf of setting upAhe rec a : rf habituating lheto lo maintain the ,i;rtinn of the shoulders.' V : -'-: V"-" " .... no' , . ! - , -: xviac u p The French dp not use he oblique stepin colu mnsof march. In like man-. her the regulations direct that ilri ob: liqtiing when on a march by ,the route - . - --i. r- r 'Zh '- -r '' ' rfr-i ' j J s' The critic, prbnpunces -S;vf'' ; trie Erehch;recuiatio"nS 4 Y 1 Ans There i$ hot abackwrarwheel- misre'presentaticparJeby' weioet'.eve, tne prtvate ciuzn , oriw i m-i Obt. 8. The hackwArd whedules.V . ' .;-,tS; remarkable.,:, , ---vv- .U, ubv,.:' -J?Awt3 - AJBj. v. x ne urbi.uiaic is iciionn-.' - ? k nited the, formation of the me-r the . ' x-v reaimept. . Yh, 4 7.Ns. Here againCthe ritic is incor rect,' The' first plater isdenb'rhinated, en'a sin gle company may.be. formed iri tine,,or cotumnX j ,5 ;.u'bj. -i0, The Adjtant;ii repre-';M sented-as dismbunted.'-',A; yyfci''"f ;'. ''"ti- f Ans. This is true. is to act on foot, Ihe rericn.reuiation ,y, jv:uo. Ailjfutarits; Mapiahrj ;djujaniSallrje on (001." (Mec D. p 5 ): ; V ,; ' Tne regulations f say? ; f The ,M8jorr ; wiTl'be mointidythejadjutan Oi' . Vobu" ' ; . :.i t ; f A ; ,: V ;U . - si-ThiMajof was.'- originally the Adju tant M or, and' s hould be brougli t bscic t to'tfutjporio. are tione for him if the Liutenanlrcpio nel:.is'piseni-' ''0y2iA'fM' lJu The plates,"(says uhe'critIcX(Te; coodv beinij Copies o$manuueJlnVr :he trench' system, wun tne exccpuoii r-?' . v,f the first plate,'' , - .. tv -f-. .. . .; n,vtn neie iuc wiucr -iuwnni,7) . The first plated w htcn he vsay.s Is pot a; nonvYrom thelcchsvsteniisnX'" act - ctipy.iibh; small UguresircpiywHiii cBc5ift ' Fifxen ot the o;h er pla te which are affirmed to befcopies, are 71 copies $fr represeniing Jihe evoIc)iot)S ofthe lire, the French plates exhibit six or eig kt,-' , bat alions. The platts of the regulations. exhibit four battalions.' They are.tmi iations of those in j(the, FreocU system 1 'I . The course," says the critic, ' which ' ought to have beeb pursued first, will be necessarily resorted to at last ; that . of cbnsih ing those whose experience and. I capacity iitjemfor the 'orgaojatiorir discipline and command of armies." " t ; I have looked intothef order books-'to'. enableyself to iudge'Wat kind of re-; - gulaiiohs .mightf have ben -expecteoV from the experience the Critic probably had in his mihd.f And I find that tru'iy ' the army has been " stultified." j ' r ' i : . , It is a pleasing consideration to. th; friends nf jukice arid humanity, to riptl in the rteulakonfi that the PrslcWnt; half thought proper to order, tliayvSpIdiers thall be. treated with humariir.y and kind ness : triev shall never b9f wVbnKe6Hor, iniuied ; thir superiors shall be benelv- ' Cen; irjenas ; ine punisnmciiis, suuic- of whatever irdnkvarestricHy forbidden to uijure mose unuer iuer cuiuiiiuuu, by harsh, aousfve andunbucomiri Ian- 4 iTiiare. or nv-overDeanner, uniusi ouu tyrannieal conduct?. t AN OFFICER OF THE ARMY. GOOD COFFEE. ; JGALESjha on band several oaaics 01 a, V late nsignrnent,of p2ee, which,, if ap plied for immediately, wiil be sold in parcel s y cents a pund. ' ' ; , April -23. .THE SUBSCRIBER, ' RSINt' desirous w remuv mw iut Munv;, : nffers the HQlSE and LOTS.whicn he now occupies in .-: GermpWtfcl-for, ' . He lai it iirlnecessary to I give i particular de- scriftion, as be supposes a ay'personThcilnkble 1 to purchase; Will View the: premises j. suffice ic to say, that the adv tntages which thispifcper- ty possesses,, fitnei as 10 local siiuaiionror convenient irnprovements Jpx a Store ct Ta- vernare emjal, 11 no superior, to ay m tne place.nd: perriaps i'not 'surpassed, bjf any ih theppei countfy.. Castf br .Kegroes wilt be expected y m pay raent; and possession gvea whenever ltaiied. u o' i -r-' ANDRISW liUWiviAJN. VStpkes fcounty, April 10, 1812. 6i52 ' i STRAYED OR STOLEN; fpROM the Subscriber living about 10 miles JL? north west ot Raleigh, onhe5ib March list, a tolerably DARK B AYM AE; about , 4 feeilO inche;s high. year oio, . naa smai starch her forehead,"ancl several wnue spot. I w..nore les 1 she has what is called a fbachback. and is shod an ronna.;ii. sirw. t expect she is making hejr.wat towaros r re. the aame iy jac r Worth Carohna, they shall receive full reward- ,4-Mjr2-:.18X2, '.r 4. . - ,t v.. .f?J . ! 1 '."( li: ;r Cit. H-. & v. i it- A. , '1 V , v, - t.:''i in ': Jfe-' Ir 7. .V. ? J i must acrure it'"-aii rJJjnau. 1 sroaa oai,-aaou w uu .... -. n ? ; - 7 . ' 7! r ' '!. " 'trh ' ' "; '"' .t r-v .r ; . . ; . i IS j v. t ; . - -. ' s J r ,
The Weekly Raleigh Register (Raleigh, N.C.)
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May 15, 1812, edition 1
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