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A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b illustrated by examples during the Peninsular War; with observations upon India; the United States of America; Canada; the boundary line; the navy; steam warfare, &c.Campbell, James

History

A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b illustrated by examples during the Peninsular War; with observations upon India; the United States of America; Canada; the boundary line; the navy; steam warfare, &c.

Name: A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b illustrated by examples during the Peninsular War; with observations upon India; the United States of America; Canada; the boundary line; the navy; steam warfare, &c.
Author: Campbell, James

Campbell, James

Great Britain. Army

It is well known, that in the United Kingdom, society is very
differently circumstanced to what it is in any other part of the world.
No nation can boast of such a high-minded and enlightened middle class
as we possess; and education and manners place most of them upon a
level with the highest. Almost all the officers of our army and navy
are taken from this middle class; but I regret to say, that too many
of them, as well as the first class, know as little of the habits
or feelings of the lower orders, as the latter know of theirs. Thus
the very formation of society is against that community of feeling
and interest, which ought to exist between officers and soldiers, or
sailors; and to the want of this sympathy among us, may be attributed
much of that powerful influence which dangerous men are able to
exercise over the lower orders of the people of the present day; for
they are generally destitute of the virtues or principles to be found
among men in a similar state; and the dependence in which they are
held by the more wealthy part of the community, engenders feelings of
jealousy and even dislike towards them, which may be expected at any
time, when opportunity offers, to burst forth in those acts of open
violence, which occasionally disturb the tranquillity of the empire.

The fancies and absurdities of some of our commanders in former times,
were most truly surprising; but to us who were their victims they
were any thing but amusing or laughable. Some of them ought to be
held up as beacons to warn others to avoid them; but doing so, and
showing their effects upon those under them, would occupy much more
time and space than I can devote to the purpose. But how rapidly an
army whose spirit has been already subdued by a too severe system of
discipline is vanquished, was clearly proved, by what occurred in the
year 1806. On the 7th of October in that year, the Emperor Napoleon
announced to the Senate, that he had quitted his capital to repair to
his army in Germany. Already had the Prussian army, completed to its
war establishment, passed their frontier, in all the confidence of
discipline, and had invaded Saxony; and their advanced posts had even
made their appearance not far from the cantonments of the Imperial army.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

History

A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b illustrated by examples during the Peninsular War; with observations upon India; the United States of America; Canada; the boundary line; the navy; steam warfare, &c.

Campbell, James

Great Britain. Army

It is well known, that in the United Kingdom, society is very
differently circumstanced to what it is in any other part of the world.
No nation can boast of such a high-minded and enlightened middle class
as we possess; and education and manners place most of them upon a
level with the highest. Almost all the officers of our army and navy
are taken from this middle class; but I regret to say, that too many
of them, as well as the first class, know as little of the habits
or feelings of the lower orders, as the latter know of theirs. Thus
the very formation of society is against that community of feeling
and interest, which ought to exist between officers and soldiers, or
sailors; and to the want of this sympathy among us, may be attributed
much of that powerful influence which dangerous men are able to
exercise over the lower orders of the people of the present day; for
they are generally destitute of the virtues or principles to be found
among men in a similar state; and the dependence in which they are
held by the more wealthy part of the community, engenders feelings of
jealousy and even dislike towards them, which may be expected at any
time, when opportunity offers, to burst forth in those acts of open
violence, which occasionally disturb the tranquillity of the empire.

The fancies and absurdities of some of our commanders in former times,
were most truly surprising; but to us who were their victims they
were any thing but amusing or laughable. Some of them ought to be
held up as beacons to warn others to avoid them; but doing so, and
showing their effects upon those under them, would occupy much more
time and space than I can devote to the purpose. But how rapidly an
army whose spirit has been already subdued by a too severe system of
discipline is vanquished, was clearly proved, by what occurred in the
year 1806. On the 7th of October in that year, the Emperor Napoleon
announced to the Senate, that he had quitted his capital to repair to
his army in Germany. Already had the Prussian army, completed to its
war establishment, passed their frontier, in all the confidence of
discipline, and had invaded Saxony; and their advanced posts had even
made their appearance not far from the cantonments of the Imperial army.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b illustrated by examples during the Peninsular War; with observations upon India; the United States of America; Canada; the boundary line; the navy; steam warfare, &c.

A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b illustrated by examples during the Peninsular War; with observations upon India; the United States of America; Canada; the boundary line; the navy; steam warfare, &c.

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