Opening the text

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

mentioned, that he calculated it would cost him about £1,200., over and
above his pay, &c. to keep his table, and to meet other unavoidable
expenses, and that too, with strict attention to economy, for the
three years he calculated upon being actively employed; and I am aware
that it took a good deal of interest on his part, to get the ship he
now commands.

Our navy, I believe, has but little, if any, fixed system for its
guidance. Every captain of a ship carrying on its duties or discipline,
and managing almost everything according to his own views, or as taught
by experience. Ought this to be permitted, and should not certain
regulations be established to prevent his running into extremes, even
in zeal for the credit of his ship, in appearance, discipline, or even
in points which in themselves may be good, if not carried so far as
to become from their frivolity vexatious to those under his command,
and which I have seen occasion much punishment, which might have
been better avoided. In short, ought a captain not to be restrained
by established system, almost in a similar manner to that by which
I propose to prevent the injurious effects of whim or caprice in
commanding officers of regiments.

I am aware that I must look forward to every possible objection being
thrown in the way of what I have presumed to suggest for the benefit of
both our navy and army; and I fully expect some will say that all this
is very well, but what do you intend to do with the numbers of retired
officers, now on the lists of both services? In the first place, to
expect me to answer every objection is not a little unreasonable; and
in the next, I am convinced it cannot be anticipated, that one-tenth
of such _ancients_ can ever again be called into active service, I
therefore suppose the country must continue, under any circumstances,
to furnish the pittance now doled out to them, as long as most of
them shall live; but even to balance this continued charge upon the
country, and which cannot be avoided, have I not, amongst other items,
shown that we can call out our army, and keep it up hereafter in a
much more efficient state than it ever was, without any expense in
the shape of bounty? Now the bounty for at least 100,000 men, taking
the army in all its branches, at a low establishment, amounts to
something; yet we shall not take this into account, but let us say
(whilst I have no intention of recapitulating all the modes I have
mentioned, by which savings can be effected), that we want annually
20,000 recruits, according to our present system, to keep it up to
its peace establishment, in which calculation I consider that I am
borne out by the returns of the number of men raised for Her Majesty's
service in Great Britain and Ireland. Then suppose that each of these
recruits stands the country in only five pounds (but in time of war
it could not be done for much more) a-head for bounty, &c. we should
thus save something considerable; let this sum be therefore allowed

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

mentioned, that he calculated it would cost him about £1,200., over and
above his pay, &c. to keep his table, and to meet other unavoidable
expenses, and that too, with strict attention to economy, for the
three years he calculated upon being actively employed; and I am aware
that it took a good deal of interest on his part, to get the ship he
now commands.

Our navy, I believe, has but little, if any, fixed system for its
guidance. Every captain of a ship carrying on its duties or discipline,
and managing almost everything according to his own views, or as taught
by experience. Ought this to be permitted, and should not certain
regulations be established to prevent his running into extremes, even
in zeal for the credit of his ship, in appearance, discipline, or even
in points which in themselves may be good, if not carried so far as
to become from their frivolity vexatious to those under his command,
and which I have seen occasion much punishment, which might have
been better avoided. In short, ought a captain not to be restrained
by established system, almost in a similar manner to that by which
I propose to prevent the injurious effects of whim or caprice in
commanding officers of regiments.

I am aware that I must look forward to every possible objection being
thrown in the way of what I have presumed to suggest for the benefit of
both our navy and army; and I fully expect some will say that all this
is very well, but what do you intend to do with the numbers of retired
officers, now on the lists of both services? In the first place, to
expect me to answer every objection is not a little unreasonable; and
in the next, I am convinced it cannot be anticipated, that one-tenth
of such _ancients_ can ever again be called into active service, I
therefore suppose the country must continue, under any circumstances,
to furnish the pittance now doled out to them, as long as most of
them shall live; but even to balance this continued charge upon the
country, and which cannot be avoided, have I not, amongst other items,
shown that we can call out our army, and keep it up hereafter in a
much more efficient state than it ever was, without any expense in
the shape of bounty? Now the bounty for at least 100,000 men, taking
the army in all its branches, at a low establishment, amounts to
something; yet we shall not take this into account, but let us say
(whilst I have no intention of recapitulating all the modes I have
mentioned, by which savings can be effected), that we want annually
20,000 recruits, according to our present system, to keep it up to
its peace establishment, in which calculation I consider that I am
borne out by the returns of the number of men raised for Her Majesty's
service in Great Britain and Ireland. Then suppose that each of these
recruits stands the country in only five pounds (but in time of war
it could not be done for much more) a-head for bounty, &c. we should
thus save something considerable; let this sum be therefore allowed

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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