A History of the British Army, Vol. 1: First Part—to the Close of the Seven Years' WarFortescue, J. W. (John William), Sir
History
A History of the British Army, Vol. 1: First Part—to the Close of the Seven Years' War
Fortescue, J. W. (John William), Sir
Great Britain -- History, Military; Great Britain. Army -- History
The staff at headquarters was based on the model of that which
had prevailed under Cromwell, though of course on a scale reduced
to the minute proportions of the Army. The duties must, at first,
have been within the scope of a very few officials, and it is
probable that Monk required little assistance. There was, however,
a commissary of the musters, to whom in 1664 a scoutmaster-general,
or head of the intelligence department, was added. The business
of foreign intelligence in all its branches, diplomatic, naval,
and military, had been conducted with admirable efficiency during
the Protectorate by the Secretary of State, John Thurloe, but
Pepys remarked a sad falling away in this department after the
Restoration, due, as he admits, to the scanty allowance of funds
allotted to the service. Charles was not the man to face the
difficulties of establishing a great administrative office on a
sound basis. James, on the other hand, began to grapple with them
very early after his accession. He strengthened the staff by the
addition of adjutants and quartermasters-general of horse and foot,
and strove hard to improve the efficiency of the office; but his
time was too short and his distractions too manifold to permit
him to do the work thoroughly. Had he reigned for ten years, his
familiarity with the system of Louvois and his own administrative
ability might have reduced our military system once for all to
order. It is not too much to say that his expulsion was in this
respect the greatest misfortune that ever befell the Army.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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