We have carefully, if briefly, considered the requirements of the first maxim of strategy--CAUTION--the need of it, and the practical methods of securing it; and also of the second maxim--DEFENSIVE RELATIONS--their necessity, and how to secure them. It now remains to consider the meaning of that phrase, ‘turning a position’, or ‘flanking’ an enemy, as to which of late we read so much in the daily press. The map (marked 8) gives an idea of a section of country where two armed bodies meet under conditions that permit one flank to be completely guarded from attack; these are the left flank of the force ‘A’, and the right flank of ‘B’. Both rest upon a lake or broad river. A steep precipice or deep morass, as at ‘H’, would serve as well. Suppose our force has advanced from the direction ‘C’, the enemy down the road from ‘E’ to ‘G’. Soon they form opposed lines facing each other, the reserve somewhat to the rear and sheltered by some inequality of ground, the ‘thin blue line’, almost, but not quite, touching elbows, stretched along the crest of the ridge in front, taking advantage of every chance to protect themselves--trees, stone walls, ditches; kneeling, crawling, lying face down, eyes along the rifle barrel, finger on trigger, keen and murderous, but prudent, and parsimonious of life. The solid formations, such as went out of vogue with old-time weapons, would melt away before machine guns and Krag-Jörgensens like frost before an August sun. It seems as if all chivalry had departed; it has but changed its ways. The object of ‘flanking’ a position is to so manage as to turn that attenuated line into a mass of men upon which to let loose with dire effect either the quick-firing guns or the sharp edges of our horsemen’s sabers. Notice those long, bent, black lines, bending like fish hooks. The arrow heads indicate the direction of a flanking attack; from ‘F’, through the woods, up the ravine, to fall upon the exposed end of the enemy’s front at ‘K’. Such would be our most feasible method of flanking; the foe might, however, have anticipated us, either by providing a bloody hospitality somewhere in that ravine, or by a flank movement of his own, as the bent black line shows, around the woods, to fall upon our right flank at ‘F’. Such an operation, if successful for them, would be utterly disastrous to us. Surprised by a sudden and unexpected attack upon the weakest point and unable to change front in time, men lose heart, forget discipline, huddle in masses, confused and disorganized, or fly like sheep, in either case food for firearms, gluttonous of such occasions. It requires sometimes but a very small force upon a flank to produce great results; the appearance upon the field, even at a distance, of Joseph E. Johnston’s corps at the first Bull Run was sufficient to demoralize the whole Union army, and at the battle of Arcola, Bonaparte completely flanked the Austrians with a few flourishes of his trumpets.