personal memoirs-2-第71章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



march　of　the　Germans；　except　when　their　enemy　offered　resistance；　but

even　this　was　generally　slight　and　not　very　frequent；　for　the　French

were　discouraged　by　disaster　from　the　very　outset　of　the　campaign



The　earlier　advantages　gained　bythe　Germans　may　be　ascribed　to　the

strikingly　prompt　mobilization　of　their　armies；　one　of　the　most

noticeable　features　of　their　perfect　military　system；　devised　by

almost　autocratic　power；　their　later　successes　were　greatly　aided　by

the　blunders　of　the　French；　whose　stupendous　errors　materially

shortened　the　war；　though　even　if　prolonged　it　could；　in　my　opinion；

have　had　ultimately　no　other　termination。



As　I　have　previously　stated；　the　first　of　these　blunders　was　the

acceptance　of　battle　by　MacMahon　at　Worth；　the　second　in　attaching

too　much　importance　to　the　fortified　position　of　Metz；　resulting　in

three　battles　Colombey；　Mars…la…Tour；　and　Gravelotteall　of　which

were　lost；　and　the　third；　the　absurd　movement　of　MacMahon　along　the

Belgian　frontier　to　relieve　Metz；　the　responsibility　for　which；　I　am

glad　to　say；　does　not　belong　to　him。



With　the　hemming　in　of　Bazaine　at　Metz　and　the　capture　of　MacMahon's

army　at　Sedan　the　crisis　of　the　war　was　passed；　and　the　Germans

practically　the　victors。　　The　taking　of　Paris　was　but　a　sentiment

the　money　levy　could　have　been　made　and　the　Rhine　provinces　held

without　molesting　that　city；　and　only　the　political　influences

consequent　upon　the　changes　in　the　French　Government　caused　peace　to

be　deferred。



I　did　not　have　much　opportunity　to　observe　the　German　cavalry；　either

on　the　march　or　in　battle。　　The　only　time　I　saw　any　of　it　engaged　was

in　the　unfortunate　charge　at　Gravelotte。　　That　proved　its　mettle　good

and　discipline　fair；　but　answered　no　other　purpose。　　Such　of　it　as

was　not　attached　to　the　infantry　was　organized　in　divisions；　and

operated　in　accordance　with　the　old　idea　of　covering　the　front　and

flanks　of　the　army；　a　duty　which　it　thoroughly　performed。　　But　thus

directed　it　was　in　no　sense　an　independent　corps；　and　hence　cannot

be；　said　to　have　accomplished　anything　in　the　campaign；　or　have　had　a

weight　or　influence　at　all　proportionate　to　its　strength。　　The　method

of　its　employment　seemed　to　me　a　mistake；　for；　being　numerically

superior　to　the　French　cavalry；　had　it　been　massed　and　manoeuvred

independently　of　the　infantry；　it　could　easily　have　broken　up　the

French　communications；　and　done　much　other　work　of　weighty　influence

in　the　prosecution　of　the　war。



The　infantry　was　as　fine　as　I　ever　saw；　the　men　young　and　hardy　in

appearance；　and　marching　always　with　an　elastic　stride。　　The　infantry

regiment；　however；　I　thought　too　largetoo　many　men　for　a　colonel　to

command　unless　he　has　the　staff　of　a　generalbut　this　objection　may

be　counterbalanced　by　the　advantages　resulting　from　associating

together　thus　intimately　the　men　from　the　same　district；　or　county　as

we　would　call　it；　the　celerity　of　mobilization；　and；　in　truth；　the

very　foundation　of　the　German　system；　being　based　on　this　local　or

territorial　scheme　of　recruiting。



There　was　no　delay　when　the　call　sounded　for　the　march；　all　turned

out　promptly；　and　while　on　the　road　there　was　very　little　straggling；

only　the　sick　falling　out。　　But　on　such　fine；　smooth　roads；　and　with

success　animating　the　men　from　the　day　they　struck　the　first　blow；　it

could　hardly　be　expected　that　the　columns　would　not　keep　well　closed

up。　　Then；　too；　it　must　be　borne　in　mind　that；　as　already　stated；

'campaigning'　in　Francethat　is；　the　marching；　camping；　and

subsisting　of　an　armyis　an　easy　matter；　very　unlike　anything　we；

had　during　the　war　of　the　rebellion。　　To　repeat：　the　country　is　rich；

beautiful；　and　densely　populated；　subsistence　abundant；　and　the

roadsall　macadamized　highways；　thus　the　conditions；　are　altogether

different　from　those　existing　with　us。　　I　think　that　under　the　same

circumstances　our　troops　would　have　done　as　well　as　the　Germans；

marched　as　admirably；　made　combinations　as　quickly　and　accurately；；

and　fought　with　as　much　success。　　I　can　but　leave　to　conjecture　how。

the　Germans　would　have　got　along　on　bottomless　roadsoften　none　at

allthrough　the　swamps　and　quicksands　of　northern　Virginia；　from；

the　Wilderness　to　Petersburg；　and　from　Chattanooga　to　Atlanta　and　the

sea。



Following　the　operations　of　the　German　armies　from　the　battle　of

Gravelotte　to　the　siege　of　Paris；　I　may；　in　conclusion；　say　that　I

saw　no　new　military　principles　developed；　whether　of　strategy　or

grand　tactics；　the　movements　of　the　different　armies　and　corps　being

dictated　and　governed　by　the　same　general　laws　that　have　so　long

obtained；　simplicity　of　combination　and　manoeuvre；　and　the

concentration　of　a　numerically　superior　force　at　the　vital　point。



After　my　brief　trip　to　Versailles；　I　remained　in　Paris　till　the

latter　part　of　March。　　In　company　with　Mr。　Washburn；　I　visited　the

fortifications　for　the　defense　of　the　city；　and　found　them　to　be

exceptionally　heavy；　so　strong；　indeed；　that　it　would　have　been　very

hard　to　carry　the　place　by　a　general　assault。　　The　Germans；　knowing

the　character　of　the　works；　had　refrained　from　the　sacrifice　of　life

that　such　an　attempt　must　entail；　though　they　well　knew　that　many　of

the　forts　were　manned　by　unseasoned　soldiers。　　With　only　a　combat

here　and　there；　to　tighten　their　lines　or　repulse　a　sortie；　they

wisely　preferred　to　wait　till　starvation　should　do　the　work　with

little　loss　and　absolute　certainty。



The　Germans　were　withdrawn　from　Paris　on　the　3d　of　March；　and　no

sooner　were　they　gone　than　factional　quarrels；　which　had　been　going

on　at　intervals　ever　since　the　flight　of　the　Empress　and　the　fall　of

her　regency　on　the　4th　of　September；　were　renewed　with　revolutionary

methods　that　eventually　brought　about　the　Commune。　　Having　witnessed

one　or　two　of　these　outbreaks；　and　concluding　that　while　such

turbulence　reigned　in　the　city　it　would　be　of　little　profit　for　me　to

tarry　there；　I　decided　to　devote　the　rest　of　the　time　I　could　be　away

from　home　to　travel　in　England；　Ireland；　and　Scotland。　　My　journeys

through　those　countries　were　full　of　pleasure　and　instruction；　but　as

nothing　I　saw　or　did　was　markedly　different　from　what　has　been　so

often　described　by　others；　I　will　save　the　reader　this　part　of　my

experience。　　I　returned　to　America　in　the　fall；　having　been　absent　a

little　more　than　a　year；　and　although　I　saw　much　abroad　of　absorbing

interest；　both　professional　and　general；　yet　I　came　back　to　my　native

land　with　even　a　greater　love　for　her；　and　with　increased　admiration

for　her　institutions。











End