Lives of the Warriors Who Have Commanded Fleets and Armies Before the Enemy

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. My humble labours in the cause of military education have only aspired to produce publications that might be regarded as a summary of facts and events, which have been already recorded by others. I do not claim the merit of originality, but merely to give a compilation from various sources Of things proper to be known by all soldiers. My works were written by me for the use of youths who have already entered the service Of arms, and Whose career has commenced, but whose profession has yet to be learned; and I desire to impress upon them more and more my ardent desire that every Officer in the service Should become a military historian, either from my works or from the original sources from which I have derived them. You address the higher ranks Of the army, and appear to seek to philosophize the Art Of War, by Showing it to be capable, under its most scientific phases, of being less lavish Of human blood. You write that although the natural principle of war is to do most harm to the enemy with the least harm to Ourselves, yet that good generals only fight battles when necessity compels them and that the most brilliant triumphs have been procured by stratagems and address, without exposing armies to heedless dan gers. You say likewise that none but men who have never learned their business in actual war will waste their best men and officers in seeking, through idle theories, unprofitable or unattainable results, and that to sacrifice good Old regiments is like turning the intelligent and industrious out of school and keeping on only with the fools and dunces. I quite subscribe to these high and praiseworthy sentiments.