360 SERVICE OP ARTILLERY

ticular discussion, I shall only endeavour to give a few gene-*ral ideas on the subject.

229. All orders of battle may be reduced to two, the pa-rallel and oblique ; and each of these may be either offensiveor defensive.

In the parallel order, the troops are so disposed, as to bringthe whole extent of the front line into action j this order wasprincipally practised in the wars of the preceding centuries,particularly in level and open countries.

In the oblique order, a part only of the front line is en-gaged, the remainder being kept in reserve; this is performedwith the right or left wing, or with the centre: or with thetwo wings reserving the centre; it is then termed the doubleoblique.

An army may either attack or be attacked ; a general mayfrom some particular advantage arising from the nature of theground, combined with the disposition of the troops, be in-duced to stand an attack : as in the two following cafes ;

1. When the troops are drawn up in a position na-turally strong, where they may receive the enemy’s at-tack, and seize the first favourable opportunity of actingoffensively.

2. When from the nature of the position, the defen-dants can throw in a fire so much heavier than that ofthe assailants, as to give a moral certainty of repellingthe attack with great loss to the enemy, and but little tothemselves: these cafes excepted, it is very hazardous toreceive battle in a position merely defensive.

The oblique has by the most able generals been preferredto the parallel order, whenever the ground admitted of it;since it affords an opportunity of displaying the most masterlyand consummate knowledge of tactics, and is the best adaptedto an inferior army.

230. From the definition of the several species of troops(Chap. 1.), it is easy to imagine a variety os orders of battleadapted to certain situations: but the primary object ofevery general should never be lost sight of; viz. of providingfor the security os his own army before he attacks the enemy:wherefore the distribution of the troops and the figure of theorder of battle should form a kind of a moveable fortification,where all the parts mutually cover and defend each other;and each species of troops should be posted in the precise spotwhere they can act with the greatest energy, and occasionally

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