BRITISH MILITARY DISCIPLINE.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 734, 1 March 1877, Page 3

BRITISH MILITARY DISCIPLINE.

Our Vbirinteers'are too apt to pride themselves on a want of discipline, but the following from " Soldiering" m the Educator" will show how much of her success England owes to the fact that her soldiers are mere machines obeying the word of command :-—" It was found even m the Peninsular that what, told with . the greatest effect was a calm readiness to wait m obedience to orders till the moment had arrived when the powers of the weapons could be\ brought to bear with the deadliest result. One of the ablest of the generals opposed to us inS^ain (Marshal Bugeaud) has given attibst lively and generous description of the manner m which the fight m those days between his own troops and ours used to take place. The following may serve as an eitome of his account, the French being, he says, almost always the assailants. The attacking columns move to assault the position held by the Eaglish just beyond the crest of pf gome gently rising hill. The English, either first; lying down or standing with the but end of their muskets onjthe ground /give no sign of their existence, except a line of motionless red, "Which just shows and and no more along the crest^ while behind it here and there an officer is seen riding up and down. At first the French dash forward with furious courage, chattering a good deal, abusing the English most savagely The excitement increases from moment to moment. One . after another cannot be restrained from breaking the ranks, that he may relejve Ijis feelings by a shot af. tse ! enemy." Tne ; "column becomes raiore ancl more confused. As they gefc further and further up the hill the excitement and hurry have produced no effect upon the red line above, them. Thgse feelings hayg fall time to readtupon the jpreyious bver-ex'citement). At last an' unpleasant chill succeed^ and now they" £vq wit¥n point black; range of the enemy. They hear the single cool word of command repeated all ~ . i. . ; • -Tk.l— •■ * *W the along the nne. x>uwn come . muskets towards them. A. moment more, then comes a volley, of which few shots go astray, The smp ; kp clears away. Moving straight down towards them they gee a Une.^ of bayonets. 'Then w Joud cheer rings pat from the hitherto silent ranks. . These are coming on now steadly, ra pidly— with an evident intention not to stop— straight at them. The strain is too severe. The column does not await to be attacked, but breaks and flies. " Never," says the old marshal, "did I see other than one end of it." — Soldering m the " Technical Educator.". Jl