LOCALISATION AND COUNTY REGIMENTS.--INTERVIEW WITH THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON
III.
Another important measure introduced during the administration of the
late Lord Cardwell was that of localisation. In the old days, when
the infantry regiments were scattered all over the world, and for the
most part consisted of single battalions, it had been the custom, on
their proceeding abroad, to leave behind a small depot, which was
constantly moved about in the United Kingdom and obtained recruits
as best it could, without regard to local ties or associations; so
that, although many of the older regiments bore county titles, which
had been given them so long ago as 1782 by King George the Third, in
reality men of the various counties and nationalities served together
indiscriminately. Field Marshal Conway, who was Commander-in-Chief at
the time in question, specially stated that the object of the King was
'to create a mutual attachment between the county and the regiment,
which may at all times be useful towards recruiting.'
The scheme, however, for all practical purposes had no force or reality
until 1871. Lord Cardwell first of all established fixed depots in
the counties, each representing two battalions; and thus not only
engendered local ties, but also brought the regular army into permanent
association with the militia and volunteers. In his speech in the House
of Commons in February 1871 he emphasised the desirability of combining
our military institutions. He said: 'There is the standing army, with
its historical association and glorious memories, and having a larger
amount of foreign service than any other army in the world; there
is the militia, whose theory is conscription, but whose practice is
voluntary enlistment; and then there are the volunteers, who have most
of the attributes of military life, and all the independence of the
most perfect civil freedom. To combine these different institutions in
one complete whole is, as I believe, the desire of the House of Commons
and of the English nation.' He quoted Mr. Pitt, who in 1803 spoke
as follows: 'I am of opinion that to a regular army alone, however
superior, however excellent, we ought not solely to trust; but that in
a moment so eventful we ought to super-add to the regular army some
permanent system of national defence.... The army must be the rallying
point; the army must furnish example, must furnish instruction, must
give us the principles on which that national system of defence must
be formed; and by which the voluntary forces of this country, though in
a military view inferior to a regular army, would, fighting on their
own soil, for everything dear to individuals and important to a State,
be invincible.'
These quotations will, I think, give a general idea of the views
which were uppermost in the mind of the Minister for War when he gave
vitality to the principle of localisation. The change, like many
others, was criticised and somewhat retarded, and was not brought into
full maturity until several years afterwards. In 1877 a committee on
the militia, of which Colonel Stanley[94] was chairman, however, gave
the subject a fresh impetus. In their report they spoke strongly of
the advantage of unity between the line and the militia, and said: 'We
have no hesitation in replying that they should be constituent parts
of one body.... We consider that this is best to be effected by their
being treated as one regiment, such regiment bearing a territorial
designation; the line battalions being the first and second, the
militia the third and fourth, of such territorial regiment, the depot
being common to all.' There was still hesitation and delay, but on
Mr. Childers becoming Minister for War in 1880 the recommendations of
Colonel Stanley's committee were adopted, and are now in full force;
and the beneficial results are becoming more apparent year by year.
For instance, General Sir Edward Bulwer, in his report on recruiting
in 1887,[95] stated 'that the number of men in infantry regiments, who
were born in the district to which the regiment belongs, increases
every year.' He also mentions, that upwards of 14,000 militiamen
transferred their service to the regular army in the preceding twelve
months. The most recent Committee on Army Service, that of Lord Wantage
of 1892, speaks plainly on the subject. It says 'the evidence as to the
value of the territorial connection is overwhelming;' and added, that
the double battalion system is the most economical and best machinery
for furnishing foreign drafts and reliefs.[96]
I might go on to allude to other measures connected with the army and
its administration which were introduced by Lord Cardwell--to the
vigour and influence which he imparted to the Intelligence Department,
to the doubling the Field Artillery at home, to the rank of field
officer given to captains of batteries, and so on--but it is perhaps
hardly necessary. Lord Cardwell did not live to witness the results of
some of his measures; but there was hardly a branch of the army which
did not feel the benefit of his wise and far-seeing administration.[97]
In May 1872 I had an interesting interview with the late Emperor
Napoleon III. at Chislehurst, only a few months before his death.
During his career, he had always shown great interest in artillery
questions, and had published works on the subject.[98] In May he
expressed a wish to see me, being desirous of discussing a plan for
checking the recoil of guns, by means of water compressed within the
bore. The nature of his proposal is contained in the following letter.
[Illustration: Copy of Sketch by Napoleon III.]
Camden Place, Chislehurst: Mai 1872.
'Mon cher Général,--Il y aurait une expérience d'artillerie, assez
intéressant à faire, et qui, si elle réussissait, pourrait diminuer
le recul des grosses bouches à feu. Il s'agirait comme dans le dessin
cijoint de prendre un ancien canon, de forer au point A un trou d'un
certain diamètre, de forer à un point B une lumière pour mettre le
feu. La partie O près de la culasse serait remplie d'eau. On mettrait
auparavant à K une rondelle à gutta-perka pour séparer la poudre de
l'eau, et en chargeant le canon comme à l'ordinaire.
'En mettant le feu, à la charge, l'eau jaillirait en dehors par
l'orifice A, et la force employée pour rejeter l'eau en dehors du
canon diminuerait d'autant le recul. Je ne prétends pas que ce système
soit très pratique, mais il serait néanmoins assez intéressant de
l'essayer. Je vous confie cette idée pour que vous en fassiez l'usage
que vous croirez convenable. Je vous renouvelle, Général, l'assurance
de mes sentiments d'amitié.
'NAPOLÉON.
'La question serait de savoir quelle est la quantité d'eau qu'il
faudrait introduire dans le canon, et quel diamètre il faudrait donner
à l'orifice.'
During the interview, which lasted about half-an-hour, we were quite
alone; and he made some pen-and-ink sketches, which he gave me, to
illustrate his views. The proposal was ingenious, although it would
probably be difficult to apply it in the field.
The Emperor also referred shortly to one or two incidents of the great
war of 1870, especially as to the employment of mitrailleurs; and I
ventured to point out that, although of use against savage races,
they had not, in my opinion, much future in a campaign against a
modern army; as, although efficacious for short distances, they were
of limited range and power, having neither shattering nor incendiary
force, as compared to artillery, whilst they would add considerably to
the impedimenta of troops in the field. I was particularly struck by
the quiet unimpassioned way in which he alluded to the past; and he
certainly appeared to bear his great reverses with fortitude and calm
resignation. When the interview ended, I left with him at his request,
a small pamphlet on rifled ordnance; and on returning it he sent me the
following note:
Camden Place, Chislehurst: le 8 Mai, 1872.
'Je vous renvoie, Général, avec mes remercîments, la brochure que vous
avez bien voulu me prêter, et je vous prie de recevoir l'assurance de
mes sentiments distingués.
NAPOLÉON.'
Monsieur le Général Adye, Woolwich.
Subsequently, Her Majesty the Empress Eugénie was kind enough to
present me with the Emperor's work, 'Organisation Militaire,' dated
'Wilhelmshoehe, 1871,' with her name inscribed upon it.
It so happened that a few months before seeing the Emperor Napoleon I
had had an opportunity of discussing the subject of mitrailleurs with
General von Blumenthal, who had been chief of the staff to the Crown
Prince of Germany during the war; and his views agreed with those I
have just expressed. He said that the German soldiers at the outset
were considerably impressed with the numerous batteries of mitrailleurs
with which the French began the campaign of 1870; but they soon found
out that their range was limited, and that by concentrating the distant
fire of field guns upon them the mitrailleurs could not hold their
ground, but were driven off the field. Prince Frederick Charles said
'that for near ranges he would rather have ten good riflemen; for far
ranges a field gun.'
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 94: Now Earl of Derby.]
[Footnote 95: _Report of Inspector-General of Recruiting_, 1887.]
[Footnote 96: _Report of Lord Wantage's Committee_, pp. 11 and 18.]
[Footnote 97: An important reform carried out by Lord Cardwell was that
of the abolition of purchase; but I do not propose to enter into the
question, as it had been virtually decided before I entered the War
Office.]
[Footnote 98: One of his works is entitled _A New System of Field
Artillery_, by Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, 1854.]