THE CAMPAIGN OF MARENGO
THE
Campaign of Marengo
With Comments
BY
HERBERT H. SARGENT
FIRST LIEUTENANT AND QUARTERMASTER, SECOND CAVALRY, UNITEDSTATES ARMY;
MEMBER OF THE MILITARY HISTORICALSOCIETY OF MASSACHUSETTS;
AUTHOR OF "NAPOLEON BONAPARTE'S FIRST CAMPAIGN"
LONDON
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER, & CO. LTD
PATERNOSTER HOUSE, CHARING CROSS ROAD
1897
Copyrighted in Great Britain.
University Press:
John Wilson and Son, Cambridge, U.S.A.
DEDICATION
BY A SOLDIER
TO
THE SOLDIERS OF HIS COUNTRY
It is written in a certain book, with which most of us are familiar,that a day will come when there shall be no more wars. But that timeis far distant. When the laws of human society change, wars may cease,but not till then. All around us is strife; the weak are ever fallingbefore the strong. The grass takes its strength from the soil andair, and each blade struggles for food and light with its neighbor.The beast consumes the grass, and man destroys the beast. We struggleon, contending with one another and with the world, and encounteringdefeat and death when we meet a stronger power than ourselves. Such isNature's stern law. It regulates the life of the worm that crawls atour feet, governs the actions of men, and determines the destinies ofpeoples. The conclusion is therefore reached that until man can riseabove this law, the time will not come when there shall be no furtherneed of armies, and when war shall be no more.
No country has ever become great without soldiers. They lay thefoundations of nations. In the history of every great people there is arecord of battles fought and battles won. At Lexington, at Bunker Hill,at Gettysburg, men died that a nation might live. Is it any wonderthat we should be proud of our profession? "Whoever has a heart," saysVon der Goltz, "feels it beat higher and becomes enthusiastic for theprofession of the soldier." Napier says: "War is the condition of thisworld. From man to the smallest insect, all are at strife; and theglory of arms, which cannot be obtained without the exercise of honor,fortitude, courage, obedience, modesty, and temperance, excites thebrave man's patriotism, and is a chastening corrective for the richman's pride."
We cannot know whether we shall be called upon to fight for ourcountry; we may be called, or not; but we shall deserve no less thegratitude of our countrymen, if we remain always ready. Wars havebeen necessary in the past; they will be necessary in the future.
"Man needs must fight
To make true peace his own;
He needs must combat might with might,
Or might would rule alone."
"The decisive events of the world take place in the intellect. It isthe mission of books that they help one to remember it."
PREFACE
I have written this book for the civilian and the soldier. I ch