DIRECTIONS FOR ACQUIRING A MILITARY EDUCATION

The following is an abstract from J. Holbrook’s Military Tactics Adapted to the Different Corps in the United States, According to the Latest Improvements. The text was published in 1826 at the American Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy at Middletown, CT. Being unsuccessful in in gaining recognition by the state government as a degree-issuing institution, Captain Alden Partridge would eventually return the academy to Norwich, VT (with the academy becoming Norwich University ). Holbrook's text was used to train both cadets and militiamen in New England. It appears Holbrook built upon the book list originally developed by General Epaphras Hoyt of the Massachusetts National Guard . This chapter presented powerful materials for self-development of military officers. Many of these texts remain useful to this day. How many have you read?

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The present is by no means an age for indulging in ignorance. A person who expects to have any credit among mankind, or to make any figure in conversation, must absolutely resolve to take some pains to improve himself.

?Nothing makes a greater difference between one being and another, than different degrees of knowledge. The mind of an ignorant person is an absolute void. That of a wrong-headed person may be compared to a town sacked by an enemy, where all is overturned, and nothing in its proper state or place. That of a wise man, is a magazine richly furnished. Important truths are stored up in such regular arrangement, that reflection sees at once through a whole series of subjects, and observes distinctly their relations and connexions.

The first years of a young man’s life are the most proper to form and to pursue his plan of study, and in which he ought to acquire habits of activity and application. He should avail himself of this valuable season, for acquiring the elements, at least, of Mathematics, Mineralogy, Geography, Languages, History, Topography, Drawing, Civil and Military Engineering, Military Architecture, Tactics, Fortification, Biography and theory of Government, Law, Commerce, and Ethics. A military Education should embrace the whole circle of the sciences. There will be little opportunity for these pursuits when he has advanced to a situation in which extensive duties are required. Then there is no longer time to attend to such studies; and he will have constant occasion of regret and shame and disgrace, for having omitted the earlier acquisition of them. Study can be pursued only upon the foundation of what has been already learned; it is now too late for acquiring the elements. Nothing will be of more consequence towards the success of a young gentleman’s endeavours for his own improvement, than his pursuing early a right course of study. He should never begin at the wrong end. This would oblige him to relinquish what was undertaken, and go back to first principles. He would suffer great loss of time and labour; meet with discouragement in his studies; and the structure of learning thus reared, would prove in the end but a piece of patch-work.

A young gentleman may well prepare himself for the more manly studies by a careful perusal of the following books, which will give him a general view or map of science. Watt’s Improvement of the mind, Rollin’s Belles Letters, Clark’s Method of Study, and Locke’s Conduct of Human Understanding. The Military Mentor, being a series of Letters from a General Officer to his Son, is also an excellent work.

THE following Catalogue of approved Works is recommended to such as are desirous of obtaining an extensive knowledge of the science of War. Some are inserted from the recommendations of scientific officers, others from their characters as given in judicious reviews, and other from the author’s own knowledge of their merits.

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Military Mentor, 2 vols. 12mo. Being a series of excellent Letters from a General Officer to his son. These valuable letters should be in the possession of every one.

Lallemand's Artillery, 2 vols. 8vo. with plates.

Tousard's Artillery, 2 vols. 8vo. With one vol. plates.

Hutton's Military Mathematics, 2vols. 8vo.

Kosciusko's Man?uvres of Horse Artillery, 1 vol.

Duane's American Military Library, 2 vols. 8 vo., 1 vol. plates.

Landman's Field Engineers Vade Mecum, 1 vol.

Lochee's Field Fortification, Plates, 1 vol.

Martemont's Field Fortification, Plates, 1 vol.

Spirit of the modern System of War, by a Russian General, with a commentary by C.M. de Martemont, captain in the French Artillery, 1 vol.

Glenie on Fortification, 1 vol.

Muller on Fortification, Attack and Defence.

Engineering and Artillery, Plates, 8 vols.

E. Hoyt's Rules and Regulations for Drill, Sabre Exercise, Equitation, Formation and Field movements for Cavalry, Plates, 1 vol.

Gen. Warnery's Remarks on Cavalry; numerous Plates, 1 vol. 4to.

Col. Tyndale's Treatise on Military Equitation, with Plates, 1 vol.

Art of Defence on Foot, with the Broad Sword and Sabre, with plates; by R. K. Porter, 1 vol.

Infantry Tactics, 1 vol. 8vo. 1 vol. Plates.

General Regulations for the Army of the U. States, 1 vol.

O'Conner's Science of War and Fortification.

Treatise on the Duty of Light Troops, by Col. Van Ehwald, 1 vol.

Duties of an officer in the Field and principally of Light Troops, by Baron Gross, 1vol.

Vandeleur's Duty of Officers commanding Detachments in the Field, 1 vol.

Duty of Infantry Officers in Camp and Garrison and on Shipboard, by T. Reade, 1vol.

Grandmaison on Light Troops, 1 vol.

The experienced Officer, or Instructions, by Gen. Wimpffen, I vol.

Regimental Companion, containing the relative duties of every officer in the army, by Charles James, 2vols. and Supplement, 1 vol.

Brigade Major's Assistant, 1 vol.

Instructions concerning the Duties of Light Infantry in the field, by Gen. Jarry, 1 vol.

Lochee's Essay on forming Camps, Plates, 1 vol. Rules and Regulations for the Fortification, Field Exercises and Movements of the British Infantry, Plates, by Gen. Dundass, 1 vol.

Rules and Regulations for the French Infantry, translated by Col. M'Donald, 2vols.

Elements of War, by Gen. Maltby, 1 vol.

Regulations for the Infantry of the United States, by Gen. Smith, plates, 1 vol.

Advice to Officers of the Army, 1vol.

Count Segur's Russian Campaign, 1 vol. 8vo.

H. Lee's Campaign of1781 in the Carolinas, 1 vol. 8vo.

Military Memoirs, relating to Campaigns, Battles, and Stratagem of War, Ancient and Modern, by William Thompson, L. L. D.; second edition, revised, corrected and enlarged, by Glenie, F. R. S. 1 vol.

Original Journals of the eighteen Campaigns of Napoleon Bonaparte, comprising all those in which he personally commanded in chief. Translated from the French. To which are added, all the Bulletins relating to each Campaign. Among the officers by whom these narratives were composed, are Berthier, Massena, Denon, Regnier, Labaum, Girard, C. Petit, Beauchamp, Rocca, and M. J. Miot.

Life of Washington, by Marshall,5 vols. 8vo.

Bonaparte by O'Meara, Las Casas, and others.

Charles XII., 1 vol , and Charles V.

Plutarch's Lives.

Frederick the Great.

Life of General Moreau.

Memoirs of Count Segur.

Memoirs of Simon Bolivar.

Cardinal De Retz.

Life of Major General Green, and Major General Charles Lee.

Life of Wellington.

Delaplaine's National Gallery.

Military Memoirs of Marshal Turenne, 1 vol.

History of the Late War by Major Fay.

Naval Monument and Naval Temple.

Mavor's Universal History, 25 vols 12mo.

Madame de Stael's French Revolution.

Allen's and Warren's Histories of the American Revolution.

Ramsay's History of the American Revolution, 2vols. 8vo.

Long's two Expeditions. Lewis and Clark's Expedition.

Josephus' Works.

Mr. Stephen's Wars.

Wilson's Egyptian Wars.

Dr. Wetman's Travels.

Polybius' General History of Wars of the Romans, translated by Hampton, 1vol.

U. S. Naval Chronicle.

General Lloyd's Military Reveries.

Epitome of Military Events, or Historical Essays on the present War, maps and plates, 2vols.

The Field of Mars, being an alphabetical digestion of the principal naval and military engagements from the 9th century, to the peace of 1801; 2vols. 4to.

Indian Wars, 1 vol.

Morse's Report, 1 vol.

Adair's History of American Indians.

Tytler on Military Law and the practice of Courts Martial, 1vol.

M'Arthur on Naval and Military Courts Martial, 2 vols.

?Adye on General Courts Martial, 1 vol.

Macomb on Courts Martial, 1 vol.

Treatise on Courts Martial, by Maltby, 1 vol.

Marshal Saxe's Reveries on the Art of War, 1 vol. 4to.

Stevenson's Military Instructions, 1 vol.

Essays on the Theory and Practice of War, including the duty of Officers in actual service, and principles of modern tactics, by the editor of the Military Mentor, 3vols.

Duties of Etat Major in the French Army, by Gen. Thibeault, 1 vol.

Whitmore's General System of Tactics and Military Arrangements: observations on Light Infantry, Field Fortification and the Petite Guerre,1 vol.

Guibert's General Essays on Tactics, 1 vol.

King of Prussia's Instructions to his Generals, 1vol.

Practical System of the Art of War, translated from the German by G. Venturini, with numerous plates, 4vols. 4to.

Puysegur's Art of War.

Military and Political Hints, by Col. De Lacroix, 1 vol.

British Military Library, charts and plates, 2vols. 4to.

Machiavel's Art of War.

James' and Duane's Military Dictionary.

Vattel's Law of Nations.

Cutbush's Pyrotechny, 1 vol.

This Catalogue is not intended as a complete list of Military Books,