Synopsis
Elements Of Military Art And Science, Or, Course Of Instruction In Strategy, Fortification, Tactics Of Battles, &C: Embracing The Duties Of Staff, Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, And Engineers : Adapted To The Use Of Volunteers And Militia by Henry Wager Halleck. This mid-19th-century manual presents a prescriptive survey of military engineering, fortifications, field engineering, and military education, blending European practice with American reform aims. It frames strategy as both science and art, organized into four interrelated branches: strategy, fortification/engineering, logistics, and tactics, and uses historical exempla to illustrate rules of operation. The excerpt covers engineer troops, river-crossing operations, pontoon and bridge work, sapping and mining, siege theory, field fortifications (permanent and field), and field communications. It argues for merit-based promotion and formal military schooling, including cadet corps and academies, and defends the U.S. Military Academy as essential to professional competence. Coast defenses, northern frontier strategy (Lake Champlain), and a strong general staff are emphasized, with appendices drawing lessons from campaigns such as Mexico–US War and Crimea to advocate modernization and professionalization of leadership.
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