Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1891 — Moek Battles in the Sixteenth Century. [ARTICLE]

Moek Battles in the Sixteenth Century.

Grand army maneuvers are not a modem institution in central Eorrope. Already in the sixteenth century small German states got their militia Into camp at irregular Intervals and gave them instructions in the work of the battlefield. Such maneuvers were comparatively frequent in Nassau-Dlllenburg and the Pfalz and in many little Protestant states during the Dutch-Spanlsh wars. The greatest maneuvers of the old days, however, were held in France in J 698 In the vicinity of Compiegne under the command of Marshal Bouilers. Saint-Simon described them at length. The army of 00,000 men was assembled that the young Duke of Burgundy ifilght have an object lesson In the art of war. The whole camp was, however, one big carousal. The Com-mander-in-chief, says Saint-Simon, “set the whole world in amazement at hts pomp and the exquisite luxury of his court feasts." The best of food and wines were served in the officers’ quarters to all men of rank who visited the field. A little city of palaces was erected for the maneuvers, and everybody except the privates lived as luxuriously as he could in Paris. As there were then no military attaches of foreign legations the ambassadors themselves were entertained by the Commander-in-chief. On the door of every prince and French cardinal was the inscription, “For—;” .on the door of every other guest, however, only the name of the occupant of the house, without a preceding “for.” This slight was very near to cansing ul war, as the ambassadors protested against the slight involved in the omission of the preposition. Barrels of ink and reams of paper were wasted in the controversy over the door signs, but the King persisted that ordinary persons in camp must do without “for” on their doors. In the presence of the King, who appeared at camp with Mme. de Maintenon, several sham fights were conducted in open field, and there was even a sham attack on Compiegne. Bouflers received from the King eventually 100,000 livres as indemnification for his expenditure at the great carousal during the maneuvers, but this sum covered but a small part of the Marshal’s personal expenses in the Sybaritic encampment.