frank；　free　way　be　plainly　showed　his　light…heartedness　and
  gratification　at　success。　　That　which　for　years　his　genius　had　been
  planning　and　striving　forpermanent　unification　of　the　German
  States；　had　been　accomplished　by　the　war。　　It　had　welded　them
  together　in　a　compact　Empire　which　no　power　in　Europe　could　disrupt；
  and　as　such　a　union　was　the　aim　of　Bismarck's　life；　he　surely　had　a
  right　to　feel　jubilant。
  Thanks　to　the　courtesies　extended　me；　I　had　been　able　to　observe　the
  principal　battles；　and　study　many　of　the　minor　details　of　a　war
  between　two　of　the　greatest　military　nations　of　the　world；　and　to
  examine　critically　the　methods　followed　abroad　for　subsisting；
  equipping；　and　manoeuvring　vast　bodies　of　men　during　a　stupendous；
  campaign。　　Of　course　I　found　a　great　deal　to　interest　and　instruct
  me；　yet　nowadays　war　is　pretty　much　the　same　everywhere；　and　this　one
  offered　no　marked　exception　to　my　previous　experiences。　　The　methods
  pursued　on　the　march　were　the　same　as　we　would　employ；　with　one　most
  important　exception。　　Owing　to　the　density　of　population　throughout
  France　it　was　always　practicable　for　the　Germans　to　quarter　their
  troops　in　villages；　requiring　the　inhabitants　to　subsist　both
  officers　and　men。　　Hence　there　was　no　necessity　for　camp　and　garrison
  equipage；　nor　enormous　provision　trains；　and　the　armies　were
  unencumbered　by　these　impedimenta；　indispensable　when　operating　in　a
  poor　and　sparsely　settled　country。　　As　I　have　said　before；　the　only
  trains　were　those　for　ammunition；　pontoon…boats；　and　the　field
  telegraph；　and　all　these　were　managed　by　special　corps。　　If
  transportation　was　needed　for　other　purposes；　it　was　obtained　by
  requisition　from　the　invaded　country；　just　as　food　and　forage　were
  secured。　　Great　celerity　of　combination　was　therefore　possible；　the
  columns　moving　in　compact　order；　and　as　all　the　roads　were　broad　and
  macadamized；　there　was　little　or　nothing　to　delay　or　obstruct　the
  march　of　the　Germans；　except　when　their　enemy　offered　resistance；　but
  even　this　was　generally　slight　and　not　very　frequent；　for　the　French
  were　discouraged　by　disaster　from　the　very　outset　of　the　campaign
  The　earlier　advantages　gained　bythe　Germans　may　be　ascribed　to　the
  strikingly　prompt　mobilization　of　their　armies；　one　of　the　most
  noticeable　features　of　their　perfect　military　system；　devised　by
  almost　autocratic　power；　their　later　successes　were　greatly　aided　by
  the　blunders　of　the　French；　whose　stupendous　errors　materially
  shortened　the　war；　though　even　if　prolonged　it　could；　in　my　opinion；
  have　had　ultimately　no　other　termination。
  As　I　have　previously　stated；　the　first　of　these　blunders　was　the
  acceptance　of　battle　by　MacMahon　at　Worth；　the　second　in　attaching
  too　much　importance　to　the　fortified　position　of　Metz；　resulting　in
  three　battles　Colombey；　Mars…la…Tour；　and　Gravelotteall　of　which
  were　lost；　and　the　third；　the　absurd　movement　of　MacMahon　along　the
  Belgian　frontier　to　relieve　Metz；　the　responsibility　for　which；　I　am
  glad　to　say；　does　not　belong　to　him。
  With　the　hemming　in　of　Bazaine　at　Metz　and　the　capture　of　MacMahon's
  army　at　Sedan　the　crisis　of　the　war　was　passed；　and　the　Germans
  practically　the　victors。　　The　taking　of　Paris　was　but　a　sentiment
  the　money　levy　could　have　been　made　and　the　Rhine　provinces　held
  without　molesting　that　city；　and　only　the　political　influences
  consequent　upon　the　changes　in　the　French　Government　caused　peace　to
  be　deferred。
  I　did　not　have　much　opportunity　to　observe　the　German　cavalry；　either
  on　the　march　or　in　battle。　　The　only　time　I　saw　any　of　it　engaged　was
  in　the　unfortunate　charge　at　Gravelotte。　　That　proved　its　mettle　good
  and　discipline　fair；　but　answered　no　other　purpose。　　Such　of　it　as
  was　not　attached　to　the　infantry　was　organized　in　divisions；　and
  operated　in　accordance　with　the　old　idea　of　covering　the　front　and
  flanks　of　the　army；　a　duty　which　it　thoroughly　performed。　　But　thus
  directed　it　was　in　no　sense　an　independent　corps；　and　hence　cannot
  be；　said　to　have　accomplished　anything　in　the　campaign；　or　have　had　a
  weight　or　influence　at　all　proportionate　to　its　strength。　　The　method
  of　its　employment　seemed　to　me　a　mistake；　for；　being　numerically
  superior　to　the　French　cavalry；　had　it　been　massed　and　manoeuvred
  independently　of　the　infantry；　it　could　easily　have　broken　up　the
  French　communications；　and　done　much　other　work　of　weighty　influence
  in　the　prosecution　of　the　war。
  The　infantry　was　as　fine　as　I　ever　saw；　the　men　young　and　hardy　in
  appearance；　and　marching　always　with　an　elastic　stride。　　The　infantry
  regiment；　however；　I　thought　too　largetoo　many　men　for　a　colonel　to
  command　unless　he　has　the　staff　of　a　generalbut　this　objection　may
  be　counterbalanced　by　the　advantages　resulting　from　associating
  together　thus　intimately　the　men　from　the　same　district；　or　county　as
  we　would　call　it；　the　celerity　of　mobilization；　and；　in　truth；　the
  very　foundation　of　the　German　system；　being　based　on　this　local　or
  territorial　scheme　of　recruiting。
  There　was　no　delay　when　the　call　sounded　for　the　march；　all　turned
  out　promptly；　and　while　on　the　road　there　was　very　little　straggling；
  only　the　sick　falling　out。　　But　on　such　fine；　smooth　roads；　and　with
  success　animating　the　men　from　the　day　they　struck　the　first　blow；　it
  could　hardly　be　expected　that　the　columns　would　not　keep　well　closed
  up。　　Then；　too；　it　must　be　borne　in　mind　that；　as　already　stated；
  'campaigning'　in　Francethat　is；　the　marching；　camping；　and
  subsisting　of　an　armyis　an　easy　matter；　very　unlike　anything　we；
  had　during　the　war　of　the　rebellion。　　To　repeat：　the　country　is　rich；
  beautiful；　and　densely　populated；　subsistence　abundant；　and　the
  roadsall　macadamized　highways；　thus　the　conditions；　are　altogether
  different　from　those　existing　with　us。　　I　think　that　under　the　same
  circumstances　our　troops　would　have　done　as　well　as　the　Germans；
  marched　as　admirably；　made　combinations　as　quickly　and　accurately；；
  and　fought　with　as　much　success。　　I　can　but　leave　to　conjecture　how。
  the　Germans　would　have　got　along　on　bottomless　roadsoften　none　at
  allthrough　the　swamps　and　quicksands　of　northern　Virginia；　from；
  the　Wilderness　to　Petersburg；　and　from　Chattanooga　to　Atlanta　and　the
  sea。
  Following　the　operations　of　the　German　armies　from　the　battle　of
  Gravelotte　to　the　siege　of　Paris；　I　may；　in　conclusion；　say　that　I
  saw　no　new　military　principles　developed；　whether　of　strategy　or
  grand　tactics；　the　movements　of　the　different　armies　and　corps　being
  dictated　and　governed　by　the　same　general　laws　that　have　so　long
  obtained；　simplicity　of　combination　and　manoeuvre；　and　the
  concentration　of　a　numerically　superior　force　at　the　vital　point。
  After　my　brief　trip　to　Versailles；　I　remained　in　Paris　till　the
  latter　part　of　March。　　In　company　with　Mr。　Washburn；　I　visited　the
  fortifications　for　the　defense　of　the　city；　and　found　them　to　be
  exceptionally　heavy；　so　strong；　indeed；　that　it　would　have　been　very
  hard　to　carry　the　place　by　a　general　assault。　　The　Germans；　knowing
  the　character　of　the　works；　had　refrained　from　the　sacrifice　of　life
  that　such　an　attempt　must　entail；　though　they　well　knew　that　many　of
  the　forts　were　manned　by　unseasoned　soldiers。　　With　only　a　combat
  here　and　there；　to　tighten　their　lines　or　repulse　a　sortie；　they
  wisely　preferred　to　wait　till　starvation　should　do　the　work　with
  little　loss　and　absolute　certainty。
  The　Germans　were　withdrawn　from　Paris　on　the　3d　of　March；　and　no
  sooner　were　they　gone　than　factional　quarrels；　which　had　been　going
  on　at　intervals　ever　since　the　flight　of　the　Empress　and　the　fall　of
  her　regency　on　the　4th　of　September；　were　renewed　with　revolutionary
  methods　that　eventually　brought　about　the　Commune。　　Having　witnessed
  one　or　two　of　these　outbreaks；　and　concluding　that　while　such
  turbulence　reigned　in　the　city　it　would　be　of　little　profit　for　me　to
  tarry　there；　I　decided　to　devote　the　rest　of　the　time　I　could　be　away
  from　home　to　travel　in　England；　Ireland；　and　Scotland。　　My　journeys
  through　those　countries　were　full　of　pleasure　and　instruction；　but　as
  nothing　I　saw　or　did　was　markedly　different　from　what　has　been　so
  often　described　by　others；　I　will　save　the　reader　this　part　of　my
  experience。　　I　returned　to　America　in　the　fall；　having　been　absent　a
  little　more　than　a　year；　and　although　I　saw　much　abroad　of　absorbing
  interest；　both　professional　and　general；　yet　I　came　back　to　my　native
  land　with　even　a　greater　love　for　her；　and　with　increased　admiration
  for　her　institutions。
  End