Decisive Battles Since Waterloo/Preface
PREFACE.
In 1852 Professor (afterwards Sir Edward) Creasy published a book, which is well described by its title, "The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World, from Marathon to Waterloo." Professor Creasy's work has passed through many editions, and has long since become a standard authority among historical students. In the belief that the decisive battles since Waterloo are worthy of record in a similar form, the author has ventured to prepare the volume, of which these lines are the preface.
Creasy justly says: "It is probable, indeed, that no two historical inquirers would entirely agree in their lists of the decisive battles of the world," and it is of course still less likely that any unanimity of opinion could be found among historical students of the present day in the selection of the decisive battles since 1815. There is a wide difference of opinion concerning the battles which assured English supremacy in India; the battles which decided the result of the civil war in America; and concerning those which have repeatedly changed the political map of the valley of the Danube and the regions contiguous to it. Several of the twenty-five battles which are described in this volume could hardly be included if the list were subjected to the crucial test of Hallam in his comments upon the victory of Charles Martel, between Tours and Poictiers, over the Saracens. In speaking of that battle Hallam says: "It may justly be reckoned among those few battles of which a contrary event would have essentially varied the drama of the world in all its subsequent scenes." Thus while the victory of the English at Prome in Burmah, described in the second chapter of this book, was "the beginning of the end" of the Burmese kingdom, it by no means follows that their complete defeat would have forever kept them outside the boundaries of that semi-barbarous country. It might have delayed the conquest for several, perhaps many, years, but would not have prevented it. Similar comments might be made concerning the capture of Silistria by the Russians in 1829, the battle of Gujerat twenty years later, the battle of Sedan in 1870, and the conquest of Khiva in 1873. The American Civil War will doubtless lead to criticism of the battles selected as decisive; it would be difficult to find in any group of the men who participated in that gigantic struggle perfect accord of opinion as to the relative importance of the battles that were fought between 1861 and 1865 for the preservation or destruction of the Union. The author's reasons for his selections will be found at the end of the chapter wherein each battle is described.
In the preparation of this volume the author has examined a vast amount of military and other history, and is indebted for his material to the works of many previous writers. Of some of the battles described he had personal knowledge, and he has been able to inspect certain of the battle-fields referred to in the narrative. Among the works his obligations to which he desires to acknowledge may be mentioned the following:—
"A View of South America and Mexico" (Anonymous); Soldan's "Historia del Peru Independente"; "Journals of Lord Cochrane in South America"; Phayre's "Narrative of the Burmese War"; Histories of India by Malcolm, Mill, Kaye, Wilson, Elphinstone, and others; Alison's "History of Europe"; Lady Bourcher's "Despatches of Admiral Codrington"; Histories of Greece by Grote, Cox, and others; Count Von Moltke's "Russians in Bulgaria and Roumelia"; Chesney's "Russo-Turkish Campaigns of 1828-29"; Poltevin's "Prise de la Citadelle d'Anvers"; Ripley's "History of the War with Mexico"; Bancroft's "History of the Pacific States of North America"; Malleson's "Decisive Battles of India," and "History of the Indian Mutiny"; Wright's "Northwestern Provinces of India"; M'Ghee's "How We Got to Pekin"; Oliphant's "Lord Elgin's Mission to China"; Bordstaedt and Dwyer's "Franco-German War"; Markham's "War between Peru and Chili"; Gaffaret's" Histoire d' Algérie"; King's "Europe in Storm and Calm"; Delord's "Histoire du Second Empire"; Sturmer's "Der Tod des Grafen Diebitsch"; Schuyler's "Turkestan"; MacGahan's "Fall of Khiva"; Marvin's "Russians at the Gates of Herat"; Boulger's "Central Asian Questions"; and Russell's " War in the Crimea." Harper's and the Century Magazines deserve acknowledgment, and so do the files of the New York Tribune, London Daily News, London Times, Illustrated London News, London Graphic, Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung, and other newspapers. The official records of the American Civil War have been examined, together with numerous volumes of an unofficial character. In describing the battle of Gettysburg the author has thought best to rely mainly upon "The History of the Civil War in America," by the Comte de Paris. In so doing he has hoped to avoid the charge of partiality, which has been brought against nearly every other of the numerous writers on the subject.
The battles here described possess an interest for the student of military tactics and strategy. The book has, however, for its further purpose, the idea of presenting an outline survey of the history of the Nineteenth Century, considered from the point of view of its chief military events. It is the author's hope that the result of his labors may help to make clear the character and relative importance of these events, and to indicate their influence in shaping the history of our own times.
New York, April, 1887.