(1). "The Last Campaign of Hanover" by Capla Part I - by Capt. Goune " 17th. Lauder (3)." On aid to the sick and wounded in War. by Lt. Col. R.I. Loyd-Lindsay V.C. R.a. (5). Ine Recent war, with reference to the Militia and Volunters, by Capt. Home R.E. (6). The Military by stems of France and Prussi in 1870. by Capt. C. B. Brackenberry (7). The Britiate Regimental System, in referenc to the proposed Reserves by Gen, Ford de Ros (8). An Austrian view of the defence of England the Baron Von Scholl, Major General, Axestion Arany, Edited by It. Col. C. C. Cheney R.E. (9). The British Line in the Attack, prast & future THE LAST CAMPAIGN OF HANOVER. A LECTURE DELIVERED AT THE ROYAL UNITED SERVICE INSTITUTION, BEFORE FIELD MARSHAL H.R.H. THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE, K.G., ETC., ETC., COMMANDING-IN-CHIEF, BY CAPT. HENRY BRACKENBURY, R.A., PROFESSOR OF MILITARY HISTORY AT THE ROYAL MILITARY ACADEMY. LONDON: PUBLISHED BY W. MITCHELL AND CO., 2. C. Karpinski 1.10.52 THE LAST CAMPAIGN OF HANOVER. WHEN I received the invitation of the Council of this Institution to lecture here, the choice of the subject being left to myself, I had recently returned from visiting the theatre of the war of 1866 in Western Germany, and from studying on the spot those operations of General Falckenstein which had led to the dispersion or the defeat of three several armies, and the clearance of the whole of Germany, north of the Maine, from the enemies of Prussia; and on my return to England I had been much struck, not only with the absence of correct knowledge as to this campaign in Western Germany, but with the amount of wrong information which appeared to exist, more especially as to that earlier portion of the campaign which took place in Hanover. I have here a well known book, which may perhaps be fairly said. to represent the historical and geographical knowledge of a large portion of my fellow-countrymen on this subject-"Murray's Handbook." Turning to Langensalza I find it described as a town "giving name "to a battle in 1866, in which the Hanoverian army, attempting to escape south, were defeated by the Prussians." There never was a greater libel upon a gallant nation; and, indeed, there is something almost repugnant to one's feelings of fair play in the assumption which seems to underlie this statement, and many others which I have seen, that the Prussians must have won every battle that they fought, and that their strategy and their tactics must have been perfect in every portion of that war. I thought, then, I might do something towards the cause of historic truth were I to accept the invitation of the Council, and to tell here the plain, unvarnished, true, story of the campaign of Hanover, as I derive it from the closest comparison of official accounts, both Prussian and Hanoverian, with such other trustworthy data as Í have been able to collect, and from the closest study of the ground on which the campaign was fought. Passing entirely over all the political events which led to the outbreak of this war, we arrive at the 14th of June, 1866. On that day. |