He kept near
him at headquarters an officer of rank who had nothing to do but to
procure, record, and arrange all the military news which could be
gleaned from newspapers, correspondents, and spies. The name of every
regiment, detachment, and corps in the enemy's service was written upon
a card. For the reception of these cards he had a case made with
compartments and pigeon-holes. Every time a movement was reported the
cards were shifted to correspond, so that he could know at a glance,
when the cards were spread out upon a table, just how the troops of the
enemy were distributed or massed. Every few days, the officer in charge
had to send the emperor a list of the changes which had taken place.
This important matter was intrusted to a person who knew the languages
of the different nations engaged in the war.
It was Bonaparte's perfect organization of his spy system which enabled
him to carry out his plan of always having a superior force at the point
of attack. These two were the great secrets of his tactical system,
namely, to have the best information and the most men at the decisive
moment.
Bonaparte was a trained soldier; but when Washington took command of the
army in July, 1775, he had had very little experience of actual warfare.
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