THE PL AX OF THE ENTERPRISE. 359 The whole body of the Allied armies, was to ^^f^ operate as a ' movable column.' * Between an armed body engaged in regular Comranson operations, and that description of force which the '^^^l^^^^^^ French call a ' movable column,' the difference is ^^'^"^^ ^jf^^^^" broad ; and there is need to mark it, because the :'^^';^^ way in which regular operations are conducted, is not even similar to that in which a ' movable ' column ' is wielded. It is, of course, from the history of Continental wars that the principle of regular operations in the field is best deduced. A prince intending to invade his neighbour's terri- tory takes care to have near his own frontier, or in states already under his control, not only the army with which he intends to begin the invasion, but also that sustained, gatherhig of fresh troops, and that vast accumulation of stores, arms, and munitions, which will suffice, as he hopes, to feed the war. The territory on which these resources are spread is called the ' base of operations.' When the invading general has set out from this, his strategic home, to achieve the object he has in view, the neck of country by which he keeps up his communications with the base is called the ' line of operations ; ' f and the maintenance of
- I make this endeavour to elucidate the true character of
the operation for the purpose of causiug the reader to under- stand the kind of hazard which was involved in the march along the coa.st, and also in order to lay the ground for explain- ing {in a future volume) the causes which afterwards brought upon the army cruel sufTcrings and privations. + This is generally, but not invariably, the same line as the one by which he has advanced.
