We have the pleasure to welcome a new contributor: Mr. Karl Martinsen. Mr. Martinsen is presenting an article on the U.S. Army (see page 10), first of a series on the U.S. Army between 1783 and 1812. It is very interesting. We hope to read you here very often, Mr. Martinsen. We have also an excellent article by Don Graves on the U.S. Light Dragoons (see page 2). Perhaps we should take this opportunity to repeat that Don Graves is the editor of MILITARY NOTES, a magazine that deals specifically with troops in America. Also of interest is the continuation of the series of articles on the POLISH LEGIONS IN ITALY by Jon Harrison (see page 28), which should be completed in our next issue. Jon Harrison's outstanding contribution will continue with a fantastic article on the artillery of the Duchy of Warsaw. Gentlemen, let me tell you that you are in for some surprises ..... One can note, that in this issue, some articles are out of the Napoleonic era. We feel that these articles are necessary for the simple reason that they provide information and data that lead to a better understanding of the Napoleonic era art of warfare. Tom DeVoe's article on MISSING CANNONS (see page 21) is a nice compliment to Mr. Martinsen's article. My article on LIGHT TROOPS IN FRENCH SERVICE PRIOR TO THE FRENCH REVOLUTION (see page 14) may also appear out of place since we are speaking of events that took place prior to the French Revolution i.e. prior to 1789. Yet, in my opinion, these events are very basic and very pertinent if one considers the evolution of the French army. They are facts that can not be ignored if one wants to understand objectively the evolution of the French army prior to the French Revolution and in the period extending from 1791 to 1815. My point should be made clear in the forthcoming articles on the background of Napoleonic warfare. All the tactical innovations, that have so impressed many writers were not improvised by the Armies of the Revolution, they were only the evolution of the French military thinking of the eighteen century. All these innovations, WITHOUT EXCEPTIONS can be found in the military writings of that period. ref. Quimby, BACKGROUND OF NAPOLEONIC WARFARE, (pages 4 & 5). Furthermore, these tactical innovations were familiar to the officers who led the armies of the early campaigns and also to most of those who led the subordinate units. The sharp break alleged to have taken place between the Army of the Old Regime and that of the Revolution has been greatly exaggerated. Many old regiments were retained. The basic drill book, The Ordinance of 1791, was used to train the volunteers of 1791 as well as the regular army and was the result of three-quarters of a century of Ordinances, tactical debates and developments that took place after the disasters of the Seven Years War, etc. I also feel that my short article on the Lauzun's Legion adds something to the points I am trying to put across and adds to the understanding of the so-called French Light troops. Back to Empire, Eagles, & Lions Table of Contents Vol. 1 No. 23 Back to EEL List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1978 by Jean Lochet This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com