the
places the capture of which is desired; but in our country the theatre
of operations may be said to have included the whole South. The places
for the operations of armies having been decided on, the Government
adopts the necessary measures for assembling forces at the nearest
point, and accumulating supplies, as was done at Washington in 1861. A
commander is assigned to organize the forces, and at the proper time he
moves them to the selected theatre. Now commences the province of
_strategy_, which is defined as 'the art of properly directing masses
upon the theatre of war for the defence of our own or the invasion of
the enemy's country.' Strategy is often confounded with tactics, but is
entirely different--the latter being of an inferior, more contracted and
prescribed character, while the former applies to large geographical
surfaces, embraces all movements, and has no rules--depending entirely
on the genius of the commander to avail himself of circumstances. It is
the part of strategy, for instance, so to manoeuvre as to mislead the
enemy, or to separate his forces, or to fall upon them singly. Tactics,
on the contrary, are the rules for producing particular effects, and
apply to details. The strategy of the commander brings his forces into
the position he has chosen for giving battle; tactics prescribe the
various evolutions of the forces by which they take up their assigned
positions. It was by strategy that General Grant obtained the position
at Petersburg; it was by tactics that his army was able to march with
such celerity and precision that the desired objects were attained.

Marches are of two classes--of concentration and of manoeuvre. The
former, being used merely for the assembling of an army, or conducting
it to the theatre of operations, need but little precision; the latter
are performed upon the actual theatre of war, often in the presence of
the enemy, and require care and skill for their proper conduct. The
details of marches are of course governed by the nature of the country
in which they are performed, but so far as practicable they are made in
two methods--by parallel columns, or by the flank. The former is the
most usual and the most preferable in many respects; indeed, the latter
is never adopted except when compelled by necessity, or for the purpose
of executing some piece of strategy. A careful arrangement of all
details by commanders, and a steady persistence in their performance on
the